Latest NKAbuse Ransomware Launches DDoS Attacks Using NKN Blockchain Technology. -

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Latest NKAbuse Ransomware Launches DDoS Attacks Using NKN Blockchain Technology.

Utilizing NKN (short for New Kind of Network), a decentralized peer-to-peer network connectivity protocol, as a communications channel, NKAbuse, an innovative cross-platform threat, has been identified.

“The malware employs NKN technology to facilitate data exchange among peers, serving as a highly effective implant that possesses flooder and backdoor functionalities,” Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky stated in a report published on Thursday.

NKN, comprising more than 62,000 nodes, is characterized as a “software overlay network constructed atop the contemporary Internet, facilitating users in the sharing of idle bandwidth and the accumulation of token rewards.” A blockchain layer is integrated into the pre-existing TCP/IP infrastructure.

“To survive reboots, NKAbuse utilizes cron jobs,” Kaspersky stated. “For that to occur, it must be at its root.” “If it is determined that the current user ID is zero, it parses the existing crontab and appends itself with each reboot.”

NKAbuse additionally integrates a multitude of covert functionalities that enable it to routinely transmit a heartbeat message to the bot master, comprising system-related information, capture screenshots of the current screen, execute file operations, and execute system commands.

“This particular implant appears to have been meticulously crafted for integration into a botnet, yet it can adapt to functioning as a backdoor in a specific host,” according to Kaspersky. “Moreover, its use of blockchain technology ensures both reliability and anonymity, which indicates the potential for this botnet to expand steadily over time, seemingly devoid of an identifiable central controller.”

Co-founder of NKN Zheng “Bruce” Li told The Hacker News, “We are appalled at the manner in which NKN is being utilized.” “NKN was designed to facilitate trustworthy peer-to-peer communication that is decentralized, scalable, secure, and private. We are endeavoring to acquire further knowledge regarding the report in order to collaboratively strive towards establishing a secure and impartial internet.

About The Author:

Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blog, he’s also written for brands including CollegeDunia, Utsav Fashion, and NASSCOM. Naager entered the field of content in an unusual way. He began his career as an insurance sales executive, where he developed an interest in simplifying difficult concepts. He also combines this interest with a love of narrative, which makes him a good writer in the cybersecurity field. In the bottom line, he frequently writes for Craw Security.