Cybercriminals continue to innovate – and the newly discovered Coyote malware proves exactly that. This Windows-based trojan, active in the wild, takes an unconventional route: it hijacks Microsoft’s built-in UI Automation accessibility framework to stealthily harvest usernames and passwords from login screens, browser tabs, and credential prompts.
What Sets Coyote Apart
Rather than using traditional keyloggers or browser code injection, Coyote employs a more covert approach:
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UI Automation Abuse: It checks active windows and matches titles against a list of targeted banking and cryptocurrency platforms.
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Deeper Scrutiny: If the window title isn’t a match, Coyote leverages UI Automation to parse UI elements like browser tabs or address bars to detect targeted sites.
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Credential Harvesting: Once a target is identified, the malware pulls user input and stores it locally before exfiltrating it through encrypted channels to attacker-controlled infrastructure.
This marks one of the first real-world malware strains confirmed to be using Windows UI Automation as a stealth channel for credential theft.
Who Is at Risk
Industries most at risk include:
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Financial Services (banks, fintech, cryptocurrency exchanges)
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Healthcare
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Government Agencies
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Legal Firms
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Educational Institutions
These sectors commonly operate within Windows environments and handle large volumes of sensitive information – exactly what Coyote is designed to exploit.
How COE Security Helps You Stay Ahead
To defend against threats like Coyote, COE Security recommends a proactive, layered defense strategy:
1. Monitor Windows Accessibility Frameworks
Keep an eye on processes that leverage accessibility tools like UIAutomationCore.dll and unexpected named-pipe usage.
2. Behavior-Based Endpoint Controls
Go beyond signature detection by implementing application whitelisting and endpoint behavior analytics to catch abnormal usage patterns.
3. Privilege Separation & Multi-Factor Authentication
Use strict user access controls and enforce MFA to reduce the attack surface if credentials are stolen.
4. Network Activity Monitoring
Analyze outbound traffic for signs of exfiltration, even when no obvious malware activity is flagged.
5. Ongoing Employee Training
Educate users about phishing tactics and how malware can exploit legitimate software tools in stealthy ways.
Conclusion
The emergence of Coyote malware is a reminder that attackers are not always relying on traditional exploits. By turning legitimate accessibility features into tools for credential theft, threat actors can silently bypass detection. Organizations must evolve their defenses to detect behavior anomalies, enforce strict access controls, and continuously educate their teams. Staying ahead means staying informed and proactive.
About COE Security
COE Security partners with organizations in financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and government to secure AI-powered systems and ensure compliance. Our offerings include:
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AI-enhanced threat detection and real-time monitoring
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Data governance aligned with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS
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Secure model validation to guard against adversarial attacks
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Customized training to embed AI security best practices
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Penetration Testing (Mobile, Web, AI, Product, IoT, Network & Cloud)
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Secure Software Development Consulting (SSDLC)
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Customized CyberSecurity Services
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Behavior-based detection strategies to prevent malware abuse of legitimate Windows components
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Incident response and credential protection frameworks tailored to financial, healthcare, education, government, and legal sectors
Follow COE Security on LinkedIn for ongoing insights into safe, compliant AI adoption – and stay cyber safe.