How to avoid infecting the operating system through "Messages In Soundbox" spam campaign

What kind of email is "Messages In Soundbox"?

We have inspected this email and concluded that it is a fraudulent email designed to trick recipients into infecting their computers. It contains a malicious attachment utilized for malware distribution. The letter itself is disguised as a notification regarding messages in Soundbox.

"Messages In Soundbox" malspam campaign overview

The email claims to be from a "Soundbox" service and informs the recipient that there are three undelivered mails in their Soundbox. It states that this occurred due to a system error in their mail server. The recipient is instructed to validate their email in order to release the Soundbox messages to their inbox folder.

Moreover, the email warns that failure to release the emails will result in deactivation of the account and permanent closure of email data. Overall, this scam email uses urgent language to trick the recipient into opening the attached MS Excel document (or opening the file downloaded via the provided link).

The file distributed via this email is malicious. However, the specific type of malware concealed within this file is currently unknown. It could be ransomware, which encrypts files on the victim's system and demands payment for their release. It could also be another form of malware (e.g., a banking Trojan or keystroke logger) designed to steal sensitive information.

Also, cybercriminals may use the file distributed via this email to trick users into infecting their computers with a cryptocurrency miner. This type of malware uses computer resources to mine cryptocurrency, which can lead to slow computer performance and higher electricity consumption (among other issues).

In either case, interacting with the file or link in this email could lead to serious consequences, including financial loss, compromise of personal information, identity theft, data encryption, and other harm. Thus, users should not open links or files presented in emails of this kind.

Threat Summary:

Name	Messages In Soundbox malspam campaign
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Hoax	Recipients have several undelivered messages in their mailbox
Attachment	2e4dc95ea679acacebff4418dd73e67.xlsx (its name may vary)
Detection Names (Attachment)	Avast (OLE:CVE-2017-11882-B [Expl]), Combo Cleaner (Exploit.MathType-Obfs.Gen), ESET-NOD32 (Probably A Variant Of Win32/Exploit.CVE-2017-11882.C), Kaspersky (UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic), Microsoft (Exploit:O97M/CVE-2017-11882!KZH), 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.
Payload	Currently unknown
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.

Emails of this type in general

As a rule, emails designed to deliver malware use threatening or urgent language. Also, they pretend to be from legitimate companies, organizations, or other entities. The purpose of these emails is to trick users into infecting computers via the attached files or provided links.

Some examples of similar emails are "Quotation Request Email Virus", "Confirm Hotel Bank Account Email Virus", and "Rooming List For The Group Email Virus".

How did "Messages In Soundbox" infect my computer?

The file utilized to deliver malware via this spam campaign is a malicious MS Excel document. Malicious MS Office documents cannot inject malware unless users enable macros commands (enable editing/content). However, this does not apply to malicious documents opened with MS Office released before 2010.

In the latter case, malicious documents inject malware upon opening them. Other file types commonly used to deliver malware include PDF documents, executables, archives, scrip files, and ISO files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid interacting with links or files in unexpected emails from unfamiliar senders. Keep your operating system and installed applications up to date. Avoid using peer-to-peer networks, third-party downloaders, and similar sources for downloads. Always download apps ad files from official websites and app stores.

Do not trust advertisements, alers, or other intrusive pop-ups on questionable pages, and always reject requests from suspicious pages to send notifications. Furthermore, install trustworthy security software and perform routine system scans. If you've already opened "Messages In Soundbox" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Messages In Soundbox" email letter:

Subject: Messages in Soundbox ********

Messages in Soundbox
Hello ********,

You have (3) undelivered mail in your mail soundbox.

This is due to a system error in your mail server IP 192.47.71.97.
Validate your email to release mail soundbox messages to your inbox folder.
Action    Recipient: Subject: Soundbox date
Release ******** RE: Purchase Order F249783 10/05/2024
Release ******** FW: Proforma Invoice Needed   10/05/2 024
Release  ******** Re: SOA/ Payment Slip: 7726159 09/05/2024

RELEASE SOUNDBOX MESSAGES TO INBOX

If you do not release your email soundbox to your inbox, your account will be deactivated and your email data will be permanently closed.

Domain: ********

Email: ********

This email was sent to you by ******** ©2024 All rights reserved

Malicious attachment distributed via "Messages In Soundbox" spam campaign:

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 Messages In Soundbox 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?

Fraudsters send identical letters to all recipients, banking on the chance that at least one recipient will take the bait. These spam emails lack any personalization.

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

The file attached to this email is a malicious MS Excel document. Your computer has been infected if you opened that file and enabled macros commands (enabled editing/content). Malware cannot infiltrate systems without enabling macros in malicious MS Office documents (unless these documents are opened using MS Office released prior to 2010).

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Opening emails is safe. Computers cannot be compromised without opening malicious links or files.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner has the capability to detect and eradicate nearly all known malware infections. Sophisticated malware often conceals itself deep within the system. For this reason, users must run a full system scan to eliminate advanced malware.

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