Malware Steals AutoCAD Designs and Blueprints

Malware Steals AutoCAD Designs and Blueprints

ESET has uncovered a worm which targets drawings created in AutoCAD, a computer-aided design and drafting software developed by Autodesk.

Known as ACAD/Medre.A, the worm recently showed a huge spike in Peru on the ESET LiveGrid, a cloud-based malware collection system utilizing data from ESET users globally. Studies have shown that this worm steals files, and then sends them to email accounts located in China. ESET has worked with Chinese ISP Tencent, Chinese National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and Autodesk, the creator of AutoCAD, to stop the transmission of these files.

ESET has also confirmed that tens of thousands of AutoCAD drawings, predominantly from users in Peru and some from Latin American countries, were being leaked at the time of discovery. The accounts used for relaying the emails with the drawings have since been blocked to prevent further leakage.

In Asia, there are some infections in China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, but the numbers are very small.

Users can download a free standalone cleaner by ESET.