Phishing Campaign Uses Maduro Arrest Story to Deliver Backdoor Malware

Cybercriminals are exploiting the recent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to distribute sophisticated backdoor malware.

The threat actors exploited news surrounding Maduro’s arrest on January 3, 2025, demonstrating how geopolitical events continue to serve as effective lures for malicious campaigns.

The attack likely begins with a spear-phishing email containing a zip archive named “US now deciding what’s next for Venezuela.zip”.

Inside, victims find an executable file titled “Maduro to be taken to New York.exe” alongside a malicious dynamic-link library called “kugou.dll”.

The executable is a legitimate KuGou binary, but has been weaponized via DLL hijacking to load the malicious library, according to Darktrace security researchers.

Malware Behavior

Once executed, the malware creates a directory at C:ProgramDataTechnology360NB and copies itself, renaming the files.

It establishes persistence by adding a registry key at “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunLite360” that runs automatically at system startup.

The malware then displays a dialog box prompting users to restart their computer, which triggers the malicious payload.

After the system restarts, the malware initiates regular encrypted connections to a command-and-control server at 172.81.60[.]97 on port 443.

These periodic connections enable the malware to receive instructions and configurations from the attackers.

The campaign shares similarities with previous operations by Mustang Panda, a Chinese threat group known for exploiting current events such as the Ukraine war, Tibet-related conventions, and Taiwan-related topics.

However, researchers note that there is insufficient evidence to attribute this activity to any specific group definitively.

This incident highlights the ongoing threat of geopolitical-themed phishing campaigns.

Organizations and individuals should exercise extreme caution when opening email attachments, especially those referencing breaking news or world events.

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

• 172.81.60[.]97
• 8f81ce8ca6cdbc7d7eb10f4da5f470c6 – US now deciding what’s next for Venezuela.zip
• 722bcd4b14aac3395f8a073050b9a578 – Maduro to be taken to New York.exe
• aea6f6edbbbb0ab0f22568dcb503d731  – kugou.dll

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