Hackers Abuse Legitimate IT Management Tool to Sneak Into Business Networks
Hackers are using Faronics Deploy, a legitimate IT management tool, to gain unauthorized access to business networks.
Huntress researchers have identified a phishing campaign that leverages Faronics Deploy, a legitimate remote software installation and scripting tool. Threat actors are sending malicious emails disguised as common business documents to trick recipients into executing the tool, thereby gaining unauthorized access to corporate networks.
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The lesson from this incident
Full lessonThreat actors exploited the inherent trust users place in legitimate IT management software (Faronics Deploy) by delivering it via phishing emails disguised as routine business documents. This 'living-off-the-land' technique is particularly dangerous because the tool itself is not malicious, allowing it to bypass many traditional security controls that rely on signature-based detection. Once executed by an unsuspecting employee, attackers gain a fully functional remote access foothold inside the corporate network. This highlights how human error, combined with insufficient application whitelisting and monitoring, creates significant exposure even when no malware is directly deployed. Organizations must recognize that legitimate tools can be just as dangerous as malware when misused by adversaries.
What helps against this
How we list vendors- Application allowlisting
Any program that reaches a computer can run, including ransomware and the remote-access tools attackers bring with them.
- Email security
Phishing, malware and invoice fraud are filtered out before they reach inboxes.
- Security awareness training and phishing simulation
People recognise and report attacks instead of falling for them.