Stealthy ‘Magic Packet’ malware targets Juniper VPN gateways

Stealthy ‘Magic Packet’ malware targets Juniper VPN gateways
Summary: A malicious campaign is targeting Juniper edge devices, particularly VPN gateways, using malware called J-magic that activates a reverse shell upon detecting a specific “magic packet.” This campaign, which has been active since mid-2023, primarily affects organizations in the semiconductor, energy, manufacturing, and IT sectors. J-magic employs a challenge-response mechanism to prevent unauthorized access, making it difficult for other threat actors to exploit the compromised devices.

Threat Actor: Unknown | unknown
Victim: Various organizations | Juniper Networks

Keypoints :

  • J-magic is a custom variant of the cd00r backdoor, designed for stealth and long-term access.
  • The malware uses an eBPF filter to monitor TCP traffic for the specific “magic packet” sent by the attacker.
  • A challenge-response mechanism involving RSA encryption is implemented to restrict access to the compromised devices.

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/stealthy-magic-packet-malware-targets-juniper-vpn-gateways/