KnowBe4 - New Dangerous and Persistent "Metamorphic" Malware Strain Called Tardigrade

Michael Kan at PCMag reported on this new strain of Windows malware.  It can constantly adapt to avoid detection and was first found targeting the biotech industry, including the infrastructure behind vaccine manufacturing, according to security researchers.

The warning comes from a non-profit called BIO-ISAC, which focuses on information sharing to protect the biotech industry from cybersecurity threats.

The threat is setting off alarm bells because it goes beyond typical polymorphic malware, which will only rewrite part of its computer code to evade detection. Instead, the uncovered malware goes even further by completely recompiling its code during each infection when it first connects to the internet.

This “metamorphic” ability prevents the malware from leaving a consistent signature behind, making it harder for antivirus programs to spot. According to Wired, one security researcher tested the malware almost 100 times and “every time it built itself in a different way and communicated differently.”

As a result, BIO-ISAC has dubbed the malware Tardigrade, the microorganism that can survive extremely hot and cold conditions, including the vacuum of outer space. But unlike a real Tardigrade, the malware can secretly hijack a computer system to steal and modify files.

from KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training Blog https://blog.knowbe4.com/new-dangerous-and-persistent-metamorphic-malware-strain-called-tardigrade