Most Advanced Global Cyber-espionage Malware Goes Undetected Since 2007

A recent report from security firm Kaspersky details a sophisticated piece of malware that has been active since 2007.

Titled "The Mask" (or Careto in Spanish), is a piece of malware with the intent to target government institutions, energy, oil and gas companies, and other high-profile prey. Since 2007, over 380 victims in 31 countries have been under attack. Not surprisingly, one of the attack vectors used was against Adobe Flash Player exploits.

When attacked, The Mask would attempt to gain access to sensitive data including Office documents, encryption keys, VPN configurations, SSH keys, and RDP files. The range of data collection means that The Mask could intercept vital data through almost every communication channel on the computer.

The Mask leveraged many sophisticated methods utilizing malware, rootkit, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Kaspersky suggests that The Mask's command-and-control servers were shutdown in January 2014.

There's a full report available here: Unveiling "Careto" - The Masked APT