Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence - Featured Image

Daily Threat Briefing • October 24, 2023

The thriving malware ecosystem continues to pose formidable challenges for cybersecurity professionals. Of late, an open-source remote access trojan was observed employing the DLL sideloading technique to covertly extract data from compromised Windows systems, capitalizing on the trust associated with Windows files such as ctfmon.exe and calc.exe. In another headline, SolarWinds has issued patches for multiple high-severity vulnerabilities found in its Access Rights Manager (ARM). Among them, there are three RCE bugs that could be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with System privileges.

Also, it has been noted that financial fraud in India has spiked at the hands of Chinese scammers. They are reportedly abusing India's digital payment ecosystem, mostly through fake loan apps and real money games, to defraud victims.

Top Breaches Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Vehicle seizure data leaked

A security researcher discovered a data breach that exposed over 500,000 records related to vehicle seizures carried out by the Irish National Police, An Garda Síochána. The exposed database, operated by an unnamed contractor, contained sensitive data such as scanned identity documents, insurance inquiries, and incident reports dating back to 2017. It is estimated that up to 150,000 vehicle owners' information may have been affected.

Hospital’s online services shut down

A cyberattack disrupted online services for at least five hospitals in southwestern Ontario, Canada. TransForm, the IT provider for these hospitals, confirmed the cyberattack. The incident's cause and potential data breach are under investigation, with affected hospitals unable to provide further details. The hospitals urge patience from patients and anticipate delays in services.

FB and Insta profile access for sale

A threat actor is selling access to Facebook and Instagram's Police Portal—used by law enforcement agencies—for $700, according to cybersecurity researcher Alon Gal. The portal is used by law enforcement agencies to request user data and post removal. It remains unclear how the threat actor obtained access, but it poses significant risks, including unauthorized data requests, harassment, doxxing, fake law enforcement actions, and identity theft.

Top Malware Reported in the Last 24 Hours

Rival countries deploy custom payloads

Security experts connected Indian-origin threat actor DoNot Team to a new .NET-based backdoor called Firebird, used in cyberattacks on victims in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Firebird attack chains also include the delivery of a downloader called CSVtyrei, resembling Vtyrei, as well as non-functional code, suggesting ongoing development efforts. Separately, Zscaler ThreatLabz unveiled insights on the Pakistan-based Transparent Tribe APT targeting Indian government entities with a new malware arsenal, featuring a .NET binary trojan called ElizaRAT. Additionally, a nation-state actor known as Mysterious Elephant has been linked to spear-phishing campaigns involving the use of ORPCBackdoor.

Another RAT adopts DLL sideloading technique

The Quasar RAT has been observed using DLL sideloading to stealthily steal data from compromised Windows systems. This technique involves planting a malicious DLL file with a name that a legitimate executable is expected to look for. In this case, a legitimate binary named "ctfmon.exe" was renamed to "eBill-997358806.exe," and a malicious MsCtfMonitor.dll was used to deliver the Quasar RAT payload. While the initial access vector is unclear, it's likely to involve phishing emails.

Top Vulnerabilities Reported in the Last 24 Hours

SolarWinds patches sensitive bugs

SolarWinds has addressed eight high-severity vulnerabilities discovered in its Access Rights Manager (ARM). This includes three RCE flaws that can be exploited without authentication. The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient validation of user-supplied data in various methods within ARM, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or achieve privilege escalation. Users of ARM are advised to apply the patches to mitigate potential risks.

Top Scams Reported in the Last 24 Hours

China-based scammers conduct financial fraud

Cybercriminals based in China are utilizing counterfeit loan apps and India's real-time mobile payment system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), to defraud victims. These scammers pose as loan providers, enticing individuals with the promise of easy loans in exchange for a fee, typically 5-10% of the loan amount. Victims are tricked into disclosing personal information, including bank details, phone numbers, and identity documents. After the fee is paid, no loan is provided, and the funds are funneled out of India to China using Chinese payment gateways.

Related Threat Briefings

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.

Mar 7, 2025

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence, March 07, 2025

Step right up to the slickest show in the digital shadows, where EncryptHub is running the ring. This rising cybercrime crew is dazzling victims across platforms like QQ Talk, WeChat, and Google Meet with trojanized apps and clever multi-stage attack chains. They’re even teasing a new act called EncryptRAT to keep their audience on edge. Something wicked is crashing the WordPress party, and it’s not on the guest list. Over 1,000 sites have been slipped a nasty surprise, planting backdoors that swing wide open for hackers. These uninvited intruders are ready to sneak back in and turn the festivities into a free-for-all. These dusty old cameras are stealing the spotlight, but it’s a scene straight out of a cyber horror flick. A critical flaw in Edimax IC-7100 IP cameras has botnets buzzing with excitement, exploiting shaky default passwords. They’re staging a takeover, dropping Mirai malware to keep the chaos rolling.