{ "id": "c0d27f70-9c2b-44f7-b8fa-f96bfd408180", "created_at": "2026-04-06T01:30:39.825545Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:28:46.887931Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "6f1551644309748036eb2ebf88e32d4d1e1f9d19", "title": "Malware now using NVIDIA's stolen code signing certificates", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 2907425, "plain_text": "Malware now using NVIDIA's stolen code signing certificates\r\nBy Lawrence Abrams\r\nPublished: 2022-03-05 · Archived: 2026-04-06 01:28:05 UTC\r\nThreat actors are using stolen NVIDIA code signing certificates to sign malware to appear trustworthy and allow malicious\r\ndrivers to be loaded in Windows.\r\nThis week, NVIDIA confirmed that they suffered a cyberattack that allowed threat actors to steal employee credentials and\r\nproprietary data.\r\nThe extortion group, known as Lapsus$, states that they stole 1TB of data during the attack and began leaking the data\r\nonline after NVIDIA refused to negotiate with them.\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 1 of 6\n\n0:00\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 2 of 6\n\nVisit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE\r\nLapsus$ messages about the NVIDIA attack\r\nThe leak includes two stolen code-signing certificates used by NVIDIA developers to sign their drivers and executables.\r\nA code-signing certificate allows developers to digitally sign executables and drivers so that Windows and end-users can\r\nverify the file's owner and whether they have been tampered with by a third party. \r\nTo increase security in Windows, Microsoft also requires kernel-mode drivers to be code signed before the operating system\r\nwill load them.\r\nNVIDIA certificates used to sign malware\r\nAfter Lapsus$ leaked NVIDIA's code-signing certificates, security researchers quickly found that the certificates were being\r\nused to sign malware and other tools used by threat actors.\r\nAccording to samples uploaded to the VirusTotal malware scanning service, the stolen certificates were used to sign various\r\nmalware and hacking tools, such as Cobalt Strike beacons, Mimikatz, backdoors, and remote access trojans.\r\nFor example, one threat actor used the certificate to sign a Quasar remote access trojan [VirusTotal], while someone else\r\nused the certificate to sign a Windows driver [VirusTotal].\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 3 of 6\n\nQuasar RAT signed by NVIDIA certificate\r\nSecurity researchers Kevin Beaumont and Will Dormann shared that the stolen certificates utilize the following serial\r\nnumbers:\r\n43BB437D609866286DD839E1D00309F5\r\n14781bc862e8dc503a559346f5dcc518\r\nSome of the files were likely uploaded to VirusTotal by security researchers but others appear to be used by threat actors for\r\nmalware campaigns [1, 2].\r\nWhile both stolen NVIDIA certificates are expired, Windows will still allow a driver signed with the certificates to be loaded\r\nin the operating system.\r\nTherefore, using these stolen certificates, threat actors gain the advantage of making their programs look like legitimate\r\nNVIDIA programs and allowing malicious drivers to be loaded by Windows.\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 4 of 6\n\nSigned Quasar RAT sample\r\nTo prevent known vulnerable drivers from being loaded in Windows, David Weston, director of enterprise and OS security\r\nat Microsoft, tweeted that admins can configure Windows Defender Application Control policies to control what NVIDIA\r\ndrivers can be loaded.\r\nHowever, using WDAC is not an easy task, especially for non-IT Windows users.\r\nDue to the potential for abuse, it is hoped that the stolen certificates will be added to Microsoft's certificate revocation list in\r\nthe future to prevent malicious drivers from loading in Windows.\r\nHowever, doing so will cause legitimate NVIDIA drivers to be blocked as well, so we will likely not see this happening\r\nsoon.\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 5 of 6\n\nAutomated Pentesting Covers Only 1 of 6 Surfaces.\r\nAutomated pentesting proves the path exists. BAS proves whether your controls stop it. Most teams run one without the\r\nother.\r\nThis whitepaper maps six validation surfaces, shows where coverage ends, and provides practitioners with three diagnostic\r\nquestions for any tool evaluation.\r\nSource: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/\r\nPage 6 of 6", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "Malpedia" ], "references": [ "https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates/" ], "report_names": [ "malware-now-using-nvidias-stolen-code-signing-certificates" ], "threat_actors": [ { "id": "be5097b2-a70f-490f-8c06-250773692fae", "created_at": "2022-10-27T08:27:13.22631Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:05.311385Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "LAPSUS$", "aliases": [ "LAPSUS$", "DEV-0537", "Strawberry Tempest" ], "source_name": "MITRE:LAPSUS$", "tools": [ "Mimikatz" ], "source_id": "MITRE", "reports": null }, { "id": "d4b9608d-af69-43bc-a08a-38167ac6306a", "created_at": "2023-01-06T13:46:39.335061Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:03.291149Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "LAPSUS", "aliases": [ "Lapsus", "LAPSUS$", "DEV-0537", "SLIPPY SPIDER", "Strawberry Tempest", "UNC3661" ], "source_name": "MISPGALAXY:LAPSUS", "tools": [], "source_id": "MISPGALAXY", "reports": null }, { "id": "2347282d-6b88-4fbe-b816-16b156c285ac", "created_at": "2024-06-19T02:03:08.099397Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:03.663831Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "GOLD RAINFOREST", "aliases": [ "Lapsus$", "Slippy Spider ", "Strawberry Tempest " ], "source_name": "Secureworks:GOLD RAINFOREST", "tools": [ "Mimikatz" ], "source_id": "Secureworks", "reports": null }, { "id": "52d5d8b3-ab13-4fc4-8d5f-068f788e4f2b", "created_at": "2022-10-25T16:07:24.503878Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:05.014316Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Lapsus$", "aliases": [ "DEV-0537", "G1004", "Slippy Spider", "Strawberry Tempest" ], "source_name": "ETDA:Lapsus$", "tools": [], "source_id": "ETDA", "reports": null } ], "ts_created_at": 1775439039, "ts_updated_at": 1775791726, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/6f1551644309748036eb2ebf88e32d4d1e1f9d19.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/6f1551644309748036eb2ebf88e32d4d1e1f9d19.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/6f1551644309748036eb2ebf88e32d4d1e1f9d19.jpg" } }