Security Magic

Analysis if pyinstaller compiled zip and file converter applications that are likely related to EvilAI PDFly, ZIply, and PDFClick. Hello World. I have looked at a few interesting samples earlier this month that appear to fall into the same realm as many of the EvilAI PDF converters which have been reported last year.  The difference in this one is that instead of being inno packed, or an electron app, or a .NET application like some of the variations observed so far, this one is a python compiled application. The initial application observed was " PDFly ", which, after some pivoting on other information led to the discovery  Ziply , as well as PDFClick , and Rapidoc . These findings were shared on my X post as well. The challenge with these is that I am unable to use pyinstxtractor/pyinstxtractor-ng, there seems to be some level of customized pyinstaller magic here that I just don't know enough about. What I do know is that when running these applications they do drop...

Deep dive into the UpStage Proxy malware campaign abusing a fake 7-Zip installer to deploy a GO-based residential proxy backdoor on Windows systems. Over the past couple weeks analysts have been looking at a suspicious 7zip installer which turns the host into a residential proxy (proxyware). I'm playfully calling this upStage Proxy (with a heroquest boardgame theme). More on the name will become clear in this article. The installer comes from 7zip[.]com, which, while looking professional, and having been around for quite some time, is in fact not the official site for the 7zip tool. The official site is 7-zip.org . *Update February 10, 2026: At this time the download link is now pointing to the official 7-zip.org download. The installer is signed by (now revoked) certificate:  "JOZEAL NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED". The installer drops a version of 7zfm.exe that is also signed with this signer.  This version of 7zfm.exe differs from the official build in an importan...