Pixels to Payload: Dissecting a Four-Stage Bitmap-Steganography Dropper Delivering AsyncRAT

A sophisticated four-stage .NET dropper chain uses advanced bitmap steganography and layered obfuscation to stealthily deliver an unmodified AsyncRAT payload, with all persistence and evasion handled by the loaders, making the transition stages—especially pixel carving and process hollowing—the most effective detection points for defenders.