Hackers Weaponize Legitimate Windows Tools to Kill Antivirus — What Defenders Must Do Now
Ransomware gangs have evolved from noisy mass campaigns into precise, surgical operators. A growing and dangerous trend is the abuse of legitimate Windows utilities — tools built to help administrators troubleshoot and repair systems — as the first step in modern ransomware operations. By repurposing utilities such as Process Hacker, IOBit Unlocker, PowerRun, AuKill and TDSSKiller, attackers can silently neutralize antivirus (AV) and EDR protections, creating a short but effective…