Qnap Response to QSnatch Attacks: No Malware Variants Found and Affected User Count Reducing

Qnap Systems, Inc. issued a statement in response to recent reports (link 1 and 2) and media coverage indicating that the QSnatch malware is targeting the company’s NAS and attempting to obtain access.

The firm has updated its Malware Remover application for the QTS OS on November 1, 2019 to detect and remove the malware from the company’s NAS and has also released an updated security advisory on November 2, 2019 to address the issue.

Subsequently, the firm has taken multiple actions (summarized as follows) to assist our users in defending data security:

Date – Event and reaction

• October 25, 2019

  Notifications from authorities of Finland and Germany

• November 1, 2019

  Released the updated Malware Remover for detecting and removing QSnatch

• November 2, 2019

  Published the updated security advisory for QSnatch

• November 7, 2019

  Released a press release to inform the public

• November 2019 to January 2020

  Updated the security advisory multiple times to keep the public informed

• February 2020 to June 2020

  Emailed possibly affected users to recommend an immediate update

• July 31, 2020

  Released another press release to reassure the public

The company reaffirms that at this moment no malware variants are detected, and the number of affected devices shows no sign of another incident. Certain media reports claiming that the affected device count has increased from 7,000 to 62,000 since October 2019 are inaccurate due to a misinterpretation of reports from different authorities.

Users are urged to install the latest version of the Malware Remover app from the QTS App Center or by manual downloading from the firm’s website.

The company also recommends a series of actions for enhancing Qnap NAS security. They’re also detailed in the security advisory.

Read also:
Qnap Responds to QSnatch Attacks: Take Actions to Secure NAS
Updated Malware Remover app for QTS OS on November 1 to detect and remove malware
November 26, 2019 | Press Release