The Age of Reboots: The Return of the Notorious Qakbot Threat Campaign

December 13, 2023

By Rodman Ramezanian - Global Cloud Threat Lead, Skyhigh Security

We live in a age of reboots: Gilmore Girls, Frasier, and That 90s (70s) show. Some reboots are better than others. Unfortunately, it looks like threat campaigns are also getting a reboot. But do you remember the QakBot cyber threat, otherwise known as Qbot or Pinkslipbot? This threat was shut down as part of a coordinated law enforcement effort in August 2023—and it’s making a comeback!

Once infected, these malicious programs can do serious harm. They often hold your data for ransom or leverage sneaky cryptomining malware that uses a device’s computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies. Attackers gain control over your systems with the intent to steal information or perform other harmful actions. The connections established by the threat actors are bidirectional: attackers can send commands and receive responses in real-time, enabling them to explore the victim’s system(s), steal data, and carry out other harmful actions.

What can be done? Read more in our latest Intelligence Digest.