Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence

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Daily Threat Briefing • January 11, 2024

A new Mirai-based botnet has emerged in the cyber landscape, which threat actors have been using in cryptocurrency mining campaigns at least since early 2023. Dubbed NoaBot, the botnet has targeted SSH servers globally, with high concentrations in China. A subsequent malvertising campaign—observed this month—targeted Mac users through Google search ads, delivering Atomic Stealer. The updated version of Atomic Stealer collects passwords, crypto wallets, and cookies.

The vulnerability chapter for today discusses a high-severity bug in the free version of the AI Engine plugin for WordPress, two critical zero-days in Ivanti VPN, and a sensitive bug in Cisco Unity Connection. Moreover, the CISA warns about patching Ivanti flaws.

Top Breaches Reported in the Last 24 Hours

HMG Healthcare discloses data breach

Healthcare organization HMG Healthcare disclosed a security incident that occurred in August 2023. The breach involved hackers gaining unauthorized access to a server and stealing unencrypted files. The compromised information possibly includes names, contact details, dates of birth, health information, medical treatment details, SSNs, and employee records. The organization did not disclose the number of individuals impacted.

'dawnofdevil' claims four million user data

A hacker operating under the alias 'dawnofdevil' leaked a database associated with Hathway, a prominent Indian ISP and cable television service operator. The breach involved exploiting a security vulnerability in Hathway's Laravel framework application. The leaked data initially claimed to include over 41 million users, was later analyzed to reveal around four million impacted accounts, including personal details and KYC data.

Top Malware Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Balada Injector abuses WordPress plugin

A Balada Injector campaign, which began in December 2023, was found exploiting a stored XSS vulnerability in the Popup Builder plugin for WordPress, affecting over 6,200 sites. The attack used a recently registered domain, specialcraftbox[.]com, to inject malicious scripts into the Popup Builder's ‘Custom JS or CSS’ section. The attackers go further by attempting to plant a backdoor and executing a series of actions for potential malicious redirects and push notification scams.

Atomic Stealer updated with payload encryption

A malvertising campaign was observed distributing Atomic Stealer via Google search ads. The malware has been updated with payload encryption to evade detection. The threat actors lure victims by impersonating Slack and redirecting them to a decoy website with a payload for both Windows (FakeBat) and Mac (Atomic Stealer). The update includes a feature to steal browser cookies in addition to passwords.

New Mirai-based botnet mines crypto

A new Mirai-based botnet, NoaBot, has been spotted in a cryptomining campaign targeting SSH servers since the beginning of 2023. The botnet utilizes a wormable self-spreader with an SSH key backdoor to download and execute additional binaries or spread itself to new victims. NoaBot is compiled with uClibc, which changes the way antivirus engines detect malware. It incorporates obfuscation tactics and ultimately deploys a modified version of the XMRig coinminer.

Top Vulnerabilities Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Cisco flaw allows root access

Cisco has addressed a critical security flaw in Unity Connection, a virtualized messaging and voicemail solution. The vulnerability (CVE-2024-20272) exists in the web-based management interface, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain root privileges on vulnerable devices remotely. Attackers could exploit this flaw by uploading arbitrary files, leading to executing arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. Additionally, Cisco patched 10 medium-severity vulnerabilities.

Zero-day flaws exploited Ivanti VPN

Ivanti revealed that two zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in its Connect Secure VPN are being exploited in the wild probably by Chinese nation-state threat actor UTA0178. The first is an authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2023-46805), while the second is a command injection vulnerability (CVE-2024-21887), enabling unauthenticated RCE attacks. Ivanti said it knows less than 10 impacted customers and has shared mitigation measures, with patches expected to be released soon.

Critical flaw in AI Engine plugin

A critical vulnerability has been discovered in the free version of the AI Engine plugin for WordPress, impacting over 50,000 active installations. The vulnerability is an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload flaw in the plugin's rest_upload function within the files.php module, allowing any unauthenticated user to upload arbitrary files. This potentially leads to RCE. Users are strongly advised to update to at least version 1.9.99 to mitigate the vulnerability.

Top Scams Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Scammers exploit Jeffrey Epstein news

Cybercriminals are using Jeffrey Epstein's life story and his court release documents related to sending out phishing emails. They are impersonating Epstein's investment manager and personal financial advisor. The scam aims to defraud individuals through a classic advance fee scheme, with scammers likely to request personal information and payments in exchange for the promised funds.

Year-end employee phishing lures

Threat actors have been leveraging year-end tasks and responsibilities, such as open enrollment, 401k updates, salary adjustments, and employee satisfaction surveys, as lures in phishing campaigns. As these tasks are typically anticipated by employees and involve emotional responses, attackers are attempting to trick individuals into extracting sensitive details by sending phishing emails to potential victims.

Related Threat Briefings

Mar 25, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 25, 2025

A stealthy browser extension called Rilide has resurfaced with improved evasion capabilities and support for Chrome’s latest extension framework. Disguised as a utility for Google Drive, it quietly collects data, particularly those tied to cryptocurrency wallets. Ongoing campaigns have used lures ranging from fake PowerPoint documents to spoofed Twitter notifications, all aimed at embedding the extension into Chromium-based browsers. On GitHub, a seemingly innocent coding challenge is being used as a delivery mechanism for malware. A malicious repository targets Polish-speaking developers and installs FogDoor, a backdoor capable of data theft, remote command execution, and persistence. The campaign uses clever techniques, while quietly harvesting sensitive information. Kubernetes environments are facing serious risk after the discovery of IngressNightmare - a collection of five critical flaws in the Ingress NGINX Controller. These bugs open the door to unauthenticated remote code execution and expose thousands of clusters to full compromise. In the wrong hands, this vulnerability could allow attackers to exfiltrate secrets across all namespaces, effectively granting full control over affected clusters.

Mar 24, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 24, 2025

A newly surfaced threat actor, UAT-5918, has been quietly embedding itself into Taiwan’s critical infrastructure since 2023. With a focus on information theft, the group has been targeting multiple sectors using a mix of off-the-shelf tools and stealthy web shells. The threat actor also boasts of an extensive toolkit. Meanwhile, the Medusa ransomware operation is refining its ability to bypass defenses using a malicious driver disguised as a legitimate security component. Dubbed ABYSSWORKER, the driver is signed with compromised certificates. Once deployed, it disables anti-malware tools and clears the path for ransomware delivery through a loader. On the plugin front, a critical vulnerability in WP Ghost has put thousands of WordPress sites at risk. If certain non-default settings are enabled, the bug can be used to load arbitrary files - opening the door to remote code execution. Though a patch has been issued in version 5.4.02, the exposure window combined with the plugin’s wide install base makes this a notable concern for site admins still lagging on updates.

Mar 21, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 21, 2025

A stealthy cyber campaign briefly surfaced before vanishing. Researchers uncovered a public web server tied to a campaign targeting South Korean entities, hosting a Rust-based payload delivering Cobalt Strike Cat alongside open-source hacking tools. The infrastructure disappeared within 24 hours but revealed a target list of over 1,000 Korean domains. A backup tool vulnerability is now a fast track for attackers. CISA issued a warning for a path traversal flaw in Nakivo Backup and Replication, which is being actively exploited to execute code remotely and access sensitive enterprise data. The vulnerability has also been added to the KEV catalog. Fake ads are turning Semrush into phishing bait. A malicious ad campaign is tricking users into visiting fraudulent Semrush login pages, stealing Google credentials by forcing victims to use the “Log in with Google” option on spoofed pages.

Mar 20, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 20, 2025

Cybercriminals don’t just break in; they move in and redecorate. The DollyWay malware campaign, active since 2016, has now compromised over 20,000 WordPress sites, according to GoDaddy. By February 2025, it was redirecting 10 million users each month to scam sites. Originally a ransomware operation, it has evolved into a redirection scam using the VexTrio and LosPollos affiliate networks. Hackers have found a new disguise for malware—virtual hard disk files. Threat actors are distributing VenomRAT through phishing emails with .VHD files masked as purchase orders. These files help the malware evade detection while a hidden batch script self-replicates, maintains PowerShell persistence, and steals data using HVNC and Pastebin-based C2 communication. Meanwhile, a year-old sophisticated phishing campaign has shifted gears. After successfully tricking Windows users with fake Microsoft security alerts on windows[.]net, attackers are now targeting macOS users. For detailed Cyber Threat Intel, click ‘Read More’.

Mar 19, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 19, 2025

Cyber threats are increasingly targeting sensitive industries and posing national security concerns. Ukraine’s CERT-UA has raised alarms about a wave of cyberattacks leveraging the DarkCrystal RAT to target defense industry professionals and military entities. The attackers are using Signal messenger to send phishing messages disguised as trusted contacts, luring victims into opening a fake PDF file containing a malware dropper. When even your AI assistant can be tricked into working for hackers, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Security researchers have uncovered a supply chain attack known as the 'Rules File backdoor,' which compromises AI-powered code editors like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Meanwhile, in the healthcare sector, PoC exploits have surfaced for vulnerabilities in Sante PACS servers. These flaws, including CVE-2025-2263 through CVE-2025-2284, could enable unauthorized data access and system disruption. For detailed Cyber Threat Intel, click ‘Read More’.

Mar 18, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 18, 2025

Cybercriminals are getting craftier, with Microsoft uncovering StilachiRAT, a stealthy malware that steals crypto, spies on systems, and evades detection. It targets digital wallets, browser data, and RDP sessions while maintaining persistence through Windows services. Meanwhile, a year-old SSRF flaw in ChatGPT (CVE-2024-27564) is under active exploitation, with over 10,000 attack attempts in a week, mainly targeting US financial and government entities. Phishers are now exploiting Microsoft 365 infrastructure in a BEC campaign, tricking users with fake support notifications and fraudulent call centers. Attackers collect credentials and take over accounts while avoiding detection. As AI vulnerabilities, RATs, and phishing tactics evolve, businesses must stay ahead to protect sensitive data. For detailed Cyber Threat Intel, click ‘Read More’.

Mar 17, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 17, 2025

The Black Basta gang has cooked up a relentless new tool. Its automated brute-forcing framework has been relentlessly probing edge networking devices since 2023, zeroing in on widely used edge networking devices. Something sinister was brewing in the PyPI repository. Multiple fraudulent packages racked up tens of thousands of downloads and hid a nasty secret: code designed to siphon cloud access tokens. However, the packages have been removed. Coinbase users are getting hit with a scam that’s all polish and bad intentions. Dressed up as an official notice about a court-ordered shift to self-custodial wallets, it nudges recipients to set up a new wallet with a recovery phrase - except it’s a trap, pre-controlled by the attackers.

Mar 14, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 14, 2025

A new ransomware group is making waves with tactics reminiscent of LockBit. Mora_001 has been exploiting Fortinet vulnerabilities to gain access to networks. Subsequently, it deploys its SuperBlack ransomware, ensuring persistent control before encrypting critical systems. GitLab users should patch now as critical authentication flaws surface. Two newly discovered GitLab vulnerabilities could allow attackers to impersonate users, potentially leading to data breaches and privilege escalation. Security updates have been released to mitigate the risk. Cybercriminals are faking Clop ransomware attacks to scam businesses. Fraudsters are posing as the Clop ransomware gang, fabricating extortion claims to trick victims into paying ransoms for non-existent data breaches.

Mar 13, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 13, 2025

A new spyware is lurking in fake apps, and it’s tied to North Korea. KoSpy, a newly discovered Android surveillance tool, is believed to be the work of APT37 and has been targeting Korean and English-speaking users. Distributed via Google Play Store and Firebase Firestore, the spyware could access a plethora of information. Juniper routers are being turned into stealthy backdoors. The Chinese threat group UNC3886 has infiltrated older Juniper MX routers, deploying customized TinyShell backdoors to evade detection. By accessing devices via terminal servers with legitimate credentials, the attackers bypassed Junos OS security protections, allowing persistent access to compromised networks. A widely used font library is now a security risk. Facebook has warned of a critical flaw in FreeType. The bug, caused by an out-of-bounds write, can lead to arbitrary code execution and has been exploited in attacks.

Mar 12, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 12, 2025

Copy, paste, and lose everything - MassJacker turns a simple action into a costly mistake. The operation leverages 778,000 fraudulent wallet addresses to siphon digital assets from unsuspecting victims. It has targeted victims by replacing copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses with those controlled by attackers. Exploited in the wild and patched just in time. Microsoft has released security updates fixing 57 vulnerabilities, including six zero-days actively exploited by attackers. The update also addresses 17 Edge browser vulnerabilities, reinforcing the critical need for immediate patching before these flaws can be leveraged for malicious purposes. A botnet is turning home routers into attack platforms, and there’s still no fix in sight. The Ballista botnet is actively exploiting a remote code execution flaw in TP-Link Archer routers, allowing attackers to inject commands without authentication. With thousands of compromised devices and growing, the botnet uses Tor domains for stealth and has been traced back to an Italian-based threat actor.

Mar 11, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 11, 2025

A new ransomware strain isn’t just locking up files, it’s locking out hope of recovery. Researchers uncovered EByte Ransomware, a Golang-based malware that’s actively targeting Windows systems with advanced cryptographic techniques, making decryption nearly impossible without the attackers' key. A simple-looking PDF is all it takes for attackers to hijack your system. A new malware strain, Phantom Goblin, is being spread through RAR attachments in phishing campaigns, tricking users into opening a malicious LNK file disguised as a document. It also abuses VSCode tunnels for remote access. Attackers don’t need new tricks when unpatched systems do the job for them. The CISA has flagged five new vulnerabilities under active exploitation, affecting Advantive VeraCore and Ivanti Endpoint Manager. The VeraCore flaw exploitation is linked to a likely Vietnamese threat group, while the Ivanti EPM vulnerabilities allow attackers to coerce credentials for further access.

Mar 10, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 10, 2025

When cybercriminals upgrade their arsenal, staying hidden becomes easier than ever. Several ransomware and cybercrime groups are leveraging the Ragnar Loader malware toolkit to maintain long-term access to compromised systems. Constantly evolving with new features, Ragnar Loader has become more modular and harder to detect. A single flaw in a widely used API almost handed attackers full control over vulnerable applications. The Volt API for Livewire recently patched a critical remote code execution vulnerability. The issue has been fixed in version 1.7.0, and users are strongly urged to update to prevent exploitation. A billion devices, a hidden backdoor, and tens of undocumented commands that could change everything. Security researchers have uncovered a major issue in ESP32 revealing 29 undocumented commands that attackers could exploit for spoofing devices, unauthorized data access, and long-term persistence. This vulnerability raises concerns over supply chain security, as OEMs could unknowingly ship compromised devices.