Hackers Are Using LinkedIn DMs and PDF Tools to Deploy Trojans

ReliaQuest Threat Research identified a LinkedIn-based social engineering campaign that builds trust via direct messages to trick professionals into downloading a RAR bundle containing a legitimate PDF reader, a hidden malicious DLL used for side‑loading, a portable Python runtime, and a script that installs a Remote Access Trojan (RAT); the report highlights DLL side‑loading and the use of open-source tools to evade security and connects this activity to a broader trend of side‑loading attacks.