Microsoft Edge users beware of ransomware spreading software that pretends to be a legit update of the web browser.
In this photo illustration, a Microsoft Edge web browser app in App Store seen displayed on a smartphone in front of a laptop.
As per the news story by HitHardNews, Microsoft Edge is one of the best browsers out there--unlike its predecessor, the Internet Explorer. In fact, some folks prefer it more than its other rivals, such as Google Chrome and Firefox.
Fake Microsoft Edge Update
Microsoft has also been active in stuffing improvements and other additional features in its constant update for the web browser.
However, it turns out that some threat actors are now capitalizing on the fame of Microsoft Edge by releasing fake updates for the web browser.
The cybersecurity research firm, MalwareBytes, discovered new ransomware targeting the users of Edge by releasing a fake software update for the browser to lure in its victims.
Updates and Malware
The researchers of Malwarebytes said that using a fake update to trick current users to install malware on their machines is not a new cybercriminal scheme. Instead, it has already been "a go-to tactic for getting users to download malware for many years."
The cybercriminal minds have been directing users to install the latest software update by urging them to get it immediately to remain secure from the threats out there, giving the victims a sense of urgency.
On top of that, MalwareByte Labs also said those threat actors used to deploy malware through fake updates of the Adobe Flash until the media player retired completely.
Microsoft Edge Ransomware
This time around, though, cyberattackers are still using fake updates to spread malware to their targets.
In this file photo taken on August 04, 2020, Prince, a member of the hacking group Red Hacker Alliance who refused to give his real name, uses his computer at their office in Dongguan, China's southern Guangdong province. - As the number of online devices surges and super-fast 5G connections roll out.
According to the news story by Notebook Check, the analysts from the South Korean cybersecurity firm AhnLab Security Emergency Response Center or ASEC discovered how the ransomware, Magniber, is being deployed to its victims.
The cybersecurity firm said that the Magniber ransomware is being spread through updated packages of both Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
The fake update to the web browsers even carries a valid certificate for its update package. Thus, a Windows computer would assume that the update is legit.
However, instead of supposedly installing the latest version of Edge or Chrome, it comes with two suspicious files that would encrypt the files of its victims.
After the encryption process has been concluded, a ransom note will then ask the victim to pay for a hefty amount of money to get their files again.
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Written by Teejay Boris
