Sharik

Sharik, also known as Dofoil or Smoke Loader, is a form of malware that targets systems running Microsoft Windows. It is a backdoor program that loads other malicious software onto a computer system, with a wide range of capabilities beyond just loading malware. An early version of this harmful program was first advertised in the criminal underground as far back as 2011, and its activity has been consistently documented since then by various sources. Numerous reports and analyses have been published on Smoke Loader, including an analysis we released in 2018. Smoke Loader can infect your system through 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. The malware saw a surge in attacks specifically targeting Ukrainian financial and government organizations. This highlights the potential for significant disruption and damage to key sectors, demonstrating the serious threat posed by this malicious software. It is important to note that the term "Sharik" is not solely associated with the malware. For instance, Sharik Laliwala is a political scientist and PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies caste and religious minorities in India. His work does not have any connection to the malware, illustrating how the same term can refer to very different things in different contexts.