Lurid

Lurid is a type of malware, a malicious software designed to infiltrate and damage computer systems or devices. This harmful program can access your system through various channels such as suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often without the user's knowledge. Once inside, it can steal personal information, disrupt operations, or even hold data hostage for ransom. Lurid exploits vulnerabilities in systems to deliver its payload, which has been observed in several instances. The malware was notably involved in an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) that abused a specific site to deliver malicious VBS (CVE-2014-6332) exploits in November 2014 with a Lurid variant payload. The same group also served a malicious PDF exploit (CVE-2010-2883) from this site in June 2012 under the guise of "Zawgyi Unicode Keyboard.pdf". These incidents highlight Lurid's ability to leverage different forms of attack vectors and exploit system vulnerabilities to carry out its nefarious activities. In a non-technical context, the term 'lurid' has been used in various scenarios, such as describing the Mirror Group Newspapers’ stories about Harry's youthful misadventures, which were alleged to have relied on "unlawful information gathering". Similarly, the term was used in reference to sensationalized scenarios of World War III following U.S. President Joe Biden's warning of a potential nuclear "Armageddon". It was also associated with a small ransomware operation named D#NUT, whose leak site featured a lurid illustration of the gang's namesake. In these contexts, 'lurid' refers to shocking or sensational material, highlighting its dual usage in both technical cybersecurity and general discourse.