Avoid malware infections caused by "SIDDHIVINAYAK" spam emails

What kind of email is "SIDDHIVINAYAK"?

Our analysis of this "SIDDHIVINAYAK" email revealed that it is malspam - malicious spam designed to infect recipients' systems with malware. These fake finance/purchase-themed letters proliferate the Agent Tesla RAT (Remote Access Trojan).

It must be emphasized that, as with all spam emails, these "SIDDHIVINAYAK" letters are in no way associated with any legitimate entities that they are presented as messages from or make mention of.

"SIDDHIVINAYAK" email virus overview

The "SIDDHIVINAYAK" spam emails claim to have a PO (Purchase Order) attached to them. These scam messages also request the recipient to send the PI (likely, Purchase Invoice).

However, when the attached file is opened (and macro commands are enabled) - Agent Tesla malware's download/installation is initiated. It is classified as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) because this program allows for remote control over infected machines.

In addition to being able to perform commands on devices, Agent Tesla also has extensive data-stealing functionalities. For example, this trojan can record keystrokes (keylogging) and extract information from various applications like browsers, email clients, messengers, download managers, VPNs, FTP clients, etc.

To summarize, by trusting spam emails like "SIDDHIVINAYAK" - users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. If your system is already infected - we strongly advise using an anti-virus to eliminate the threats without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	SIDDHIVINAYAK malspam
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Fake Claim	Emails claim to have a purchase order attached to them.
Attachment(s)	PO_68trivent_controlgears.xlsx (filename may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (OLE:CVE-2017-11882-B [Expl]), Combo Cleaner (Trojan.GenericKD.50591936), ESET-NOD32 (Probably A Variant Of Win32/Exploit.CVE-2017-11), Kaspersky (UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic), Microsoft (Exploit:O97M/CVE-2018-0798), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Payload	Agent Tesla
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 have analyzed thousands of spam emails; "Chc Energy Email Virus", "Booking Offer", and "City National Bank Email Virus" are just a couple examples of malspam that we have inspected recently.

Aside from malware proliferation, spam emails are also used for scams like phishing. These letters are usually presented as "urgent", "important", and similar; they are commonly disguised as mail from legitimate companies, authorities, organizations, and other entities.

Due to how widespread spam mail is, we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails and messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can have infectious files attached to them or include links to malicious websites (i.e., ones designed to trick users into downloading/installing malware or capable of doing so stealthily). These files can be in various formats, e.g., archives, executables, Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, etc.

When a virulent file is opened - the infection chain is initiated. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect devices by executing malicious macro commands. In pre-2010 versions, this process is triggered the moment a document is opened. However, newer versions have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic execution of macros.

However, cyber criminals often include deceptive messages in infectious documents to trick users into enabling the macro commands, and this is true of the attachment within the "SIDDHIVINAYAK" email that we analyzed.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise against opening the attachments/links present in suspicious/irrelevant emails and messages - since that can result in a malware infection. Additionally, we recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 due to their "Protected View" mode.

However, malicious software is not proliferated only via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise downloading from official and trustworthy sources. Furthermore, all programs must be activated and updated with tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and fake updaters may contain malware.

We must stress the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security software has to be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "SIDDHIVINAYAK" scam email letter:

Subject: Purchase Order

Sir,

 

Please find the attachment of PO and send PI for the same.

__
Thanks & Regards ,
Roshni

 

SIDDHIVINAYAK
AUTOMATION & ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD
Plot No - C-7/7, MIDC, Near AMP Railway Gate.
Kansai Village, Ambernath (W). 421 501
Contact : 8237261336
www.siddhivinayakworld.com
Mail ID : rohini@siddhivinayakworld.com
Purchase@siddhivinayakworld.com 

Screenshot of the malicious attachment distributed via "SIDDHIVINAYAK" spam campaign ("PO_68trivent_controlgears.xlsx"):

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Quick menu:

• What is SIDDHIVINAYAK malspam?
• 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?

Spam emails are not personal. These letters are distributed in mass-scale operations - hence, thousands of users receive identical messages.

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

No, just opening/reading a spam letter will not initiate any malware download/installation processes. Infections begin when the attachments or links found in these emails are opened/clicked.

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

Whether the system was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) - most likely, yes. However, document formats (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may require additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands) - to begin downloading/installing malicious software.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and remove threats. It is capable of eliminating nearly all of the known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a complete system scan is essential - since high-end malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.

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