Avoid infecting your device via fake "WebMail Server Manager" emails

What kind of email is "WebMail Server Manager"?

Our examination of the "WebMail Server Manager" email revealed that it is malspam. This spam letter informs the recipient that multiple messages have failed to reach their inbox.

Supposedly, the undelivered emails can be found in the attachments. The attached files are identical, and both are designed to infect systems with the Agent Tesla RAT (Remote Access Trojan).

"WebMail Server Manager" email virus overview

This spam email states that twenty-two incoming messages failed delivery. The letter speculates that the reason could have been an error on the recipient's mail domain. The undelivered emails can be found in the attached files, wherein the messages can be released into the inbox or deleted.

As mentioned in the introduction, all information provided by this scam email is false, and this mail is in no way associated with any legitimate service providers.

The attached files – "UNDELIVERED MAILS.doc" and "UNDELIVERED MAILS 2.doc" – are identical, and both infect devices with Agent Tesla malware. These Microsoft Word documents contain the same text that meanders on about audits and finances. The malicious files start the malware's download/installation process when the user enables macro commands (i.e., editing).

In summary, victims of scam mail like "WebMail Server Manager" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you believe that your system is infected with Agent Tesla (or other malware) – we strongly recommend running a full system scan with an anti-virus and eliminating all detected threats.

Threat Summary:

Name	"WebMail Server Manager" malspam
Threat Type	Malspam, trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Fake Claim	Attachments contain emails that failed to reach the recipient's inbox.
Attachment(s)	UNDELIVERED MAILS.doc, UNDELIVERED MAILS 2.doc
Detection Names (UNDELIVERED MAILS.doc)	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Exploit.RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen), Emsisoft (Exploit.RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen (B)), Kaspersky (HEUR:Exploit.MSOffice.CVE-2018-0802.g), McAfee (RTFObfustream.c!F64D55ED5E5F), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Detection Names (UNDELIVERED MAILS 2.doc)	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Exploit.RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen), Emsisoft (Exploit.RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen (B)), Kaspersky (HEUR:Exploit.MSOffice.CVE-2018-0802.g), McAfee (RTFObfustream.c!41E95B946EC4), 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

"Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form", "ICLOUD Outlook Storage", and "C&K STEEL COMPANY" are just some examples of malspam that we have investigated recently.

Aside from malware distribution, spam mail is used to promote phishing and various other scams. These emails can be plain and full of errors or be elaborately disguised as messages from legitimate service providers, companies, organizations, institutions, authorities, and other entities.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cyber criminals often use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. Infectious files can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. They can be documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

The malware download/installation is jumpstarted when a malicious file is opened. However, some formats may need additional interaction. For example, Microsoft Office documents require users to enable macros (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote files need them to click embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links found in dubious mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious.

We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro command execution.

It must be mentioned that malware is distributed using various techniques. Therefore, we also advise being careful while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to activate and update software by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must 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 "WebMail Server Manager" spam email letter:

Subject: ******** WARNING: ATTACHED UNDELIVERED MAILS.

From Trusted Sender
******** WebMail Server Manager

Hi ********,

We have detected (22) undelivered messages to ******** from September 25, 2023 02:00 AM.
We think this couId be an error on your mail domain (DNS).

ATTACHED IS THE UNDELIVERED MAILS JUST CLICK ACCEPT OR DELETE.
Thanks
******** Webmail Security Team

This is a mandatory service mail,sent to ********.

Screenshot of a malicious attachment distributed via this spam campaign ("UNDELIVERED MAILS.doc"):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 "WebMail Server Manager" 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?

Cyber criminals distribute spam emails by the thousand; these messages are not personal.

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

No, just reading an email will not initiate any system infection processes. Malware download/installation chains begin when a malicious attachment or link is opened/clicked.

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

Whether your device was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes. However, this might have been avoided if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats can require additional actions to jumpstart malware download/installation processes (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.).

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. It must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within the systems.

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