Malware campaigns exploit social engineering and fake job interviews

Cybersecurity researchers have identified sophisticated malware campaigns utilizing social engineering to compromise users. One campaign employs weaponized Word documents, such as fake credit card and passport details, to trigger an execution chain. This process uses an RTF object to download obfuscated PowerShell scripts, which then deploy malware strains including XWORM and AGENTTESLA via a custom .NET loader.

Another identified operation, dubbed ‘Contagious Interview’ by Microsoft’s Defender Experts team, targets job seekers through fake recruitment processes. Attackers pose as recruiters, often from the cryptocurrency sector, and guide candidates through technical assessments that require cloning and executing code from repositories. In one documented case, a candidate lost £18,000 in cryptocurrency savings shortly after completing a fraudulent assessment.