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Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence February 19 - 23, 2018

Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence February 19 - 23, 2018 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Feb 23, 2018

The Good

To combat the sophisticated malware being developed by hackers, researchers are coming up with various techniques--Quantum physics, being one of it. MIT researchers have also designed a new chip that is hardwired to perform public-key encryption. Meanwhile, NIST published a report to provide the basis for the evolution of a standardized approach to entity attributes.

  • Researchers at MIT have come up with a new chip that is hardwired to perform public-key encryption. The chip is highly energy efficient as it consumes only 1/400 as much power as software execution of same protocols would require. Furthermore, the chip uses about 1/10 as much memory and executes 500 times faster. The researchers have described the technique used in the chip as ‘elliptic-curve encryption’ that relies on a type of mathematical function called an elliptic curve.
  • Quantum physics is gaining much importance in cybersecurity because of stronger security features it can help create. An Australian cyber security company is using quantum physics to create stronger data security tools. The entire concept focuses on the concept of quantum tunneling, an intriguing property in diodes, that paves way for the creation of stronger encryption keys. As per classical mechanics, Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon as per which a particle is able to cross a barrier that technically it should not be able to do.
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published the 'Attribute Metadata: a Proposed Schema for Evaluating Federated Attributes' in order to provide the basis for the evolution of a standardized approach to entity attributes. This is an internal report that can be used by public and private organizations. The report will not be imposed on the federal agencies. The purpose is to allow a system that uses federated IAM to better understand and trust different attributes; to apply more granular and effective access authorizations, and to promote the federation of attributes.

The Bad

This week registered breaches that resulted in users losing sensitive details. Cyber criminals managed to steal personal details of Hardware Zone users, and identification details of thousands of state employees and contractors from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, California. Tesla also fell victim, after hackers exploited its cloud environment to mine cryptocurrencies.

  • Tesla fell victim to the hackers this week when it came to be known that their cloud environment was exploited by hackers to mine cryptocurrencies. Security researchers reported the discovery of an unprotected Kubernetes console that belongs to Tesla. The console is used to automate the deployment, and for scaling and operating application containers and virtualized software among others. The researchers discovered that hackers have deployed mining scripts on Tesla’s unsecured Kubernetes instances to perform cryptojacking.
  • Hackers stole away the personal details of at least 685,000 registered forum users of Hardware Zone. As per statistics, this breach is the largest breach in Singapore to date. Although the hacking took place in September 2017, it was discovered only this week when security researchers discovered suspicious posting from a senior moderator’s account that was found to be compromised by an unknown hacker.
  • California seems to be on hackers radar. Now in a new breach, the hackers have stolen the personal data of thousands of state employees and contractors from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. However, what is different about this breach is that the data was stolen by an insider (former employee) who downloaded it to an unencrypted personal device and took the data outside the department’s perimeter. As of now, the threat actor has not been named by the department.
  • The Russian Central Bank came with an astonishing revelation this week when it disclosed that unknown hackers had stolen $6 million from a Russian bank last year. The hackers had compromised SWIFT international payments messaging system. Although the bank did not provide much inside details of the hack but it did mention that the hackers employed a ‘common scheme’ to compromise SWIFT and steal the money.

New Threats

Researchers have unearthed new spam campaigns, multi-stage infection attacks that deploy malware for stealing passwords from applications, and a number of DNS rebinding exploits in BitTorrent and uTorrent. It was also discovered that the Coldroot RAT is undetectable by popular antivirus engines.

  • The infamous Coldroot Remote Access Trojan is still found to be undetectable by popular antivirus engines. It would be essential to mention that the trojan code was uploaded and made freely available on GitHub for around 2 years. Initially, the trojan was created to target the Mac users and fill in the void of a RAT targeting Macs but since then it has expanded its domain to cover Linux and Windows also.
  • Researchers have identified a multi-stage infection attack that deploys malware for stealing passwords from applications installed on the targeted computer. The attack is initiated through spam emails that are delivered via Necurs botnet. The botnet delivers macro-enabled documents including Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. In the campaign, researchers found out that DOCX attachments containing en embedded OLE objects having external referenced were used.
  • The famous peer-to-peer apps BitTorrent and uTorrent have been found vulnerable to hijacking flaws. A security researcher unearthed a number of DNS rebinding exploits in the Windows versions of the software. The bugs allow the hackers to resolve web domains to the user’s computer thereby providing the keys to the kingdom. The hackers are able to execute remote code, download malware to Windows startup folder, take hold of downloaded files and scan your download history. The bug impacts all the unpatched versions of the software.
  • Researchers have unearthed new spam campaigns impacting a number of websites including the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. The spam campaign starts with the injection of a malicious script into different Joomla, WordPress and jBoss websites. The purpose is to create a binary file that is achieved by hiding the unwanted script on the embedded site. Once the binary file is created, the hackers misuse the PC’s CPU to access user’s computers to mine Bitcoin.

Related Threat Briefings

Feb 14, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, February 10–14, 2025

Cyber defenders are sharpening their tools, and EARLYCROW is the latest weapon against stealthy APT operations. This method detects C2 activity over HTTP(S) using a novel traffic analysis format called PAIRFLOW. India is taking digital banking security up a notch. The RBI is launching a dedicated domain to curb financial fraud and enhance trust in online banking. Starting April 2025, financial institutions will register under this domain. China’s RedMike hackers are dialing into telecom networks - literally. Between December 2024 and January 2025, they targeted over 1,000 unpatched Cisco devices. Their primary focus? Global telecoms and university networks in Argentina, Bangladesh, and the U.S. Russia’s Sandworm hackers are using pirated software as bait. Their latest attack on Ukrainian Windows users disguises malware inside trojanized KMS activators and fake Windows updates. Love is in the air, but so are phishing scams. In late January, cybercriminals launched a Valentine’s-themed phishing campaign, offering fake gift baskets in exchange for stolen credentials. Cybercriminals are upping their game with Astaroth, a phishing kit that doesn’t just steal credentials but also hijacks entire sessions. By using a reverse proxy, Astaroth intercepts logins and 2FA tokens in real time, allowing attackers to bypass security measures undetected. South America’s foreign ministry was caught in the crosshairs of an advanced cyber-espionage campaign. In November 2024, attackers linked to REF7707 deployed the PATHLOADER and FINALDRAFT malware to infiltrate diplomatic networks. A new malware named Ratatouille is stirring up trouble by bypassing UAC and using I2P for anonymous communications. Spreading through phishing emails and fake CAPTCHA pages, it tricks victims into running an embedded PowerShell script.

Feb 7, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, February 03–07, 2025

PyPI is taking a "dead but not gone" approach to abandoned software with Project Archival, a new system that flags inactive projects while keeping them accessible. Developers will see warnings about outdated dependencies, helping them make smarter security choices and avoid relying on unmaintained code. The U.K is bringing earthquake-style metrics to cybersecurity with its new Cyber Monitoring Centre, designed to track digital disasters as precisely as natural ones. Inspired by the Richter scale, the CMC will quantify cyber incidents based on financial impact and affected users, offering clearer insights for national security planning. Kimsuky is back with another phishing trick, this time using fake Office and PDF files to sneak forceCopy malware onto victims' systems. Its latest campaign delivers PEBBLEDASH and RDP Wrapper by disguising malware as harmless shortcuts, ultimately hijacking browser credentials and sensitive data. Hackers have found a new way to skim credit card data - by hiding malware inside Google Tag Manager scripts. CISA is flagging major security holes in Microsoft Outlook and Sophos XG Firewall, urging agencies to patch them before February 27. One flaw allows remote code execution in Outlook, while another exposes firewall users to serious risks. Bitcoin scammers are switching tactics, swapping static images for video attachments in MMS to make their schemes more convincing. A recent case involved a tiny .3gp video luring victims into WhatsApp groups where scammers apply pressure to extract money or personal data. XE Group has shifted from credit card skimming to zero-day exploitation, now targeting manufacturing and distribution companies. A new version of ValleyRAT is making the rounds, using stealthy techniques to infiltrate systems. Morphisec found the malware being spread through fake Chrome downloads from a fraudulent Chinese telecom site.

Jan 10, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, January 06–10, 2025

The U.K is fortifying its digital defenses with the launch of Cyber Local, a £1.9 million initiative to bridge cyber skills gaps and secure the digital economy. Spanning 30 projects across England and Northern Ireland, the scheme emphasizes local business resilience, neurodiverse talent, and cybersecurity careers for youth. Across the Atlantic, the White House introduced the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a consumer-friendly cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices. Overseen by the FCC, the initiative tests products like baby monitors and security systems for compliance with rigorous cybersecurity standards, ensuring Americans can make safer choices for their connected homes. China-linked threat actor RedDelta has ramped up its cyber-espionage activities across Asia, targeting nations such as Mongolia, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Vietnam with a modified PlugX backdoor. Cybercriminals have weaponized trust by deploying a fake PoC exploit tied to a patched Microsoft Windows LDAP vulnerability. CrowdStrike reported a phishing operation impersonating the company, using fake job offers to lure victims into downloading a fraudulent CRM application. Once installed, the malware deploys a Monero cryptocurrency miner. A new Mirai-based botnet, dubbed Gayfemboy, has emerged as a formidable threat, leveraging zero-day exploits in industrial routers and smart home devices. With 15,000 active bot nodes daily across China, the U.S., and Russia, the botnet executes high-intensity DDoS attacks exceeding 100 Gbps. In the Middle East, fraudsters are posing as government officials in a social engineering scheme targeting disgruntled customers. Cybercriminals have weaponized WordPress with a malicious plugin named PhishWP to create realistic fake payment pages mimicking services like Stripe. The plugin not only captures payment details in real time but also sends fake confirmation emails to delay detection.

Dec 20, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 16–20, 2024

In a digital age where borders are blurred, governments are sharpening their strategies to outpace cyber adversaries. The draft update to the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) introduces a comprehensive framework for managing nationwide cyberattacks that impact critical infrastructure and the economy. Meanwhile, the fiscal year 2025 defense policy bill, recently approved by the Senate, emphasizes strengthening cybersecurity measures both at home and abroad. A deceptive health app on the Amazon Appstore turned out to be a Trojan horse for spyware. Masquerading as BMI CalculationVsn, the app recorded device screens, intercepted SMS messages, and scanned for installed apps to steal sensitive data. Malicious extensions targeting developers and cryptocurrency projects have infiltrated the VSCode marketplace and NPM. Disguised as productivity tools, these extensions employed downloader functionality to deliver obfuscated PowerShell payloads. The BADBOX botnet has resurfaced, compromising over 192,000 Android devices, including high-end smartphones and smart TVs, directly from the supply chain. Industrial control systems are facing heightened risks as malware like Ramnit and Chaya_003 targets engineering workstations from Mitsubishi and Siemens. Both malware families exploit legitimate services, complicating detection and mitigation efforts in ICS environments. The Chinese hacking group Winnti has been leveraging a PHP backdoor called Glutton, targeting organizations in China and the U.S. This modular ELF-based malware facilitates tailored attacks across industries and even embeds itself into software packages to compromise other cybercriminals. A tax-themed phishing campaign, dubbed FLUX#CONSOLE, is deploying backdoor payloads to compromise systems in Pakistan. Threat actors employ phishing emails with double-extension files masquerading as PDFs.

Dec 13, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 09–13, 2024

Cybercrime’s web of deception unraveled in South Korea as authorities dismantled a fraud network responsible for extorting $6.3 million through fake online trading platforms. Dubbed Operation Midas, the effort led to the arrest of 32 individuals and the seizure of 20 servers. In a significant move to combat surveillance abuses, the U.S. defense policy bill for 2025 introduced measures to shield military and diplomatic personnel from commercial spyware threats. The legislation calls for stringent cybersecurity standards, a review of spyware incidents, and regular reporting to Congress. The subtle art of deception found a new stage with a Microsoft Teams call, as attackers used social engineering to manipulate victims into granting remote access. By convincing users to install AnyDesk, they gained control of systems, executing commands to download the DarkGate malware. Russian APT Secret Blizzard has resurfaced and used the Amadey bot to infiltrate Ukrainian military devices and deploy their Tavdig backdoor. In a phishing spree dubbed "Aggressive Inventory Zombies (AIZ)," scammers impersonated brands like Etsy, Amazon, and Binance to target retail and crypto audiences. Surveillance has reached unsettling new depths with the discovery of BoneSpy and PlainGnome, two spyware families linked to the Russian group Gamaredon. Designed for extensive espionage, these Android malware tools track GPS, capture audio, and harvest data. A new Android banking trojan has already caused havoc among Indian users, masquerading as utility and banking apps to steal sensitive financial information. With 419 devices compromised, the malware intercepts SMS messages, exfiltrates personal data via Supabase, and even tricks victims into entering details under the pretense of bill payment. Iranian threat actors have set their sights on critical infrastructure, deploying IOCONTROL malware to infiltrate IoT and OT/SCADA systems in Israel and the U.S.

Dec 6, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 02–06, 2024

NIST sharpened the tools for organizations to measure their cybersecurity readiness, addressing both technical and leadership challenges. The two-volume guidance blends data-driven assessments with managerial insights, emphasizing the critical role of leadership in applying findings. The Manson Market, a notorious hub for phishing networks, fell in a sweeping Europol-led takedown. With over 50 servers seized and 200TB of stolen data recovered, the operation spanned multiple countries, including Germany and Austria. Russian APT group BlueAlpha leveraged Cloudflare Tunnels to cloak its GammaDrop malware campaign from prying eyes. The group deployed HTML smuggling and DNS fast-fluxing to bypass detection, targeting Ukrainian organizations with precision. Earth Minotaur intensified its surveillance operations against Tibetan and Uyghur communities through the MOONSHINE exploit kit. The kit, now updated with newer exploits, enables the installation of the DarkNimbus backdoor on Android and Windows devices. Cloudflare Pages became an unwitting ally in the sharp rise of phishing campaigns, with a staggering 198% increase in abuse cases. Cybercriminals exploited the platform's infrastructure to host malicious pages, fueling a surge from 460 incidents in 2023 to over 1,370 by October 2024. DroidBot has quietly infiltrated over 77 cryptocurrency exchanges and banking apps, building a web of theft across Europe. Active since June 2024, this Android malware operates as a MaaS platform, enabling affiliates to tailor attacks. Rockstar 2FA, a phishing platform targeting Microsoft 365 users, has set the stage for large-scale credential theft. With over 5,000 phishing domains launched, the platform is marketed on Telegram. The Gafgyt malware is shifting gears, targeting exposed Docker Remote API servers through legitimate Docker images, creating botnets capable of launching DDoS attacks.