Adware Alert: “HotPage” Malware Hijacks Browsers and Elevates Hackers
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered HotPage adware, which pretends to block ads while secretly enabling attackers to run code with elevated permissions on Windows. The adware intercepts browser traffic, displays ads, and steals system data, all made possible by a Microsoft-signed driver. This shows just how far adware developers will go to achieve their goals.
Hot Take:
Who knew that blocking ads could be so…adventurous? It turns out, HotPage is less of a pop-up blocker and more of a Trojan horse riding in on a shiny Microsoft certificate. Who’s ready to play “Whack-a-Mole” with their system security?
Key Points:
- HotPage adware masquerades as an ad blocker but injects malicious code.
- The malware employs a driver signed by Microsoft, which is now revoked.
- The driver lacks ACLs, allowing attackers to gain elevated permissions.
- The adware redirects browser traffic and collects system information.
- It targets non-protected processes to run arbitrary code with system-level privileges.
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