• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Cisco Umbrella

Enterprise network security

  • Contact Sales
  • Login
    • Umbrella Login
    • Cloudlock Login
  • Why Us
    • Why Cisco Umbrella
      • Why Try Umbrella
      • Why DNS Security
      • Why Umbrella SASE
      • Our Customers
      • Customer Stories
      • Why Cisco Secure
    • Fast Reliable Cloud
      • Global Cloud Architecture
      • Cloud Network Status
      • Global Cloud Network Activity
    • Unmatched Intelligence
      • A New Approach to Cybersecurity
      • Interactive Intelligence
      • Cyber Attack Prevention
      • Umbrella and Cisco Talos Threat Intelligence
    • Extensive Integrations
      • IT Security Integrations
      • Hardware Integrations
      • Meraki Integration
      • Cisco Umbrella and SecureX
  • Products
    • Cisco Umbrella Products
      • Cisco Umbrella Cloud Security Service
      • Recursive DNS Services
      • Cisco Umbrella SIG
      • Umbrella Investigate
      • What’s New
    • Product Packages
      • Cisco Umbrella Package Comparison
      • – DNS Security Essentials Package
      • – DNS Security Advantage Package
      • – SIG Essentials Package
      • – SIG Advantage Package
      • Umbrella Support Packages
    • Functionality
      • DNS-Layer Security
      • Secure Web Gateway
      • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
      • Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
      • Cloud-Delivered Firewall
      • Cloud Malware Protection
      • Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)
    • Man on a laptop with headphones on. He is attending a Cisco Umbrella Live Demo
  • Solutions
    • SASE & SSE Solutions
      • Cisco Umbrella SASE
      • Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
      • What is SASE
      • What is Security Service Edge (SSE)
    • Functionality Solutions
      • Web Content Filtering
      • Secure Direct Internet Access
      • Shadow IT Discovery & App Blocking
      • Fast Incident Response
      • Unified Threat Management
      • Protect Mobile Users
      • Securing Remote and Roaming Users
    • Network Solutions
      • Guest Wi-Fi Security
      • SD-WAN Security
      • Off-Network Endpoint Security
    • Industry Solutions
      • Government and Public Sector Cybersecurity
      • Financial Services Security
      • Cybersecurity for Manufacturing
      • Higher Education Security
      • K-12 Schools Security
      • Healthcare, Retail and Hospitality Security
      • Enterprise Cloud Security
      • Small Business Cybersecurity
  • Resources
    • Content Library
      • Top Resources
      • Cybersecurity Webinars
      • Events
      • Research Reports
      • Case Studies
      • Videos
      • Datasheets
      • eBooks
      • Solution Briefs
    • International Documents
      • Deutsch/German
      • Español/Spanish
      • Français/French
      • Italiano/Italian
      • 日本語/Japanese
    • Security Definitions
      • What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
      • What is Security Service Edge (SSE)
      • What is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
      • Cyber Threat Categories and Definitions
    • For Customers
      • Support
      • Customer Success Webinars
      • Cisco Umbrella Studio
  • Trends & Threats
    • Market Trends
      • Hybrid Workforce
      • Rise of Remote Workers
      • Secure Internet Gateway (SIG)
    • Security Threats
      • How to Stop Phishing Attacks
      • Malware Detection and Protection
      • Ransomware is on the Rise
      • Cryptomining Malware Protection
      • Cybersecurity Threat Landscape
      • Global Cyber Threat Intelligence
    •  
    • Woman connecting confidently to any device anywhere
  • Partners
    • Channel Partners
      • Partner Program
      • Become a Partner
    • Service Providers
      • Secure Connectivity
      • Managed Security for MSSPs
      • Managed IT for MSPs
    •  
    • Person looking down at laptop. They are connecting and working securely
  • Blog
    • News & Product Posts
      • Latest Posts
      • Products & Services
      • Customer Focus
      • Feature Spotlight
    • Cybersecurity Posts
      • Security
      • Threats
      • Cybersecurity Threat Spotlight
      • Research
    •  
    • Register for a webinar - with illustration of connecting securely to the cloud
  • Contact Us
  • Umbrella Login
  • Cloudlock Login
  • Free Trial
Threats

Cyber attackers use SEO to spread malware through torrent files

Author avatar of Sreenidhi RamadurgamSreenidhi Ramadurgam
February 16, 2021 • 3 minute read
View blog >

Have you ever thought about what role search engine optimization (SEO) might play in a cyber attack?

Generally, it is used to tune the search results of websites on any search engine. The more the optimization, the better the chances of getting the webpage in the search results.

There has been a particular kind of attack which leverages this and it has been happening for a while now. Torrents are popular for media and other large files. People often go there to download movies or softwares that are not open source.

Attackers observed this trend and came up with an idea for an attack. This is not a new technique that has appeared overnight, but it has been around for a number of years.

Let’s see how this attack works.

First, the attacker creates a torrent file that contains the malware. Generally, document malware comes via phishing emails, but in this case, recipients would be suspicious if they get the torrent file as an attachment. So, they need a different way of delivering it.

Attackers compromise WordPress sites and host multiple malicious pages which contain the torrent file. These pages have good search results. This attack usually targets a different demographic.

Example page:

Torrent malware example page

The content may differ from page to page but the torrent file is usually the same. Here it is about a movie. On another page, it might be about a different movie or bootlegged software. Every page will have a download button that can download the torrent file. This is hosted on the same site. Unknown to the user, this file contains the pointer to a malware.

Torrent malware example 1

We have observed that all these pages are hosted on compromised WordPress websites.
In the past, we saw a huge number of spam pages that are being hosted on WordPress sites, but this time it was something different. Instead of several spam pages, all the pages have content that is coherently organized, but contains malware.

When you observe the page, you can see that there are some pictures hosted that are related to the content. There are quite a few pictures uploaded on the website, which tells us that they have hosted that many pages with different content.

The screenshots below are just a small sample of what has been hosted there.

torrent malware example image

However, the attack isn’t fully complete here. It has to reach the people for the attack to fully execute.

This is where SEO comes into play. We see that the pages are a little more popular than we thought! The screenshot below depicts this clearly.

When a user ideally wants to find a movie or software on torrent, he would go on Google and type in something like this – “movie-name download torrent” or “movie name torrent”

Google search results page

Search results have been optimized to display multiple results and multiple domains containing the same page near the top of the results list. These are the pages which are hosted on a compromised website.

Let’s see what malware is being hosted. We can download the sample using a torrent client.

Sample download using torrent

We have some interesting stuff here. There is a video file (.mpg) of 800 Mb which doesn’t have the movie.

And “75095_VTS.srt” isn’t an srt file but rather an executable file that, when uploaded in virustotal, was not detected.

Torrent comparison

Let’s look at the other file: the .bat file here will decrypt the srt file. When decoded, it creates another executable file and runs it. (See the screenshot below.)

A file named 75095_VTS_tmp.srt is created here.

Torrent executable file

When we look at the newly created file in VirusTotal, we can see that it is a trojan.

Isn’t it amazing how a small thing that we already know, can be combined and made into a big attack? SEO has played a major part here. Without it, the attack could not have been successful.

Fortunately, there are ways to counter this. Using anti-virus engines, Cisco Secure Endpoint (AMP for Endpoints), and sandboxing from Cisco Threat Grid, Cisco Umbrella can identify and stop access to malicious torrent files. It takes advantage of intelligence from millions of new malware samples analyzed daily for the most effective defense against malicious files.

Cisco Umbrella continuously monitors cyber-space for the DNS infrastructures, IP networks, and malware used in current and former attacks. Our 100% proprietary security analytics provide the spatial and temporal relationships between every domain name, IP address, malware files, and networks — ultimately, uncovering when and where on the internet new cyber attacks, like these compromised WordPress pages, are being staged.

The lure of easy media downloads is strong. However, nothing comes for free. It helps to have an alert system, informed, and at the ready.

IOCS: 
https://pastebin.com/ckntXJbF
https://pastebin.com/rgKq6DwJ
https://pastebin.com/BL3S8kT0

Suggested Blogs

  • Cybersecurity Threat Spotlight: Emotet, RedLine Stealer, and Magnat Backdoor February 3, 2022 5 minute read
  • Using DNS-layer security to detect and prevent ransomware attacks August 12, 2021 6 minute read
  • The cost of ransomware attacks: Why and how you should protect your data August 10, 2021 4 minute read

Share this blog

FacebookTweetLinkedIn

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Footer Sections

What we make

  • Cloud Security Service
  • DNS-Layer Network Security
  • Secure Web Gateway
  • Security Packages

Who we are

  • Global Cloud Architecture
  • Cloud Network Status
  • Cloud Network Activity
  • OpenDNS is now Umbrella
  • Cisco Umbrella Blog

Learn more

  • Webinars
  • Careers
  • Support
  • Cisco Umbrella Live Demo
  • Contact Sales
Umbrella by Cisco
208.67.222.222+208.67.220.220
2620:119:35::35+2620:119:53::53
Sign up for a Free Trial
  • Cisco Online Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Sitemap

© 2023 Cisco Umbrella