NeedleDropper: A New Dropper-as-a-Service Uncovered

Avast's Threat Research Team has since October 2022 been observing a new strain of dropper malware, which they referred to as "NeedleDropper" due to how it stores the data to be dropped into the victim's device.  Within itself, it stores several files that are used to drop and load the malware, as well some files to hide its execution. Furthermore, within the malicious files it mixes a large amount of unimportant or unused data together with the data necessary for the malicious payload, this is done with the intent of hampering analysis. The Avast's Threat Research Team, believes that the developers behind the NeedleDropper adopted the "-as-a-service" business model and is sold in hacking forums as a way for potential buyers to hide their final payload.