Eternidade Stealer Banking Trojan Propagated via WhatsApp Worm in Brazil
Cybersecurity researchers have identified a new campaign targeting Brazilian users in which the Eternidade Stealer, a Delphi-based banking trojan, is distributed through a WhatsApp worm. The attack leverages social engineering and WhatsApp hijacking, with the threat actor deploying a Python script—marking a shift from previous PowerShell-based methods—to hijack WhatsApp Web sessions and spread malicious attachments. The campaign uses an obfuscated Visual Basic Script as the initial infection vector, which then drops a batch script responsible for delivering two payloads, including the Python-based worm. The malware utilizes the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) to dynamically retrieve command-and-control (C2) addresses, allowing the attacker to update C2 infrastructure as needed.
This activity is part of a broader trend in Brazil, where WhatsApp's ubiquity makes it a favored vector for distributing banking trojans and information stealers. The use of Delphi for malware development remains prevalent in Latin America due to its technical efficiency and regional familiarity. Researchers note that this campaign represents an evolution in tactics, building on previous attacks such as Water Saci, and highlights the increasing sophistication of social engineering and malware propagation techniques in the region's cybercrime ecosystem.
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How this story unfolded
3 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Trustwave links campaign to actor panels and region-filtering redirector
Researchers said they identified attacker infrastructure panels and a redirector system that blocks most connections outside Brazil and Argentina. Despite this localized filtering, telemetry indicated broader global exposure attempts.
Researchers reveal Eternidade Stealer's targeting, C2, and theft capabilities
Trustwave detailed that the malware geofences for Brazilian Portuguese systems, retrieves command-and-control infrastructure via IMAP with a hard-coded fallback, and injects into svchost.exe using process hollowing. The stealer was reported to target Brazilian banks, payment services, and crypto wallets, while supporting overlays, keylogging, screenshots, activity monitoring, and file theft.
Trustwave identifies Eternidade Stealer WhatsApp campaign in Brazil
Trustwave SpiderLabs disclosed a Brazil-focused malware campaign spreading a Delphi-based banking trojan called Eternidade Stealer through social engineering and hijacked WhatsApp accounts. The operation used a VBS dropper that led to both a Python-based WhatsApp Web worm for propagation and an MSI/AutoIt chain to install the stealer.
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WhatsApp 'Eternidade' Trojan Self-Propagates Through Brazil
darkreading.com
Open sourceNew Eternidade Stealer Uses WhatsApp to Steal Banking Data
hackread.com
Open sourceWhatsApp harnessed to spread Eternidade Stealer trojan
scworld.com
Open sourcePython-Based WhatsApp Worm Spreads Eternidade Stealer Across Brazilian Devices
thehackernews.com
Open sourceSpiderLabs IDs New Banking Trojan Distributed Through WhatsApp
trustwave.com
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