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A sophisticated malware strain known as Perfctl has been infecting thousands of Linux systems since 2021, evading detection through over 20,000 common misconfigurations and advanced evasion techniques.
Thousands of Linux systems have been infected by Perfctl malware since at least 2021.Perfctl exploits over 20,000 common misconfigurations on Linux machines to evade detection.The malware uses simple userland rootkit techniques to achieve persistence and disguises itself as a legitimate process or file.Perfctl can turn machines into profit-making proxies for customers who use them to relay Internet traffic.The malware poses a significant threat to organizations and individuals alike due to its versatility and ability to evade detection.Persistent perfctl infections are difficult to detect as the malware copies itself from memory to multiple disk locations.
In a disturbing revelation, researchers from Aqua Security have confirmed that thousands of Linux systems have been infected by a stealthy malware strain known as Perfctl. This sophisticated malware has been circulating since at least 2021 and has managed to evade detection by exploiting over 20,000 common misconfigurations on Linux machines.
The name "Perfctl" is an interesting one, derived from the combination of the "perf" tool used for monitoring Linux systems and "ctl," a commonly used abbreviation with command-line tools. This nomenclature highlights the malware's ability to blend in seamlessly with its environment and disguise itself as a legitimate process or file.
Despite its sophisticated nature, Perfctl relies on relatively simple userland rootkit techniques to achieve persistence on infected machines. The rootkit replaces key system binaries like "top" and "lsof" with malicious versions, injecting the malware into the Linux environment through the use of LD_PRELOAD. This clever approach allows Perfctl to evade detection by traditional security measures while ensuring its ability to remain installed after reboots or attempts to delete core components.
According to experts from Aqua Security, Perfctl is designed to ensure persistence on infected systems and has been linked to a growing number of reports across various forums. It has the capability to turn machines into profit-making proxies that pay customers use to relay their Internet traffic and can also act as backdoors for installing other families of malware. The versatility of this malware poses a significant threat to organizations and individuals alike.
Perfctl uses advanced evasion techniques, including manipulating the Linux process pcap_loop through a technique known as hooking, which prevents admin tools from recording malicious traffic. It also suppresses mesg errors, avoiding any visible warnings during execution. Moreover, it deletes its installation binary after execution and runs as a background service thereafter, further increasing its stealth.
The malware has been observed to copy itself from memory to multiple disk locations, using names that appear as routine system files. This behavior ensures the persistence of Perfctl on infected systems even after primary payloads are detected and removed.
In addition to its persistence capabilities, Perfctl also turns machines into profit-making proxies for paying customers who use them to relay their Internet traffic. The malware has been linked to a growing number of reports across various forums, highlighting the distress and frustration of users who find themselves infected.
According to Aqua Security researchers, Perfctl stands out as a significant threat due to its design, which enables it to evade detection while maintaining persistence on infected systems. This combination poses a challenge for defenders and has led to discussions across various forums.
The report from Aqua Security also sheds light on the scale of this problem. By extrapolating data from services like Shodan and Censys, researchers estimate that millions of machines connected to the Internet are potential targets for Perfctl. While it is uncertain how much cryptocurrency the malicious miners have generated, the sheer number of infected systems poses a significant threat to Linux users worldwide.
As an essential part of this coverage, Ars Technica advises readers who want to determine if their device has been targeted or infected by Perfctl to look for indicators of compromise included in Thursday's post. They should also be on the lookout for unusual spikes in CPU usage or sudden system slowdowns, particularly during idle times.
Additionally, the report provides steps for preventing infections in the first place, offering readers valuable insights into protecting themselves against this sophisticated malware.
As Ars Technica continues to separate the signal from the noise in a vast sea of information, we remain committed to providing our readers with comprehensive coverage of cutting-edge security threats and solutions. We thank Aqua Security for their diligent work in uncovering this malicious strain and look forward to bringing more updates on Perfctl as they become available.
For those interested in learning more about this threat and how to protect themselves against it, we recommend following the resources provided in Thursday's post.
Related Information:
https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/10/persistent-stealthy-linux-malware-has-infected-thousands-since-2021/
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/linux-systems-are-being-hit-by-a-wide-ranging-and-dangerous-new-malware
Published: Fri Oct 4 10:11:41 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
