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Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence

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Daily Threat Briefing • Aug 16, 2021

Researchers have raised an alarm about a new form of DDoS reflection amplification attack that could loom over many organizations in the future. The attack weaponizes a design flaw in the TCP protocol, firewalls, and other network middleboxes to launch giant DDoS attacks against any target on the Internet.

Encryption technologies used in mail clients and servers are also at risk of MitM and command injection attacks with the discovery of as many as 40 vulnerabilities in various STARTTLS implementations. Some of the popular clients affected by the flaws include Apple Mail, Gmail, Mozilla Thunderbird, Claws Mail, Exim, Samsung Email, Yandex, and KMail.

Top Breaches Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Wastewater system under attack

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has asked municipalities and water-sector professionals to be alert after two recent ransomware intrusions on wastewater systems in Limestone and Mount Desert Island. The attack on Limestone Water and Sewer department occurred in the first week of July. However, no taxpayer information was compromised.

FBR network access on sale

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of Pakistan has suffered a large-scale attack. The incident came to light after a group of hackers was found selling network access to the agency’s more than 1500 computer systems on a Russian cybercrime forum. According to sources, the hackers exploited the vulnerability in Microsoft Hyper V-software to breach the network.

Ford’s website exposes data

A flaw in Ford Motor Company’s website had exposed sensitive details belonging to its customers and employees. The issue (tracked as CVE-2021-27653) stemmed from a misconfigured instance of the Pega Infinity customer engagement system running on Ford’s servers. It is not known if any threat actors exploited the vulnerability to breach systems at Ford and steal details of individuals.

Indra hackers linked to attacks on Iran

The destructive attack on Iran’s transport ministry and the national train system was an act of a threat actor dubbed Indra. The attack, which occurred last month, was carried out using three different versions of wipers dubbed Meteor, Stardust, and Comet.

New York university breached

A data breach at the State University of New York had exposed the personal information of 47,000 individuals after hackers gained unauthorized access to the systems. The incident had occurred between May 22 and July 9.

**Top Vulnerabilities Reported in the Last 24 Hours **

STARTTLS related flaws

More than 40 different vulnerabilities identified in various STARTTLS implementations associated with mail clients and servers were uncovered by researchers. The now patched flaws could have opened the door to MitM attacks, allowing an attacker to forge mailbox content and steal credentials. Some of the affected clients included Apple Mail, Gmail, Mozilla Thunderbird, Claws Mail, Mutt, Evolution, Exim, Samsung Email, Yandex, and KMail.

New DDoS attack technique

Academics have discovered a novel DDoS attack technique involving the abuse of TCP protocol, firewall, and other network middleboxes. This is the first of its kind DDoS reflection amplification attack via the TCP protocol. The researchers claimed that the issue stemmed from a design flaw in middleboxes.

Related Threat Briefings

Feb 18, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 18, 2025

Earth Preta is stepping up its game. Trend Micro uncovered a new campaign where attackers use the Microsoft Application Virtualization Injector to sneak malicious payloads. The malware masquerades as an Electronic Arts application, deploying a backdoor to exfiltrate data. Proofpoint identified FrigidStealer, a fresh macOS malware spread by TA2727, an unknown but sophisticated threat actor. The campaign tricks users into bypassing Gatekeeper protections, allowing FrigidStealer to quietly siphon browser data, Apple Notes, and cryptocurrency credentials. With attackers refining their approach to slip past Apple’s defenses, even a cautious click could prove costly. Search results aren't what they seem. CloudSEK exposed a large-scale Search Engine Poisoning campaign targeting over 150 Indian government, educational, and financial websites. Attackers manipulate search rankings to redirect users to fraudulent rummy and investment scams. Mobile users are sent to scam pages, while desktop users see error messages.

Feb 17, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 17, 2025

XCSSET is back with a vengeance. Microsoft uncovered a new variant of the macOS-targeting malware, now with better obfuscation, stronger persistence, and stealthier infection methods. This version randomly generates payloads to dodge detection, injects itself into Xcode projects, and still goes after digital wallets, Notes app data, and system files. SonicWall and Palo Alto Networks customers have an urgent patching assignment. SonicWall’s authentication bypass bug lets attackers sidestep security in SonicOS. Meanwhile, Palo Alto’s PAN-OS vulnerability allows unauthenticated access to management interfaces. While no major exploits have been reported, researchers have already spotted attempts. Patch now, before attackers make these vulnerabilities their next playground. Russian hackers are getting creative with Microsoft 365 phishing. Since mid-January, three distinct groups have been impersonating high-profile officials, luring victims into fake Teams meetings and chatrooms. These attacks exploit Device Code Authentication, granting attackers stealthy access to compromised accounts.

Feb 14, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 14, 2025

Astaroth is rewriting the phishing playbook, bypassing 2FA and intercepting credentials in real time. Acting as a reverse proxy, this phishing kit manipulates traffic to services like Gmail and Microsoft, stealing login details and authentication tokens mid-session. Chinese state-backed hackers have set their sights on unpatched Cisco network devices, targeting global telecom giants. RedMike exploited two Cisco vulnerabilities to compromise over 1,000 devices. Their focus? Telecom networks and universities across Argentina, Bangladesh, and the U.S. Cybercriminals are turning Webflow’s trusted CDN into a phishing trap. A new campaign lures victims with fake PDF files that rank high in search results, tricking them into clicking CAPTCHA images that lead to phishing sites.

Feb 13, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 13, 2025

Cybercriminals aren’t just after your data, they want full control of your device, and they’re getting better at it. The new BTMOB RAT is spreading through phishing sites disguised as streaming services and crypto platforms. This upgraded version of SpySolr RAT goes beyond basic spying and leverages Android’s Accessibility Service. Hackers never forget old exploits. Attackers are ramping up efforts to exploit vulnerabilities from 2022 and 2023, targeting unpatched ThinkPHP and ownCloud systems. Researchers have tracked nearly 600 unique IPs abusing these flaws, proving that even years-old vulnerabilities remain dangerous if left unresolved. Kimsuky is turning fake error messages into a weapon. Inspired by ClickFix campaigns, the North Korean APT has been pushing info-stealers through deceptive pop-ups, tricking victims into running malicious PowerShell commands. Masquerading as a South Korean official, the group lures targets into downloading malware under the guise of document registration.

Feb 12, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 12, 2025

Pirated software isn’t just a bargain, it’s a backdoor. Russian hackers are using fake KMS activators and bogus Windows updates to slip malware onto unsuspecting systems in Ukraine. By disguising malware as KMS activators and bogus updates, they deploy DarkCrystal RAT, turning routine software installations into a Trojan horse for cyber-espionage. Microsoft’s February Patch Tuesday is here. This month’s update tackles 55 security flaws, including four zero-days - two of which are actively exploited. Among the most critical fixes are three RCE vulnerabilities, reinforcing why timely patching isn’t just recommended, it’s essential. Romance scams aren’t new, but cybercriminals are getting bolder just in time for Valentine’s Day. A phishing campaign disguised as a Valentine basket giveaway has been circulating, tricking victims into handing over personal data. Researchers found tens of thousands of newly registered Valentine-themed websites in January alone, with 1 in 72 flagged as malicious.

Feb 11, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 11, 2025

Hackers are widening their attack surface, and Linux is now in their crosshairs. A new variant of the SystemBC RAT has emerged, stealthily infiltrating Linux environments. Given its history of pairing with ransomware, this development signals a growing threat to corporate systems and cloud infrastructures. Physical access shouldn’t mean instant compromise, but for iPhones and iPads, it briefly did. Apple has rushed to patch a flaw that allowed attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on locked devices. Designed to prevent unauthorized access, this feature was rendered useless by the vulnerability. Thousands of firewalls meant to protect businesses are instead exposing them to serious risks. Over 12,000 GFI KerioControl firewalls remain unpatched against a critical remote code execution flaw. Despite a fix being available since December, many instances are still vulnerable.

Feb 10, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 10, 2025

Cybercriminals are finding new ways to poison the AI supply chain. Researchers uncovered two malicious ML models on Hugging Face, where attackers used corrupted pickle files to smuggle Python malware. This novel technique, dubbed nullifAI, aimed to bypass security scans and establish a backdoor. In another case of SEO manipulation, threat actors hijacked IIS servers in Asia, injecting BadIIS malware to manipulate search results and drive unsuspecting users to illegal gambling sites. Government and university servers in Asian countries were among those exploited. Researchers linked the campaign to DragonRank, a Chinese-speaking group. Patching delays could turn into a disaster. CISA warned that a vulnerability in Trimble Cityworks GIS software is being actively exploited for remote code execution. Even though patches were released, attackers continued taking advantage of unpatched systems, prompting its urgent addition to the KEV catalog.

Feb 7, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 07, 2025

North Korean hackers are refining their phishing playbook, now using the forceCopy malware to hijack credentials. The Kimsuky hacking group is targeting victims with deceptive emails containing Windows shortcut files disguised as Microsoft Office or PDF documents. The attack also involves the usage of additional malware. CISA has added critical vulnerabilities to its KEV catalog, signaling an urgent need for patching. The list includes flaws in Microsoft Outlook and Sophos XG Firewall, both carrying a CVSS score of 9.8. Federal agencies have until February 27 to patch these. A long-standing Chinese cyber-espionage group, GreenSpot APT, is running a phishing campaign that preys on users of the popular Chinese email service 163[.]com. The group, which has been active since 2007, has registered fake domains to steal login credentials from government and military personnel

Feb 6, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 06, 2025

Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated, turning search engines into traps. A fake Google ad for Cisco AnyConnect led unsuspecting users to a counterfeit website, mimicking a German university to evade security filters. The fraudulent site redirected victims to a spoofed Cisco download page, pushing NetSupport RAT as the legitimate AnyConnect installer. Russian organizations are under fire as attackers distribute NOVA stealer, a new variant of SnakeLogger, through phishing emails. Advertised on underground forums as MaaS for as little as $50 per month, NOVA is designed for credential theft, keylogging, and clipboard data extraction. Cisco has patched two critical vulnerabilities in its Identity Services Engine, which could allow remote attackers to execute commands and manipulate system configurations. Exploited through specially crafted API requests, these flaws pose significant risks for enterprises using ISE for authentication and network control.

Feb 5, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 05, 2025

North Korean hackers are turning fake job interviews into a gateway for cyber espionage. SentinelOne identified new variants of the macOS malware FlexibleFerret, used in the Contagious Interview operation to lure targets with fake job interviews. Victims are tricked into downloading malicious software disguised as virtual meeting tools, allowing attackers to gain control over their systems. Cyberespionage groups are shifting their sights to the backbone of enterprise networks. A newly discovered malware, linked to the DaggerFly APT group, is targeting Linux-based network devices instead of standard endpoints. By hijacking SSH connections and replacing system binaries, the malware ensures long-term persistence while silently extracting sensitive data. A security flaw in AMD processors has raised concerns over hardware-based attacks. This bug could allow attackers with admin access to load malicious microcode, potentially undermining system integrity. This exploit underscores the growing risks of hardware security gaps, where even minor weaknesses can have major consequences.

Feb 4, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 04, 2025

Cybercriminals are finding new ways to weaponize everyday tools, and this time, they’re using TryCloudflare to hide their tracks. Researchers uncovered a phishing campaign that stealthily delivers AsyncRAT via Python scripting and cloud tunnels. The attack starts with a Dropbox link leading to a maze of scripts that ultimately drop a harmful payload. Even AI developers aren’t safe from deception. Threat actors have infiltrated PyPI with two malicious packages disguised as legitimate tools for DeepSeek. These fraudulent packages steal sensitive data, from user credentials to API keys, proving once again that trust in open-source repositories can be a double-edged sword. One small vulnerability, one massive risk. Russian cybercriminals exploited a zero-day in 7-Zip to deliver SmokeLoader in attacks on Ukrainian entities. By bypassing Windows Mark-of-the-Web protections, the attackers tricked victims into executing malware-laden files.

Feb 3, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, February 03, 2025

Cybercriminals are exploiting trust and social engineering at scale, preying on unsuspecting victims across industries. The Russian-speaking cybercrime gang Crazy Evil has been linked to over 10 social media scams, tricking users into installing malware like StealC and AMOS. Operating primarily through Telegram, the group specializes in identity fraud, cryptocurrency theft, and info-stealers. A wedding invitation should bring good news, not malware. Hackers in Malaysia and Brunei are targeting users with fake wedding invites spread via WhatsApp and Telegram, tricking them into installing a new Android malware called Tria. The campaign resembles UdangaSteal but focuses on new social engineering tactics. Even the tightest security can come undone with a race condition. Apple patched a critical vulnerability in macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and iPadOS, which allowed hackers to escalate privileges and run code at the kernel level. Apple fixed the issue by improving memory management, but this serves as another reminder that even the most secure systems need constant vigilance.