Attackers Exploit Velociraptor Forensics Tool for Covert C2 Tunneling With Visual Studio Code
In June 2025, cybersecurity researchers reported a sophisticated incident in which attackers abused the open-source forensic tool Velociraptor to deploy Visual Studio Code on compromised endpoints and establish an encrypted command-and-control (C2) channel. Threat actors leveraged the legitimate forensic software as a Living Off The Land Binary (LOLBin) to evade detection, achieve execution, and enable covert lateral movement within enterprise environments. This innovative TTP circumvented traditional perimeter detections, and resulted in unauthorized access to sensitive internal systems, raising concerns over the misuse of trusted IT tools in targeted intrusions and potential data exfiltration. The incident highlights a growing trend of blending legitimate IT and developer software within attack chains, making malicious activity harder to distinguish from normal operations. Organizations face increasing regulatory and operational pressure to implement robust east-west traffic monitoring, behavioral detection, and zero trust controls as attackers adopt stealthier methods.
Kill Chain