14 DAY TRIAL // Cybercriminals are sending out fake APEC 2013 Summit emails in an effort to trick recipients into installing a piece of malware. Experts believe these emails are targeted at individuals interested in the event.
According to Trend Micro researchers, the attack starts with an email entitled something like “List of journalists accredited at the APEC Summit 2013.” The notifications carry two Microsoft Excel files.
When one of them is opened, an old Microsoft Office vulnerability is exploited to execute e piece of malware. In the meantime, the second file, which acts as a decoy, is opened to avoid raising any suspicion.
Several malicious elements are downloaded from remote servers. The final payload is detected as BKDR_SEDNIT.SM, a threat that’s designed to steal information from infected computers.
Such attacks are not uncommon. A few weeks ago, just before the G20 Summit took place in Russia, cybercriminals launched a similar campaign leveraging news about that particular event.
Technical details on this attack can be found on Trend Micro’s blog.