BazaLoader Malware is Being Distributed by Hackers Using a Bogus Streaming Website

Proofpoint identified the phishing attempt in early May, which entailed hackers creating a phoney movie-streaming website named BravoMovies and stocking it with phoney movie posters and other materials to make it appear real to unwary visitors. It has nothing to offer for download other than BazaLoader malware, despite its pretty pictures and fun-sounding titles. BazaLoader is a malware loader that is used to spread ransomware and other types of malware, as well as steal sensitive data from infected computers. 

“BazaLoader is a downloader written in C++ that is used to download and execute additional modules. Proofpoint first observed BazaLoader in April 2020. It is currently used by multiple threat actors and frequently serves as a loader for disruptive malware including Ryuk and Conti ransomware. Proofpoint assesses with high confidence there is a strong overlap between the distribution and post-exploitation activity of BazaLoader and threat actors behind The Trick malware, also known as Trickbot,” the security firm said. 

The BravoMovies campaign employs a complex infection chain similar to that employed by BazaLoader affiliates, who entice their victims to jump through a series of hurdles in order to activate malware payloads. It starts with an email informing recipients that their credit cards would be debited until they cancel their subscription to the service, which they never agreed to. 

The email includes a phone number for a call center with live people on the other end of the line, ready to send consumers to a website where they may purportedly cancel the phoney movie-streaming subscription. Those who fall for the trick, on the other hand, are directed to download a boobytrapped Excel spreadsheet that will trigger macros that will download BazaLoader. 

The call-center staff advises their customers to the BravoMovies website, where they should go to the Frequently Asked Questions page and unsubscribe using the “Subscription” page. They’ll then be directed to download an Excel spreadsheet. If BazaLoader is enabled, the macros on the Excel sheet will download it. The second-stage payload in this campaign has yet to be discovered, according to Proofpoint experts. 

Proofpoint researchers first noticed the use of BazaLoader in February 2021, when a pre-Day Valentine’s malware assault supplied lures to bogus flower and lingerie stores. It’s also been spotted in a campaign for subscription pharmaceutical services.