Researchers Discover Malware Targeting Vaccine Manufacturers

There are a lot of diseases in the world, many of which haven’t been stamped out yet, and we imagine that in the future we’ll probably discover even more. This is why vaccines are being developed with the idea that they can either prevent people from getting certain diseases or at least reducing the symptoms considerably.

However, it seems that there are some who are trying to disrupt this research process by launching malware targeted at these vaccine research centers and manufacturers. What’s interesting is that researchers from BIO-ISAC have recently discovered a new strain of Windows malware called Tardigrade that can actually mutate to prevent detection.

In a way it’s kind of ironic because vaccines are designed to target viruses. By stopping a virus early in its tracks, it prevents it from jumping to another host where it has a chance to mutate which in turn could make it more resistant to vaccines in the future. This is similar to what the Tardigrade malware is doing as well.

According to researchers, it has the ability to mutate by rewriting part of its code to evade detection. It can even recompile its code during every infection when the host computer connects to the internet. Ultimately, this makes the malware harder to be detected by malware scanners, and also prevents it from leaving behind a consistent signature.

The researchers have since advised potentially targeted companies to use “antivirus with behavioral analysis capabilities” and to stay on guard regarding phishing email attacks that might be used to deliver the malware.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Hack, Malware, Security