Reptile Rootkit: Advanced Linux Malware Targeting South Korean Systems
Aug 05, 2023
Linux / Malware
Threat actors are using an open-source rootkit called Reptile to target Linux systems in South Korea. "Unlike other rootkit malware that typically only provide concealment capabilities, Reptile goes a step further by offering a reverse shell, allowing threat actors to easily take control of systems," the AhnLab Security Emergency Response Center (ASEC) said in a report published this week. "Port knocking is a method where the malware opens a specific port on an infected system and goes on standby. When the threat actor sends a magic packet to the system, the received packet is used as a basis to establish a connection with the C&C server." A rootkit is a malicious software program that's designed to provide privileged, root-level access to a machine while concealing its presence. At least four different campaigns have leveraged Reptile since 2022. The first use of the rootkit was recorded by Trend Micro in May 2022 in connection with an intr...
