Cybersecurity analysts have uncovered a new Windows backdoor known as NANOREMOTE, which exhibits advanced capabilities and relies on the Google Drive API for command-and-control operations. The malware was documented by Elastic Security Labs, who noted that NANOREMOTE shares several code similarities with another backdoor called FINALDRAFT—also referred to as Squidoor. FINALDRAFT is associated with the threat actor REF7707 and typically uses the Microsoft Graph API instead of Google Drive for its communications. By abusing a legitimate cloud service, NANOREMOTE is able to quietly exfiltrate data, stage payloads, and manage encrypted communications that are compressed and delivered over HTTP POST requests. The malware is deployed through a loader dubbed WMLOADER, which masquerades as a Bitdefender crash-handling utility. Once executed, the loader extracts shellcode and launches the main backdoor. NANOREMOTE is developed in C++ and includes 22 built-in command handlers, enabling comprehensive remote control: system reconnaissance, file manipulation, execution of arbitrary commands, and full file transfer management with pause, resume, and cancel functionality. Its traffic is routed to a non-resolvable hardcoded IP address, and communication is secured using an AES-CBC encryption key—the same key observed in FINALDRAFT—further reinforcing the connection between the two malware families. The threat group REF7707, believed to have ties to China, has been active since at least 2023. Their targeting spans government institutions and critical sectors across Southeast Asia and extends into South America. A Russian IT organization has also been impacted by the group’s campaigns. One of the strongest correlations surfaced when researchers analyzed a sample from the Philippines: WMLOADER unpacked directly into a functional FINALDRAFT payload. This discovery supports the assessment that both NANOREMOTE and FINALDRAFT originate from a shared development lineage. Matching cryptographic artifacts and highly similar build environments further strengthen that conclusion.
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