EtherHiding Campaign Hides Banking Trojan C2 in Polygon Smart Contracts
Security researchers have detailed a campaign called EtherHiding that hides its command-and-control infrastructure inside smart contracts on the Polygon blockchain. The final payload is a malicious browser extension that operates as a banking trojan, targeting login credentials and two-factor authentication codes across roughly 479 financial and cryptocurrency websites.
Rather than hard-coding server addresses, the extension queries an encrypted C2 destination directly from the smart contract. Changing the target requires only an inexpensive blockchain transaction, rendering conventional domain blocking ineffective. The extension also records keystrokes, captures screenshots and screen video, and targets password managers and cryptocurrency wallets.
Initial access occurs through 31 compromised legitimate websites that inject JavaScript displaying a fake CAPTCHA. The prompt instructs the victim to press Windows+R and run a provided command, triggering PowerShell to download the malicious scripts. This ClickFix technique relies entirely on social engineering and does not exploit any software vulnerability.
The campaign has been active since November 2025, with its infrastructure remaining operational as of September 2026. Because the control address resides on the blockchain, disrupting the operation requires more than simply taking a domain offline.
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