The Snake malware is an information-stealing malware that is implemented in the .NET programming language.
Cyberreason’s GCOS suspects that the malware authors themselves named the malware Snake, since the malware’s name is present in the data that Snake exfiltrates from compromised systems.
Malicious actors distribute Snake as attachments to phishing emails with various themes, such as payment requests.
The attachments are typically archive files with file name extensions such as img, zip, tar, and rar, and store a .NET executable that implements the Snake malware.
Users have to first decompress and then start the .NET executable to infect their systems.
The executable stages the information-stealing features of the Snake malware on compromised systems and establishes persistence
Snake first appeared on the threat landscape in late November 2020.
The malware is currently available for purchase in the underground scene for a price range between US $25 and $500.
Malicious actors have been distributing Snake continuously through phishing campaigns since November 2020.
The Cybereason GSOC observed a spike in infections using the Snake malware in late August 2021 with no specific trend in the industry or the geographical locations of the targeted victims.
Researchers have identified many similarities between the code of the information-stealing features of Snake and the code of the Matiex malware.
Although the source code of Matiex has been available for purchase in the underground scene since February 2021, the information-stealing features of Snake samples that date earlier than February 2021 have code that is very similar to Matiex code.