Hacker uses internet meme to send hidden commands to malware

A recently discovered piece of malware has a unique way of communicating with its creator—through an internet meme posted on Twitter.

The mysterious hacker has been using the “What if I told you” meme to secretly tell a Windows-based strain of malware when to grab screenshots from infected PCs, according to security firm Trend Micro.

Although the internet meme look like an ordinary digital image, a simple command is hidden in the file’s metadata, Trend Micro VP Mark Nunnikhoven says. The malware, on other hand, has been designed to look up the hacker’s Twitter account and scan image files for the secret commands. Read more…

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