
Cybersecurity researchers have identified a new stealthy malware loader named BabbleLoader, which is actively delivering information-stealing malware families such as WhiteSnake and Meduza. Described as an exceptionally evasive loader, BabbleLoader employs numerous defensive mechanisms designed to evade antivirus and sandbox environments to load these stealers directly into memory.
Intezer security researcher Ryan Robinson reported that BabbleLoader has been deployed in various campaigns primarily targeting English and Russian-speaking audiences. It particularly focuses on individuals seeking cracked software and business professionals in finance by masquerading as legitimate accounting software.
The use of loaders to deliver malware, including stealers and ransomware, has become increasingly common. These loaders often serve as the initial phase in an attack chain, circumventing traditional antivirus defenses. A wide range of new loader families has emerged in recent years, including Dolphin Loader, Emmenhtal, FakeBat, and Hijack Loader, which are used to propagate various malware types.
BabbleLoader distinguishes itself with advanced evasion tactics that can outsmart both traditional and AI-based detection systems. This includes the incorporation of junk code and metamorphic transformations to alter its structure, making it more difficult to identify through signature-based and behavioral sorting. It achieves this by resolving required functions only during runtime and taking steps to prevent analysis in sandboxed environments. The loader’s design successively adds meaningless, noisy code that can crash analysis tools like IDA, Ghidra, and Binary Ninja, requiring manual investigation.
Every instance of BabbleLoader is built with unique strings, metadata, code, hashes, encryption, and control flows. This constant modification causes AI detection models to struggle and adapt continuously, leading to missed detections and false positives. Robinson emphasized that "each sample is structurally unique" and this variability is a deliberate strategy to counteract detection efforts.
At its core, BabbleLoader is designed to load shellcode that subsequently unpacks and executes malware stealer programs. The persistent effort to conceal the payloads lowers the onboarding effort for cybercriminals when they must transition between different infrastructures.
In conjunction with this development, Rapid7 recently uncovered a new version of LodaRAT malware, notable for its ability to steal cookies and passwords from browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Brave while also gathering sensitive data and enabling remote control over infected systems. It has been operational since September 2016, with new variants being disseminated via loaders like Donut and Cobalt Strike.
Moreover, the cybersecurity landscape is also observing a new malware called Mr.Skeleton RAT, which is based on njRAT and is being marketed on the underground market with capabilities for remote access, file manipulation, and even camera control.
This environment of evolving threats underscores the increasing complexity and sophistication of loader malware like BabbleLoader, highlighting the critical need for advanced cybersecurity measures.
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