Top 5 Malware Threats to Prepare Against in 2025
2024 saw a number of high-profile cyber assaults, with firms such as Dell and TicketMaster suffering data leaks and other infrastructure intrusions. This trend is expected to continue until 2025. To be prepared for any type of malware assault, every firm must first identify its cyber adversary. Here are five major malware types that you may begin planning to counter right away.
Lumma
Lumma is a commonly distributed spyware that steals sensitive information. It has been publicly available on the Dark Web since 2022. This virus may successfully capture and exfiltrate data from targeted apps, such as login credentials, financial information, and personal information.
Lumma is continuously updated to improve its functionality. It can record precise information from hacked systems, including browser history and bitcoin wallet data. It can be used to install further malicious software on affected machines. Lumma was transmitted in 2024 using a variety of means, including phishing emails, torrents, and bogus CAPTCHA pages.
XWorm
XWorm is a malicious application that allows attackers to remotely manipulate affected machines. It first appeared in July 2022 and may capture a variety of sensitive information, such as bank information, browser history, stored passwords, and cryptocurrency wallet data.
XWorm enables attackers to observe victims' actions via monitoring keystrokes, taking camera photos, listening to audio input, scanning network connections, and examining open windows. It can also access and alter the computer's clipboard, potentially obtaining bitcoin wallet details.
In 2024, XWorm was involved in a number of large-scale assaults, including some that used CloudFlare tunnels and valid digital certificates.
AsyncRAT
AsyncRAT is another remote access virus on this list. It first appeared in 2019, and was disseminated mostly through spam emails, frequently using the COVID-19 pandemic as a bait. Since then, the virus has gained popularity and been utilized in a variety of cyber assaults.
AsyncRAT has evolved over time to offer a diverse set of harmful capabilities. It may discreetly record a victim's screen activity, track keystrokes, install new malware, steal data, remain persistent on infected devices, deactivate security software, and conduct assaults that overwhelm targeted websites.
In 2024, AsyncRAT remained a severe danger, sometimes camouflaged as pirated software. It was also one of the first malware families to be disseminated as part of elaborate campaigns using AI-generated scripts.
Remcos
Remcos is malware that its developers have promoted as a legal remote access tool. Since its release in 2019, it has been utilized in various assaults to carry out a variety of malicious operations, such as collecting sensitive information, remotely managing the system, recording keystrokes, capturing screen activity, and so on.
In 2024, Remcos distribution operations included script-based assaults, which frequently begin with a VBScript that executes a PowerShell script to deliver the malware, as well as exploiting vulnerabilities such as CVE-2017-11882 via malicious XML files.
LockBit
LockBit is a ransomware that mostly targets Windows systems. It is regarded one of the most serious ransomware threats, accounting for a sizable proportion of all Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) assaults. The LockBit group's decentralized approach has enabled them to breach a number of high-profile companies throughout the world, including the UK's Royal Mail and India's National Aerospace Laboratories (in 2024).
Law enforcement authorities have taken action to attack the LockBit organization, resulting in the arrests of numerous creators and partners. Despite these attempts, the organization remains active, with intentions to deliver a new version, LockBit 4.0, in 2025.
Source: The Hacker News
