Malware is well-known for pretty dangerous cyber threats, and we have to stay away from it at all costs. Cyber attackers are on the rise in recent years, and they always seem to find ways of bypassing security measures.
This time we’re dealing with SilentFade, a group that has been using some unorthodox tech gimmicks like browser injections, a trojan, as well as a Facebook bug.
Buying and posting ads on behalf of targeted users
Between late 2018 and February 2019, it was party time for SilentFade – considered one of the most sophisticated malware operations that Facebook users ever had to face. The purpose of the group’s operations was to infect users with the trojan, hijack browsers, and get its hands on passwords and browser cookies for gaining access to Facebook accounts. Once that happened, the group searched any type of payment method attached to the accounts. Going further, SilentFade bought Facebook ads by using the victim’s funds.
$4 million
Facebook itself said that the cyber group managed to defraud users of more than $4 million. Posting malicious ads across the social network was part of the plan.
Sanchit Karve and Jennifer Urgilez from Facebook wrote in their report about SilentFade:
Not a lot is known about this malware as it isprimarily driven by downloaded configuration files, but we believe it was used for click fraud – thus CPA in this case refers to Cost Per Action – through a victim install-base in China,
Facebook also reveals that the SilentFade gang began its evil deeds in 2016 when it first operated a piece of malware named SuperCPA, and that was primarily used against Chinese users.
If, by any chance, you needed another reason to quit social media, you could take the SilentFade malware group into account. However, Facebook’s security team detected the presence of SilentFade’s evil schemes and intervened to stop the attacks.
