Bumblebee Malware: Attack Vectors & Security Measures

Bumble Bee Malware

A massive rise in corporate cyberattacks is due to the malware (malicious software) that cybercriminal groups use. Since new malware gets introduced into the market with new behavior and threat techniques, it becomes hard for enterprises to combat them all. Bumblebee is one such sophisticated malware that is targeting enterprises and individuals. Due to the enormous rise in malware attacks, the anti-malware market is also growing exponentially. According to the Research and Markets report, the expected growth of the anti-malware market will register to a CAGR of around 15 percent from 2020 to 2025. This article will give you a quick walkthrough of what a Bumblebee is, the damages it can cause, and how to protect against it.

What is Bumblebee malware?

Bumblebee is a malware loader designed to substitute the BazarLoader backdoor that helped deliver ransomware payloads. The Bumblebee malware creators use the C++ programming language to develop it. The code remains mainly compacted in a single function which does the initialization, deploying, handling of responses, and sending requests. At present, the malware downloader’s configuration remains stored in plaintext format. In the future, the bumblebee developers might employ obfuscation.

According to the researchers and security firm Proofpoint, with the emergence of Bumblebee, other well-known malware loaders like IcedID and BazarLoader are disappearing swiftly. According to an independent malware researcher Eli Salem, the creators of Bumblebee will have a connection with the TrickBot botnet. This is due to the similarity in their source code. Some of the pseudo names of bumblebee malware by different antivirus programs are Kaspersky (HEUR: Trojan.Win32.Generic), Microsoft Security (Program: Win32/Wacapew.C!ml), Avast (LNK: Agent-BD [Trj]), ESET-NOD32 (Win64/Kryptik.CZJ), Combo Cleaner (Gen: Variant.Lazy.164691), etc. Here is a list of other names found by different anti-malware and antivirus programs.

What damage can Bumblebee do?

The Bumblebee malware works as a loader to run cultivated malicious code and helps in loading Meterpreter, Shell-code injection, DLL injection, and Cobalt Strike. According to a report by the enterprise security firm Proofpoint, Bumblebee will be a new, multifunctional tool that lots of cybercriminals and threat actors will use and will favor other malware. Bumblebee docks occasionally within phishing emails under the banner DocuSign and lures the victim. It gave bumblebee malware evidence & provided confidence that does not make users suspect what is behind this legal banner or software. It also comes as malicious HTML attachments or scam links that redirect the victim to a Microsoft OneDrive link with an ISO file containing the bumblebee malware in the form of malicious shortcuts and DLL files.

Infecting Files — Bumble bee Malware

“Threat actors using Bumblebee are associated with malware payloads that have been linked to follow-on ransomware attacks and campaigns,” the Proofpoint researchers said. This malware infiltrates different systems and sells access and data of such exploited computers on underground platforms. Independent malware researcher Eli Salem also added that, like TrickBot, bumblebee malware also uses a web-inject module & has the same evasion technique.

How do you prevent your enterprise from breaching your security/data with the Bumblebee malware?

Different approaches are there to protect enterprise systems & professionals against malware like the Bumblebee. These are:

Protecting Against Bumble Bee Malware

· Use anti-malware and anti-spyware: Enterprise systems should have anti-malware and anti-spyware programs installed with updates and patches so that the system can easily detect any form of malware if the user downloads it. Combo Cleaner, EST NOD-32, Fortinet, and Comodo are some antivirus and anti-malware programs that can detect bumblebee malware.

· Use an administrative account if necessary: Bumblebee malware can leverage administrative privileges to access or exploit other computer parts. Therefore, it is recommended not to download anything suspicious through email via administrative accounts. Employees and IT professionals should log in to administrative accounts only to perform privileged tasks like giving someone user access or changing configuration.

· Limit application privileges and adhere to the least privilege principle: Enterprises should follow the “principle of least privileges” & grant minimum system requirements and usability to employees. Also, not everyone should get permission to download and execute any file from the internet.

· Educate employees: Enterprises should educate employees on all the latest malware and how they behave or attack a system. Also, enterprises should train and enlighten them not to download files and email attachments from unknown emails, malicious links, or unofficial sites. To get more guidance and prevention measures against the bumblebee malware, contact security firms that offer extensive security like ours.

Conclusion –

We hope this comprehension has given you a crisp idea of what bumblebee malware is, how it spreads, the damages it causes, and how to protect against it. If you want to stay ahead of such attacks, consult us. We have security experts who can guide you to protect your enterprise systems from such threats.

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