SynkLoader Malware Spreads via Microsoft Teams Phishing, Steals Credentials and Proxies Traffic

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A newly identified malware campaign dubbed SynkLoader targets employees by impersonating IT support staff through external Microsoft 365 tenants on Microsoft Teams. Victims are tricked into downloading and running a malicious MSI file hosted on Azure Blob Storage, which silently installs a multi-stage Python-based loader. The malware establishes persistence via randomly named scheduled tasks created through COM, and deploys a fake full-screen Windows lock screen to harvest user passwords. A module called TrafficRedirector converts the infected machine into a reverse proxy, allowing attackers to tunnel into internal networks while bypassing IP allowlists. Security researchers at Expel published findings on the campaign on August 20, 2026, recommending organizations restrict external Teams communications, block MSI execution, and monitor for suspicious COM-based scheduled task creation.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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