Chapter 10: OneNote documents: the rise of a new attack vector

OneNote attacks: Navigating beyond the macros

In the ever-evolving world of cyber threats, attackers are quick to adapt their tactics to bypass security measures. Following Microsoft’s decision to block web-based macros in Office, a new attack vector has emerged: OneNote files. Once seen as a trusted note-taking application, OneNote has become a carrier of malicious payloads, presenting significant challenges for organizations aiming to protect their digital assets.

The rise of OneNote attacks showcases the ingenuity of cybercriminals in exploiting alternative file formats. Leveraging the familiarity and trust associated with OneNote, threat actors embed malicious code within seemingly innocuous notes and attachments. By doing so, they evade traditional security measures that primarily focused on macro-enabled Office documents. This necessitates a comprehensive approach to threat detection and mitigation.

To effectively defend against OneNote attacks, organizations must adopt a proactive security stance. Static analysis alone is not sufficient; dynamic analysis is needed to gain in-depth insights into the behavior of OneNote files. Through dynamic analysis, analysts, incident responders, and threat hunters can understand the connected malware families’ configurations, explore the execution of the payload, and uncover hidden malicious activities. The VMRay platform provides both static and dynamic analysis capabilities, empowering security teams to trace the threat’s footprints and respond effectively.

As the threat landscape evolves, organizations must recognize the significance of OneNote attacks and adapt their security strategies accordingly. By staying informed about emerging attack vectors and leveraging advanced analysis techniques, organizations can strengthen their defenses, safeguard their networks, and protect their valuable digital assets.

Uncover the secrets of a malicious OneNote attack in our insightful analysis spotlight.

Our expert threat researchers have meticulously examined a real-world attack, revealing its behavior and linking it to the infamous loader Emotet. Gain valuable knowledge about sophisticated attack techniques and enhance your understanding of how attackers can exploit OneNote documents for their delivery chain.

Note: Our platform supports in-depth analysis of OneNote files with the 2023.2 release. You can now select OneNote as the file type of the sample you want to analyze.