TELEPUZ is a modular 64-bit Windows malware family delivered through a ClickFix social engineering campaign that tricks victims into executing a malicious PowerShell command disguised as a legitimate verification step. The initial payload installs a variant of VIDAR, which subsequently deploys TELEPUZ components, including a stager and the primary DLL. To evade detection, the malware employs RC4-encrypted strings, import hashing, indirect system calls through a clean copy of *ntdll.dll*, and code obfuscation. It establishes persistence by creating the CipherAllocator service, executes through **rundll32.exe**, and performs anti-analysis measures such as virtual machine detection, debugger checks, AMSI and ETW bypasses, and geofencing. The malware maintains resilient command-and-control (C2) communications by retrieving updated infrastructure details from Telegram and Steam profiles, DNS records, and Polygon blockchain JSON-RPC requests. Configuration data is secured with XOR or AES-256-CBC encryption, increasing the complexity of analysis and detection. Researchers have observed frequent code updates and an increasing number of samples, suggesting TELEPUZ is evolving into a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform. It also includes a User Account Control (UAC) bypass leveraging AppInfo ALPC and DebugObjects, enabling elevated execution while reducing the likelihood of security alerts. TELEPUZ features a command set of more than thirty functions, including file management, process injection, privilege escalation, and dynamic module loading.Optional modules provide keylogging, credential theft, and browser data extraction. Its WebInjector module targets Chromium-based browsers and Firefox through browser debugging interfaces, allowing attackers to intercept web traffic, steal cookies, execute malicious JavaScript, and manipulate online banking sessions by replacing IBAN values in real time. Combined with compromised legitimate websites and Cloudflare-protected staging infrastructure, TELEPUZ presents a highly adaptable threat capable of facilitating financial fraud, credential theft, and long-term covert operations.
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