MixShell Malware Delivered via Contact Forms Targets U.S. Supply Chain Manufacturers
Aug 26, 2025
Enterprise Security / Artificial Intelligence
 Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a sophisticated social engineering campaign that's targeting supply chain-critical manufacturing companies with an in-memory malware dubbed MixShell.  The activity  has been codenamed ZipLine  by Check Point Research.  "Instead of sending unsolicited phishing emails, attackers initiate contact through a company's public 'Contact Us' form, tricking employees into starting the conversation," the company said in a statement shared with The Hacker News. "What follows are weeks of professional, credible exchanges, often sealed with fake NDAs, before delivering a weaponized ZIP file carrying MixShell, a stealthy in-memory malware."  The attacks have cast a wide net, spanning multiple organizations across sectors and geographic locations, but with an emphasis on U.S.-based entities. Primary targets include companies in industrial manufacturing, such as machinery, metalwork, component production, and engine...