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ALL POSTS
Aeternum C2: The Botnet That Lives on the Polygon Blockchain
Key Findings: Aeternum is a C++ botnet loader that uses the Polygon blockchain as its command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. The botnet stores its instructions in smart contracts on the Polygon blockchain, making its C2 effectively permanent and resistant to traditional takedown methods. Infected machines poll public RPC endpoints, read the on-chain instructions, and execute them, allowing the botnet operators to manage multiple contracts and payloads simultaneously. Blockc
Feb 272 min read
Aeternum C2 Botnet Leverages Polygon Blockchain to Evade Takedown
Key Findings Aeternum C2 is a new botnet that uses the Polygon blockchain to store encrypted command-and-control (C2) instructions. This approach makes Aeternum's C2 infrastructure effectively permanent and resistant to traditional takedown methods. The malware works by writing commands to be issued to infected hosts into smart contracts on the Polygon blockchain. The bots then read those commands by querying public remote procedure call (RPC) endpoints, with the commands man
Feb 262 min read
DeadLock Ransomware Exploits Polygon Smart Contracts to Hide C2
Key Findings A new ransomware family called DeadLock was discovered in July 2025, distinguished by its innovative abuse of Polygon smart contracts to manage its command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. DeadLock embeds the proxy URL directly into the blockchain via a `setProxy` function, creating an immutable and resilient communication channel that is difficult for law enforcement to take down. This "EtherHiding" technique echoes methods previously observed with North Korean
Jan 162 min read
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