“Update” to Nightmare: eScan Antivirus Hacked to Distribute Malware

Morphisec disclosed a supply‑chain attack against MicroWorld Technologies' eScan antivirus on January 20, 2026 where attackers hijacked the update channel to deliver a trojanized 32‑bit Reload.exe that installed a downloader (CONSCTLX.exe) and then modified the hosts file, registry and update configuration to block AV updates and disable protections; thousands of endpoints downloaded the malicious update, automatic remediation is ineffective, and impacted organizations must obtain manual patches from the vendor.