Aeternum Malware Uses Polygon Blockchain to Issue Commands

A new malware strain called Aeternum has been discovered to be using the Polygon blockchain as a command-and-control technique, making it nearly impossible to dismantle through conventional takedown efforts.

The researchers at Unit 42 found that Aeternum writes its tasking data directly into a public, decentralized ledger on the Polygon blockchain, rather than relying on a traditional server. This approach allows the malware operators to issue instructions and commands to infected machines without being detected.

The use of the Polygon blockchain is a significant shift in how threat actors think about resilience. It also highlights the importance of considering blockchain-based command distribution as a real-world technique used by malware campaigns.