Nasty Windows worm spreads to hundreds of networks via infected USB drives TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Nasty Windows worm spreads to hundreds of networks via infected USB drives By Sead Fadilpašić published 4 July 2022 Whoever is behind the worm is yet to use it (Image credit: Shutterstock/Chor muang) Audio player loading… A dangerous Windows worm has found its way into hundreds of corporate networks, Microsoft has discovered. As reported by BleepingComputer, the Redmond giant privately notified companies subscribed to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (opens in new tab) of its findings. The security advisory explained that, although the malware (named Raspberry Robin) had not yet been leveraged, it has been observed connecting to multiple addresses on the Tor network. Raspberry Robin was first identified late last year, when researchers from Red Canary discovered a "cluster of malicious activity". The malware is usually distributed offline, via infected USB drives. After analyzing an infected thumb drive, the researchers discovered that the worm spreads to new devices via a malicious .LNK file. Unknown threat actor Once the victim plugs in the USB drive, the worm will trigger a new process through cmd.exe, and run the file on the compromised endpoint (opens in new tab). To reach out to its command and control (C2) server, the researchers further state, the worm uses Microsoft Standard Installer (msiexec.exe). They speculate the server (opens in new tab) is hosted on a compromised QNAP NAS device, with TOR exit nodes being used as extra C2 infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts at Sekoia also observed it using QNAP NAS devices as C2 servers late last year.Read more> This dangerous new malware is attacking Windows devices via infected USB drives (opens in new tab) > Best ransomware protection of 2022: paid and free decryption tools (opens in new tab) > This nasty browser-hijacking malware is becoming a serious threat (opens in new tab) "While msiexec.exe downloads and executes legitimate installer packages, adversaries also leverage it to deliver malware," the report states. "Raspberry Robin uses msiexec.exe to attempt external network communication to a malicious domain for C2 purposes." The researchers are yet to attribute the malware to a specific threat actor, and are not exactly sure what the goal of the malware is. Right now, as it's not being actively used, it's anyone's guess. "We also don't know why Raspberry Robin installs a malicious DLL," the researchers said a few months back. "One hypothesis is that it may be an attempt to establish persistence on an infected system, though additional information is required to build confidence in that hypothesis."Keep track of incoming and outgoing traffic with the best firewalls around Via BleepingComputer (opens in new tab) Sead Fadilpašić Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he's written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He's also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1You may not have to sell a body part to afford the Nvidia RTX 4090 after all2PC gamers are shunning high-end GPUs – spelling trouble for the Nvidia RTX 40903It looks like Fallout's spiritual successor is getting a PS5 remaster4Canceled by Netflix: it's the end of the road for Firefly Lane5Beg all you want - these beer game devs will not break the laws of physics for you 1We finally know what 'Wi-Fi' stands for - and it's not what you think2Brave is about to solve one of the most frustrating problems with browsing the web3She-Hulk episode 8 just confirmed Netflix's Daredevil TV show is canon in the MCU4A whole new breed of SSDs is about to break through5Logitech's latest webcam and headset want to relieve your work day frustrations Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)