MetaStealer Malware – How to Eliminate the New MetaStealer Malware?

MetaStealer is an infostealer malware. It uses phishing emails, malicious links, ZIP archive downloads, PDF attachments, and infected Excel files to infiltrate a system. Once inside a system, it steals sensitive data of the user, including credit card details, keylogging data, banking details, login credentials, account passwords, and cryptocurrency wallets. To avoid detection and bypass the security gateways, it operates stealthily using advanced techniques like encryption or impersonating legitimate software. While running its malicious operation in a system, it connects to a remote command-and-control (C2) server to share all the details with the bad actors.

Written by R K Dutt
Published on November 25, 2024

Using this MetaStealer program, hackers can bank details and inflict heavy monetary losses on businesses and individuals. So this post is all about MetaStealer malware and the best tips to protect against this deadly malware.

What Is an Infostealer?

Infostealer is a highly sophisticated malicious program specifically designed to steal sensitive data and financial details from computers and digital systems. Hackers run Malspam campaigns to distribute an infostealer on devices and networks. They use spam emails, spoofed links and malicious websites to plant the malware. Spam emails and attached links lead the user to a ZIP archive download containing disguised LNK files or fake PDF documents. When the user opens the spoofed LNK file, it triggers all the malicious operations inside the system. It drops an installer in the device, which further downloads malicious files and PDFs on the PC. After that it connects to the Command-and-Control (C&C) server to exfiltrate stolen data.

Detecting an infostealer is a highly difficult task due to its stealthy operations and use of encryption technology. It mimics legitimate software and runs its operations in the background. All the more, it uploads extra payloads of malicious software, worms and viruses to compromise a PC and steal sensitive information. Emotet, RedLine Stealer, Vidar Stealer, LokiBot and MetaStealer are some of the most common examples of infostealers.

MetaStealer is a recent example of information-stealing malware that uses advanced and sophisticated techniques in cyber attacks. It is one of the most deadly infostealers, and it mostly attacks Intel-based macOS computers. It shares some similarities with META’s info-stealer and Atomic Stealer, which wreaked havoc last year by breaching Apple’s built-in antivirus tech, XProtect. However, in many ways, it is far more dangerous and damaging than the other two variants. The following section sheds light upon this fact and describes what methods it uses to distribute and spread on devices, networks and databases.

How MetaStealer Malware Distributes?

Metastealer exploits spam emails to distribute and embed in a system. In this process, hackers set up malicious links in emails and use an unusual social engineering technique to lure users into clicking the link. As soon as the user clicks the link, a ZIP file containing a shortcut LNK file disguised as a PDF doc appears. When the user double-clicks the file, the shortcut LNK file becomes activated instead of opening the PDF file. The LNK starts a legitimate-looking VPN application that seems to be safe. Cybercriminals create LNK to point to a program to make it look real. They specify the working directory containing a malicious Dynamic Link Library (DLL). It tricks the application into loading a malicious DLL instead of a legitimate one.

Once the malicious DLL is in the system, it drops the MSI installer (Malicious Software Installer) to run various operations, such as installing, maintaining, and running malicious applications. This MSI installer downloads spoofed PDF files containing MetaStealer and decompress (extract) CAB (Cabinet) files to infect the computer with the malware. The CAB file serves as a part of a larger infection process. With this process, the MetaStealer successfully embeds itself in a system that connects to a command-and-control (C&C) server. After this, it exfiltrates all the sensitive data, including credit card details, bank accounts, login details, passwords, and other critical information, to the hackers.

Other Method MetaStealer Uses

Online hackers also use malvertising campaigns to infect a system with MetaStealer. In this attack, users are often tricked into clicking malicious ad links that redirect them to sites that initiate malware installation into their devices. People clicking these malicious ad links often end up downloading malware and compromising their security and sensitive data. The Venture Wolf threat group used malvertising to download MetaStealer into a system and steal the user’s financial information.

Hence, black hats use a multi-stage attack involving DLL sideloading, MSI installers, and CAB archives to embed the MetaStealer in a device and collect valuable user data. They exploit search orders for DLLs in Windows and leverage the trust placed in legitimate applications to distribute MetaStealer into a system.

How to Protect Against MetaStealer?

For a layman who does not know how Windows applications search and load DLL files and exploit them to distribute a MetaStealer, it becomes challenging to guard against such deadly attacks. If you are also facing this difficulty, then stop all your worries. We provide you with the best tips to help you effectively protect against MetaStealer malware attacks. They are as follows:

Be Cautious with Downloads and Emails

First and foremost, it is important that you remain careful with email attachments and downloads. These two are the most common gateways black hats use to infect your digital devices with malware. Make sure to avoid downloading files and opening attachments from unreliable sources, including websites, P2P networks, or third-party downloaders. Also, you must be careful about the links attached to suspicious emails. These are clickbait hackers used to lure their target and infect their PC with malicious programs.

If you need to download a file or visit a website, make sure you do so using the official sites. Also, you should use a trustworthy online platform to download your apps and software. Google Play is an example where you can get genuine programs and applications to meet your daily needs.

Use Official Tools for Updates and Activations

Regularly updating your online tools is highly essential to keep the deadly malware away from your official devices. It patches up security vulnerabilities and upgrades the programs with new functionalities and features. Upgraded software prevents cybercriminals from exploiting the flaws in the software and infiltrating the malicious program in the device network. The most important thing during this whole process is to make sure that you use official tools for updates and activations. It reduces the chances of malware infection and cyber attacks on your device.

Install and Maintain Antivirus Software

Download and install reliable antivirus software to scan your PC for viruses and hidden threats. Smart anti-malware software comes with advanced features like real-time protection, heuristic analysis, and behavior analysis that constantly monitor your device for viruses and suspicious activities. With the help of a robust antivirus tool, you can effectively detect and block MetaStealer on your device.

Remove Malware with Autoruns

Autorun is another helpful tool that can successfully remove malware from your digital device. But for this, you have to go through a slightly long process. Following are the steps that allow you to remove malware with the help of Autorun:

Step 1: Download and Run Autoruns: Download “Autoruns” from the [Microsoft Sysinternals website](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns). After this, extract the downloaded archive and run the “Autoruns.exe” file.

Step 2: Configure Autoruns: In the application, go to “Options” and uncheck: “Hide Empty Locations” and “Hide Windows Entries.” Now click the “Refresh” icon to update the list of auto-start programs.

Step 3: Identify and Remove Malware: Review the list for suspicious entries (e.g., unknown or unusual file paths). Right-click on the suspicious entry and select Delete. Avoid removing legitimate system files.

Boot into Safe Mode for Manual Removal

If you are not using any security software on your device, then you can remove malware manually. In this method, you need to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Restart in Safe Mode with Networking

Windows 10/11:
a. Click the “Windows logo” and choose the “Power” icon.
b. Hold the “Shift” key and click “Restart.”
c. Select “Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.”
d. Press “F5” to enter Safe Mode with Networking.

Windows 8:
a. Go to the Start screen and search for “Advanced startup options.”
b. Follow the on-screen instructions to reboot into the “Advanced Startup” menu.
c. Click “Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup settings → Restart.”
d. Press “F5” to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

Windows 7:
1. Restart the system.
2. Press “F8” repeatedly during startup to access the “Advanced Options Menu.”
3. Select “Safe Mode with Networking.”

Step 2: Delete Residual Malware Files

Enable “hidden files and folders: Open File Explorer, go to “View → Options → View tab → Select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.” Search for any remaining suspicious files by the malware name and delete them.

Reboot in Normal Mode

Once you are done with the process of removing the malware and cleaning up the system now is the time to restart your computer in the normal mode.

Security Measures

Prevention is better than cure. You must use best safety practices to keep the malware at bay in the first place. Make sure to keep your operating system up to date to seal the loopholes and address the security vulnerabilities. Do not use pirated or unreliable programs on your PC from unofficial sites and third-party platforms. Use official resources and trusted programs from certified platforms on your devices. It will keep you safe from unseen online threats. Along with this, you should educate yourself about phishing emails and social engineering tactics to deal with online threats.

Scan Your System Regularly

You must scan your system time-to-time to detect hidden threats in your device and ensure it is malware-free. Use tools like heuristic analysis, full system scan, and real-time protection. These are powerful tools that analyze every single part of your system and catch the sneaky malicious codes working in the underground. This practice of scanning your system regularly will help you detect stealthy malware like MetaStealer and keep your system free of virus threats.

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MetaStealer Malware – How to Eliminate the New MetaStealer Malware?

What Is an Infostealer?