{
  "family": "wews",
  "sample_count": 111,
  "category": "ransomware",
  "description": "Exploit:HTML/Wews is a generic, heuristic detection for malicious web pages containing weaponized HTML or JavaScript designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the user's web browser, plugins (like Flash or Java), or underlying operating system.<br><br><b>Understanding Wews</b><br>To the end-user, encountering a Wews detection typically means they visited a compromised website or clicked a malicious advertising link (malvertising). For incident responders, Wews represents a 'Drive-By Download' attempt. The attacker's goal is not to trick the user into downloading a file, but to force the browser to silently execute code simply by rendering the webpage.<br><br><b>Execution and Threat Hunting</b><br>Wews detections are frequently associated with Exploit Kits (like RIG, Angler, or Fallout). When a user navigates to the malicious page, heavily obfuscated JavaScript profiles the browser, checking for specific, unpatched vulnerabilities (e.g., in an outdated PDF viewer plugin). If a vulnerability is found, the exploit is triggered. This exploit provides the attacker with initial execution on the endpoint, which they immediately use to download and execute a secondary payload (like a banking trojan or ransomware) in the background. The entire process requires zero user interaction beyond loading the page.<br><br><b>Forensic Analysis & Impact</b><br>The impact depends on whether the exploit was successful. If the browser was fully patched, the attack fails. Threat hunters should investigate proxy or EDR logs to see if the browser process (e.g., <code>chrome.exe</code>, <code>iexplore.exe</code>) unexpectedly spawned a child process (like <code>cmd.exe</code> or <code>powershell.exe</code>) immediately after the Wews detection. This indicates a successful exploit and total endpoint compromise.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1105",
    "T1059.007",
    "T1203",
    "T1189",
    "T1027"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1189",
      "name": "Drive-by Compromise",
      "tactic": "Initial Access"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1203",
      "name": "Exploitation for Client Execution",
      "tactic": "Execution"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1059.007",
      "name": "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript",
      "tactic": "Execution"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1027",
      "name": "Obfuscated Files or Information",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1105",
      "name": "Ingress Tool Transfer",
      "tactic": "Command and Control"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Determine if the exploit was successful by checking EDR for any anomalous child processes spawned by the web browser.",
    "If the exploit succeeded (e.g., the browser launched PowerShell), immediately isolate the machine, as a secondary payload has been executed.",
    "If the exploit was blocked, ensure the endpoint's operating system, web browsers, and all plugins are updated to the latest patch levels.",
    "Block the offending URL and the associated Exploit Kit infrastructure at the corporate proxy/firewall."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not assume the endpoint is safe simply because the AV blocked the HTML file; the exploit may have already fired in memory.",
    "Avoid allowing users to run outdated or unsupported browser plugins (like Flash or Silverlight), as these are the primary targets."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}