A newly discovered variant of the PureLogs information-stealing malware has raised serious concern within the cybersecurity community because of its stealthy execution methods and advanced evasion capabilities. The campaign mainly spreads through phishing emails disguised as purchase orders, convincing users to open a malicious RAR archive attachment. Inside the archive is a heavily obfuscated JavaScript file that silently launches the attack chain. Researchers at Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs observed that the malware abuses trusted Windows components such as PowerShell and MsBuild.exe to evade traditional security tools and remain hidden during execution. By operating primarily in memory, the malware leaves very little forensic evidence on infected systems and becomes significantly harder for defenders to detect and analyze effectively. The attack begins when the JavaScript file decrypts and launches a hidden PowerShell script stored in the C:\Temp directory. The PowerShell payload contains encrypted Base64 data that is decoded and executed directly in memory using fileless techniques. The script then loads two .NET modules and performs process hollowing against the legitimate Microsoft MsBuild.exe process. Using Windows API calls such as CreateProcessA, VirtualAllocEx, WriteProcessMemory, and ResumeThread, the malware injects malicious code into the suspended process and resumes execution while appearing as a trusted Windows application. This technique enables the malware to bypass endpoint monitoring tools and execute malicious payloads without drawing immediate suspicion from security products. After successful injection, the malware extracts a downloader module from encrypted resources, decrypts and decompresses it, then loads it into memory. The downloader communicates with a command-and-control server through encrypted HTTPS requests to retrieve additional plugins, including the PureLogs payload. Once active, PureLogs steals browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, Discord tokens, VPN credentials, and email client information. Organizations should block JavaScript attachments, monitor suspicious PowerShell activity, strengthen phishing awareness training, and deploy advanced endpoint detection solutions effectively.
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