A new malware named FoxBlade hitting Ukrainian civilian digital targets

Microsoft has issued a warning about increased cyberattacks on Ukrainian civilian digital targets. The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) discovered a new malware strain called FoxBlade while investigating damaging attacks targeting Ukraine.

Microsoft President and Vice-Chair Brad Smith said, “We have provided intelligence with the Ukrainian government about each of these hits on civilian targets, which raise severe concerns under the Geneva Convention.”

The new malware, named FoxBlade, was designed to attack a variety of domains, including Ukrainian military institutions and manufacturers and several other Ukrainian government organizations. Microsoft is taking steps to remove content from Russia’s state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik from its MSN.com and Microsoft Start platforms.

In a Security Intelligence report published on February 23rd, Microsoft described the malware as a trojan that can utilize machines “for Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks” without the owners’ knowledge. Smith further claimed that these freshly discovered and still active intrusions have been accurately targeted.