Avoid malware infections spread via "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam email

What is the "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" email?

After inspecting the "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" email, our researchers determined that it is malspam. Scam emails designed to distribute malware are sent through mass-scale spam campaigns (malspam).

The email in question is yet another example of the purchase/product scam model, whereby recipients are tricked into opening a malicious attachment disguised as a product order.

"QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" email virus overview

The "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam email makes the request evident in this name (to make the best offer for a product). It also asks the recipients to review the provided delivery times. The letter then lists fake sender/contact details, and it is concluded with a confidentiality notice.

It must be stressed that the information given by this email - is false. Therefore, when the file attached to this email is opened - malware download/installation is jumpstarted.

We have researched thousands of spam emails and have observed them being used to spread all manner of malicious programs. To elaborate on how some of them operate, ransomware is designed to encrypt files and/or lock the device's screen - to demand ransoms for the decryption/ access recovery.

Cryptocurrency miners generate cryptocurrency by abusing system resources, potentially to the point of rendering the system unresponsive or causing it to fail.

"Trojan" is a term encompassing a wide range of malicious software. These programs can be capable of establishing remote control over infected machines (RATs - Remote Access Trojans), downloading files and data, extracting information from browsers and other apps, causing chain infections, spying (e.g., recording keystrokes [keyloggers], audio/video via microphones and cameras, etc.), replacing clipboard (copy-paste buffer) data, and so on.

The threats posed by a malicious program depend on its abilities and the cyber criminals' goals. Generally, malware infections can result in decreased system performance or failure, permanent data loss, hardware damage, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. These dangers are also posed by the "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" email. If your system has been infected, we strongly advise using an anti-virus to remove the threats without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE malspam campaign
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Disguise	New purchase order.
Attachment(s)	New Order# 06012595-021422.rev (filename may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (Win32:RATX-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Trojan.GenericKD.48356344), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of MSIL/Packed.Confuser.K Suspici), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan.MSIL.Taskun.gen), Microsoft (Trojan:MSIL/Tnega.ALY!MTB), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine.
Distribution methods	Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'.
Damage	Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Malspam campaign examples

"We Receive Another Bank Information", "AIC Contracting", and "FITS email virus" are just a few examples of the malware-spreading emails we have analyzed. Spam mail is usually presented as "important", "urgent", or similar; it may also be disguised as messages from genuine authorities, institutions, companies, service providers, etc.

Agent Tesla, Emotet, TrickBot - are a couple examples of malware commonly proliferated via these letters. In addition to malicious program distribution, spam emails are used for phishing and other scams.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can contain infectious files as attachments or download links. The files can be archives, executables, Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, etc. Once a malicious file is executed, run, or otherwise opened - malware download/installation is initiated.

For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands. This process is immediate in Microsoft Office versions released before 2010.

Later versions have "Protected View" mode that prevents macro execution upon a document's opening. Instead, users have to manually enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content); note that virulent documents often contain deceptive messages designed to trick users into allowing macros.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise against opening/clicking the attachments and links found in suspicious/irrelevant emails, since they can contain malware. Another recommendation is using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010.

However, malicious software is not proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, download only from official and verified channels. Furthermore, activate and update programs with tools provided by legitimate developers, as those obtained from third-parties may cause system infections.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and updated. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats/issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" email letter:

Subject: Re:RFQ# QMBT-2215-214

DEAR SIR

PLEASE QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE & CHECK THE DELIVERY LEAD TIME :

QTY : 2 SET

QTY : 1 SET

THANKS AND REGARDS

 

Parth Sir

Executive Officer

2nd Floor, Cheran Plaza

1090, Trichy Road, Coimbatore – 641 018

Ph : 0422-2304775/6/9

________________________________
This email and any attachments are confidential and intended
solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient,
any disclosure, copying, distribution either whole or partial,
is prohibited and may be unlawful. In such case, please delete this message and
kindly notify the sender. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad
________________________________

Screenshot of VirusTotal detections of the malicious attachment distributed via "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam campaign ("New Order# 06012595-021422.rev"):

Another example of an email from this spam campaign spreading malware:

Text presented within:

Subject: Urgent Request-HUTH.INTERNATIONAL.COM

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

I will appreciate your best price and delivery time on the following equipment and spares as attached.

NOTE: WITH YOUR QUOTE SEND THE DRAWING AND DATASHEET.

Deadline:14.11.2022.

I look forward your kind reply

Best regards,

Natalya Pidchenko
Marketing and Sales Administration

HUTH.INTERNATIONAL.COM e.K

International Trading Company

Birkenhainerstrasse 2

D-63579 Free Court

Phone: +49(0) 6055 90 61 049

Fax:  +49(0) 6055 93 54 65

Internet: www.huth-international.com

E-Mail: natalja.pidtchenko@huth-international.com

Ust./VA-Ident-No.: DE813711822

District Court Hanau: HRA 92627

Another example of price quotation-themed spam email spreading FormBook malware:

Text presented within:

Subject: TOP URGENT RFQ (KSA)

 

Hello Sir/Madam,

My name is Ahmed Mostafa, I represent my company (Systematic Construction Ltd.) We are looking to purcahse some materials for our new project in Saudi Arabia.
Our business partner from China gave us your contact details.

I will be glad if you can help us with an urgent quote based on our RFQ attached.

Kindly let us know your mode of payment and terms of delivery.

I look forward to your quotation.

Kind regards,

Amed Mostafa
Address​

18 A, Obour Buildings,Salah Salem 18th , Apartment 8

02-26833592

Yet another example of a malware-spreading email from "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Product inquiry

Hi,

I hope you are doing well. please provide me your most recent price as well as a copy of your catalog if available. We would like to place an order as soon as possible. View the order specification on the attached file.

Download File
-
Please let us know your best, competitive quotes as well as FOB and EXW rates.

Thank you for your early comments.

 

Regards

Name: Patricia Bruce
Position: Purchase Manager
Company: PEDDLE GROUPS SL
Address: Carrer Conradors, 11A, 07141 Poligono
Industrialde Marratxi, Illes Balears, Spain
Email: info@peddle-group.com, patricia@holimann.com

Yet another example of an email from "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: RFQ- SEA/AIR FREIGHT-VARIOUS ITEMS

 

Good day,

Kindly quote us your best price and delivery for the attached below

SALES QUOTE

Best Regards

Tian Jin
Procurement Specialist
Multinational Trade Co., LTD

Head Office: 1018 Wanda Centre, Anyang, Henan, China

GNEE PTE. LTD.

8 KAKI BUKIT AVENUE 4 #03-21 PREMIER @KAKI BUKIT SINGAPORE(415875)

GNEE CO., LIMITED

SUITE 913B 9/F OCEAN CTR HARBOUR CITY 5 CANTON RD TST KLN HONG KONG

Tel: +86 373 5055135 Fax: +86 362 5055180

Screenshot of the phishing site promoted using this email:

Yet another example of an email from "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Purchase Order FPO-11/2024 against ER/PUR/IE-05/2023 for the supply of 1111 A/B

 

Good Day -,

Kindly refer to the attached our new purchase order 4902134 and provide us Quotation of your best prices.

ALSO, Kindly share statement of accounts as of 29.31.23 to do reconcile, and process payment.

Note: Statement received on or before 25.01.24 will be consider in the payment schedule or vice versa.

Do not include "Jan 08" invoices if any

Please Ignore this email if you have already shared SOA.

Thanks in advance.

Jeremy FUENTES

NDT Sales Manager Frnce, Belgium, Spain, Portugal
Email:     jeremy.fuentes@carestream .com
Mobile: +33 (0)6 07 73 82 3

Screenshot of the attached HTML phishing document:

Yet another example of an email from "QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: PO-4103586287

 

Hello Team,

I would like to place an order for potential items in our range, would you please check the attached for your reference and quote your best  prices and Delivery/Lead time accordingly.

Awaiting your early feedback.

Thank You,
Ajit Kulkarni
MeRCK

Sigma-Aldrich|7th Floor, eCity Tower2, Electronic City Phase1| Bangalore | India
Email: ajit.kulkarni@merckgroup.com

Screenshot of the attached malicious HTML document used for phishing purposes:

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Quick menu:

• What is QUOTE YOUR BEST PRICE malspam campaign?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Thousands of users receive identical spam emails; they are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute these letters in large quantities with the hopes that at least some of the recipients will fall for their scams.

I have read this spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, merely reading a spam email will not initiate any infection processes. Malware download/installation is triggered when the attachments or links present in this mail - are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened the file attached to this spam email, is my computer infected?

Whether an infection was triggered - depends on the file's format. Executables (.exe, .run, etc.) infect systems nearly without fail. However, document formats (e.g., .doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may require additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands) to begin downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. However, it must be emphasized that performing a full system scan is crucial - as high-end malicious programs typically hide deep within the system.

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