We have detected a campaign aimed at gaining access to victims’ machines and monetizing access to their bandwidth. It functions by exploiting the CVE-2024-36401 vulnerability in the GeoServer geospatial database. This Critical-severity remote code execution vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.8. Criminals have used the vulnerability to deploy legitimate software development kits (SDKs) or modified apps to gain passive income via network sharing or residential proxies. This method of generating passive income is particularly stealthy. It mimics a monetization strategy used by some legitimate app developers who choose SDKs instead of displaying traditional ads. This can be a well-intentioned choice that protects the user experience and improves app retention. The applications we found in…