Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence July 2 - July 6, 2018

Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence December 24-28, 2018 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • July 6, 2018

The Good

Another week has passed with plenty of new cyber threats, attacks and breaches - both accidental and malicious. Still, significant measures are being taken to protect people against perilous cyber threats. Britain’s HMRC said it took down 20750 malicious websites while a £300 million court is being set up to tackle cybercrime and fraud. A DHS-funded tool to protect mobile users against phishing attempts is going commercial. Google Chrome is labeling all HTTP sites as ‘not secure’. Tinder beefed up its data security with encryption.

  • Britain’s tax authority HM Revenue and Customs said it requested a record 20,750 malicious to be taken down over the past 12 months. It has also been trialling technology that identifies phishing messages that claim to be from the HMRC and stop them from being delivered. Since the approach began in April 2017, there has been 90% reduction in people reporting spoof HMTC-related messages.
  • A new £300 million purpose-built court is also being set up in the UK to combat cybercrime and fraud. The court will replace the Mayor’s and City of London county court and City of London magistrates’ court and take on civil cases, economic crimes and business and property disputes.
  • On the other side of the pond, the US Department of Homeland Security is touting a product designed to protect mobile users against phishing attempts and malware-laced applications. The DHS-funded tool was developed by mobile security firm Lookout and is being made available to both government and private-sector clients.
  • Google Chrome will be marking all unencrypted websites as ‘not secure’ this month. With the release of Chrome 68, the browser will flag any site with a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) address rather than a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) address.
  • Popular dating site Tinder has finally shored up its data privacy by encrypting photos uploaded by its users. Swipe data and other actions have also been padded so that they appear the same size when they are being transferred, thus preventing any snoops from identifying users’ activities.

The Bad

This week also saw a couple of serious data breaches. US law enforcement personnel data was exposed by an active shooter training center. The NHS blamed a coding error for a data-sharing mistake. Typeform said hackers downloaded a backup of its customer data. Meanwhile, a Facebook bug briefly unblocked previously blocked users.

  • The federally-funded Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) facility exposed the personal data of police officers along with the capabilities and deficiencies of local police departments in handling active shootyers. The database, uncovered by data breach hunter Flash Gordon, contained thousands of records of law enforcement personnel who had sought or underwent active shooter response training over the past few years.
  • The NHS admitted the confidential data of 150,000 patients were accidentally shared without their permission due to a “coding error.” The affected patients had requested their data only be used to provide them with care - known as “Type 2 opt-out”. However, the glitch caused their request to be ignored and their data shared for clinical auditing and research.
  • Survey company Typeform suffered a major data breach after attackers downloaded a “partial backup” of its customer data. The incident impacted a string of businesses that use Typeform’s software to conduct customer surveys and quizzes. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission, British brand Fortnum & Mason, foodmaker Birdseye and digital bank Monzo have since notified their own customers that they were likely impacted by the incident.
  • Some Samsung users reported their Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 8 smartphones were erroneously sending photos and scheduled texts to random contacts via Samsung Messages without their permission. Many affected users reported they are T-Mobile customers and recently updated Samsung Messages. The company said its technical teams are looking into the issue.
  • Facebook notified over 800,000 people that a glitch briefly unblocked previously blocked users, allowing them to see some of their posts. The bug was active between May 29th and June 5th and has since been patched. The social media firm said around 83 percent of affected users had just one blocked person become unblocked.
  • Iranian APT Charming Kitten managed to create a fake website impersonating the security firm that outed their campaigns. ClearSky Security said the group copied its official website hosted on a similar-looking domain - clearskysecurity[.]net while it’s actual website is Clearskysec.com. The phishing website has since been taken down.

New Threats

This week’s fresh batch of malware included the OSX.Dummy that targets crypto-investors and a Rakhni Trojan that can choose to mine or encrypt. Researchers said hackers could use thermal imaging to read key presses. Gandcrab v4 popped up while attackers are using fake invoice emails to drop malware in a new hacking campaign.

  • A new macOS malware dubbed OSX.Dummy was spotted targeting the cryptocurrency community on popular chat platforms Slack and Discord. Researchers said it uses an unsophisticated infection method that has users infect themselves and open themselves up to arbitrary code execution. They also described it has as all-round “dumb” because of its limited capabilities, trivial detection and “lame” persistence mechanism.
  • Scientists found attackers could potentially leverage thermal residue left behind on keyboards to figure out victims’ passwords and PINs. In a series of experiments, researchers found many non-expert subjects were able to successfully recover both secure and unsecure passwords based on imaging captured by thermal cameras - particularly those of “hunt and peck” typists.
  • Kaspersky Lab researchers uncovered the Rakhni malware that comes with both ransomware and cryptomining capabilities. The malware scans a targeted system before deciding whether to encrypt files or quietly mine cryptocurrency.
  • Gandcrab ransomware version 4 has been released that employs a different encryption algorithm and a new TOR payment website. The ransomware now uses Salsa20, appends files with a new .KRAB extension and demands $1200 to be paid in the DASH cryptocurrency.
  • Hackers have been deploying thousands of invoice-themed phishing emails to organizations to drop a data-stealing malware in a new cyber espionage campaign. Dubbed “Special Ear”, the campaign delivers a malware designed to steal credentials and log keystrokes from targeted systems. Organizations in India, Saudi Arabia and South East Asia are primarily being targeted.

Related Threat Briefings

Jul 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 14–18, 2025

A keyboard army just lost its command center. Europol’s Operation Eastwood has crippled the pro-Russian hacktivist group NoName057(16). The international effort, involving law enforcement from 12 nations, led to two arrests and the takedown of over 100 servers linked to the group’s “DDoSia” project. Britain wants bug-hunters on its side. The NCSC has launched the Vulnerability Research Initiative, a new program inviting external researchers to help uncover security flaws in widely used hardware and software. Cisco Talos uncovered a MaaS campaign targeting Ukraine, where attackers used Amadey malware and GitHub repositories to stage payloads. The setup mimics tactics from a SmokeLoader phishing operation. Over 600 malicious domains are distributing fake Telegram APKs to unsuspecting users. Most are hosted in China and exploit the Janus vulnerability in Android. Users who trusted GravityForms’ official site got more than they expected. A supply chain attack injected backdoors into plugin files distributed via the official site and Composer. The H2Miner botnet has resurfaced with updated scripts that mine Monero, kill rival malware, and deploy multiple malware. Bundled with it is Lcrypt0rx, a likely AI-generated ransomware that exhibits sloppy logic, malformed syntax, and weak encryption using XOR. A new Konfety variant uses the same package name as a legitimate app but hides the real payload in a lookalike version distributed through third-party stores. One sandbox escape makes five. Google patched a high-severity Chrome flaw that lets attackers break out of the browser’s sandbox using crafted HTML and unvalidated GPU commands.

Jul 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 07–11, 2025

You don’t need to visit shady corners of the internet to get infected, GitHub will do. A malware campaign is disguising Lumma Stealer as tools like Free VPN for PC, using polished project pages, Base64 payloads, and trusted Windows processes to slip past defenses. The Anatsa banking trojan slipped back into Google Play, targeting North American users with fake maintenance screens while logging keystrokes and automating fraudulent transactions. Crypto users are being lured in by fake AI and gaming firms offering too-good-to-be-true deals.

Jul 4, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 30–July 04, 2025

It looked like a crypto investment until €460 million vanished. Operation BORRELLI dismantled a global fraud ring that scammed over 5,000 victims, with arrests in Madrid and the Canary Islands. A fake workforce was quietly funding a real regime. The DoJ disrupted a North Korean scheme where remote IT workers used stolen identities to get jobs at over 100 U.S. companies. The operation funneled $5 million to the DPRK, exposed military tech, and led to raids across 16 states. Sometimes, the app that looks harmless is just the decoy. Recent investigations uncovered massive Android fraud schemes, including IconAds and Kaleidoscope, which used icon hiding, fake apps, and third-party distribution to flood ad networks with billions of fake requests. Two different names - same tactics, same tools, same playbook. Researchers have found striking overlaps between TA829 and the lesser-known UNK_GreenSec, both of which use phishing lures and REM Proxy services through compromised MikroTik routers. It starts with what looks like an official message from the Colombian government. Behind it is a phishing campaign delivering DCRAT, a modular remote access tool designed for theft and system control. Botnet operators are now turning broken routers into system wreckers. RondoDox is a new Linux-based botnet exploiting CVE-2024-3721 and CVE-2024-12856 to gain remote access to TBK DVRs and Four-Faith routers. That Zoom update request on Telegram? It could be a trap. North Korean actors are deploying NimDoor malware to infiltrate Web3 and crypto platforms using social engineering via Telegram. Google has patched CVE-2025-6554, a critical zero-day in Chrome’s V8 engine that was exploited in the wild to execute arbitrary code.

Jun 27, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

A Common Good Cyber Fund was launched to support non-profits delivering critical cybersecurity services for public benefit. The fund is backed by the U.K and Canada, with G7 leaders endorsing similar initiatives. A phishing email is all it takes to breach critical infrastructure. The OneClik APT campaign is targeting energy and oil sectors using Microsoft ClickOnce to deliver a .NET loader and Golang backdoor. A handful of outdated routers is all it takes to build a persistent espionage network. The LapDogs campaign is targeting SOHO devices with a custom backdoor called ShortLeash, giving attackers root access and control over compromised systems. A familiar package name could be hiding far more than useful code. North Korean actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign have published 35 malicious npm packages, including keyloggers and multi-stage malware. A fake Windows update might just be the start of something worse. The EvilConwi campaign is abusing ConnectWise ScreenConnect to deliver signed malware through tampered installers. Encrypted messaging apps aren’t immune to state-backed malware delivery. APT28 is targeting Ukrainian government entities via Signal, sharing macro-laced documents that deploy a backdoor named Covenant. Some WordPress plugins are doing a lot more than extending site functionality. Researchers uncovered a long-running malware campaign that uses rogue plugins to skim credit card data, steal credentials, and manage backend systems on infected sites.

Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

As cybercriminals weave intricate webs in the digital underworld, global defenders are cutting through the chaos. Six nations toppled Archetyp Market, a darknet drug bazaar with €250 million ($288 million) in Monero deals, nabbing its admin and vendors while seizing €7.8 million ($9 million) in assets. The U.K unveiled a Cyber Growth Action Plan, injecting £16m ($21.2m) to fortify its £13.2bn ($17.5bn) cybersecurity industry after attacks bled retailers like M&S. Stateside, the U.S. reclaimed $225 million in crypto from investment scams, marking the Secret Service’s biggest digital heist bust yet. Cloud services are being quietly turned into covert attack channels. The Serpentine#Cloud campaign is abusing Cloudflare Tunnels and Python to deploy fileless malware via invoice-themed phishing lures. A popular WordPress plugin is exposing sites to full takeover. It affects the AI Engine plugin, impacting over 100,000 websites and opening the door to site-wide compromise. An official-looking email from the tax department may be anything but. Silver Fox APT is targeting Taiwanese users with phishing emails posing as the National Taxation Bureau, delivering malware like Winos 4.0, HoldingHands RAT, and Gh0stCringe. A new Android trojan is turning devices into data-harvesting tools under attackers’ full control. Attributed to the LARVA-398 group, AntiDot has infected thousands of devices through phishing and malicious ads. A fake job offer could now come bundled with custom-built spyware. PylangGhost is targeting crypto professionals in India. Delivered through spoofed job sites, the malware includes registry tampering, remote control, and data exfiltration modules aimed at compromising Windows systems. One compromised travel site is now a launchpad for infostealer infections. A new ClickFix variant, LightPerlGirl, is using fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA prompts and clipboard hijacking to deliver the Lumma infostealer.

Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

A global sweep just knocked out thousands of malicious command centers. INTERPOL’s Operation Secure led to the dismantling of over 20,000 malicious IPs tied to 69 malware strains across 26 countries. NIST has published new guidance to help organizations put Zero Trust Architecture into action, offering 19 real-world implementations built with industry partners. CyberEye lowers the barrier for cybercrime with a plug-and-play toolkit. This .NET-based RAT uses Telegram for command and control while offering modules for keylogging, credential theft, and platform-specific data grabbing. The TokenBreak attack manipulates how text is tokenized in classification models to sneak past defenses. A Mirai variant is actively exploiting a command injection vulnerability in TBK DVR-4104 and DVR-4216 devices, to conscript them into a botnet for DDoS attacks. Unpatched IT tools are once again opening the door to ransomware attacks. CISA has warned about vulnerabilities in SimpleHelp RMM software being exploited by groups like Play and DragonForce in double-extortion campaigns. Fog ransomware operators are blurring the line between admin tools and attack chains. In a recent incident, they deployed a mix of open-source and legitimate software to gain persistence and exfiltrate data undetected. Over 20 phishing applications impersonating popular crypto wallets have been found stealing mnemonic phrases to drain users’ funds.

Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

Authorities have taken down a major hub for stolen financial data. The DOJ seized approximately 145 domains associated with the BidenCash marketplace, which had evolved from a small credit card shop in 2022 into a massive hub for stolen payment data. In a move to reinforce Europe’s cyber defenses, Microsoft is stepping in with strategic support. The newly launched European Security Program offers EU governments free access to AI-driven threat intelligence, vulnerability alerts, and guidance to counter attacks from state-sponsored actors. Not all GitHub projects are built with good intentions. Researchers uncovered a widespread campaign involving more than 130 repositories booby-trapped with malware disguised as game cheats, hacking tools, and utilities. A free software download could end up costing your entire crypto wallet. ViperSoftX is back in circulation, targeting crypto users with malicious PowerShell scripts bundled into cracked apps, keygens, and torrent packages. Some attackers mine crypto, JINX-0132 mines misconfigurations. This threat actor is running a stealthy cryptojacking campaign against DevOps platforms, exploiting exposed defaults and overlooked RCE flaws. Destruction masquerading as maintenance tools is hitting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Researchers attributed a new wiper malware called PathWiper to a Russia-linked APT group, targeting critical systems by leveraging legitimate administrative frameworks. A few swapped letters could be all it takes to get owned. A new supply chain attack targets Python and npm developers through typo-squatting and name confusion. A new Android banking trojan, named Crocodilus, has emerged in the threat landscape. It masquerades as legitimate apps like Google Chrome and uses overlay attacks to steal credentials from financial apps.

May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

Under the hood of vulnerability management, NIST just added a sharper diagnostic tool. The new Likely Exploited Vulnerabilities metric offers deeper insight into which CVEs are likely being used in the wild, complementing EPSS with more contextual signals. Digital warfare is no longer a future threat, it's a current investment. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has unveiled a £1 billion Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks and support offensive cyber missions. With AI-driven systems like the Digital Targeting Web in development, the goal is seamless coordination across weapons platforms. A quiet but relentless campaign has been unfolding across multiple industries. The Chinese group Earth Lamia is targeting finance, government, logistics, and more by exploiting known web app vulnerabilities. APT41 hides malware commands where no one’s looking: your calendar. In a creative twist on C2 infrastructure, China-backed APT41 embedded encrypted instructions inside Google Calendar events. AyySSHush doesn’t make noise, it builds armies. More than 9,000 ASUS routers have been compromised by this botnet, which quietly slips in through a CVE-2023-39780 exploit. Fake CAPTCHA prompts are now doing more than testing if you're human—they're installing malware. EDDIESTEALER, a new Rust-based infostealer, spreads through deceptive CAPTCHA pages that trigger malicious PowerShell scripts. Threat actors are wrapping their tools in layers of obfuscation, and DOUBLELOADER is no exception. This new backdoor uses the ALCATRAZ obfuscator—once seen in the game-hacking scene—to disguise its presence. A new Go-based botnet called PumaBot is clawing its way through Linux IoT devices. It brute-forces SSH credentials, impersonates Redis files for stealth, and deploys rootkits to mine crypto and steal credentials.

May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

Operation Endgame just dealt a major blow to the ransomware supply chain. Europol led the charge in dismantling malware infrastructure tied to multiple malware families, seizing 300 servers and more. Japan has officially gone on the cyber offense. The new Active Cyberdefense Law allows preemptive strikes against foreign cyber threats. It enables traffic analysis and takedowns of hostile servers. Think twice before clicking on that Ledger update. A new macOS malware campaign is deploying fake versions of the Ledger Live app to steal cryptocurrency seed phrases. A Turkish phishing lure leads straight to SnakeKeylogger. Fake AI tools are the new phishing lures and they’re convincing. Cybercriminals cloned Kling AI’s brand through Facebook ads and spoofed websites to trick users into downloading malware. The DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) malware is making the rounds again - this time disguised as a Turkish bank email. The copyright threat in your inbox might be bait. A phishing campaign sweeping across central and eastern Europe is using fake legal complaints to deliver the Rhadamanthys Stealer. Two years of silence, 6,200 downloads later - the malware is finally found. A malicious campaign targeting JavaScript developers slipped past detection by disguising harmful npm packages as plugins for frameworks like React, Vue.js, Vite, and Quill Editor. Researchers uncovered a stealthy new backdoor paired with a Monero coinminer, using the PyBitmessage library for encrypted peer-to-peer communications.

May 16, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 12–16, 2025

Not every AI tool on Facebook is what it claims to be. Threat actors are luring users with fake content-generation apps, pushing Noodlophile malware to tens of thousands of victims. Disguised as AI-powered services, these tools trick users into executing malicious files that steal browser credentials, crypto wallet data, and other sensitive information through a layered infection chain. OtterCookie is getting smarter with every version. The North Korea-linked group WaterPlum is actively using the malware to breach financial institutions and crypto platforms worldwide. Since late 2024, new iterations have added capabilities like credential theft from browsers and file uploads - each version revealing signs of modular development and distinct authorship. A flaw in Linux’s nftables is turning dirty sets into dangerous ones. A critical double-free vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges by exploiting memory corruption. Kernel-level fixes are already rolling out to improve cleanup routines and patch the vulnerable destroy path.

May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

Another blow to DDoS-for-hire networks. Europol has shut down six services used to launch global cyberattacks, arresting suspects in Poland and seizing domains in the U.S. The UN has launched a new framework to help policymakers make sense of cyber intrusions. Called UNIDIR Intrusion Path, it complements models like MITRE ATT&CK but simplifies the technical details. It breaks down attacker activity into three layers, making it easier to evaluate threats in a policy context. Old routers are becoming cybercrime goldmines. The FBI has warned that end-of-life routers are being hijacked with malware like TheMoon and sold on proxy networks such as 5Socks and Anyproxy. These compromised devices are used for crypto theft, cybercrime-as-a-service, and even espionage. Crypto users on Discord are the latest targets of a phishing campaign tied to Inferno Drainer. Attackers were found impersonating the Collab.Land bot to trick users into signing malicious transactions. The Play ransomware group has joined the list of actors exploiting CVE-2025-29824. This Windows zero-day in the CLFS driver enables privilege escalation via a race condition during file operations. Linked to the Balloonfly group, the attacks targeted a U.S. organization and included deployment of the Grixba infostealer. COLDRIVER’s latest malware, LOSTKEYS, is now in play. The Russian state-backed group is deploying this tool to steal files and system data from advisors, journalists, NGOs, and individuals linked to Ukraine. Agenda’s playbook just got upgraded. The ransomware group has added two new tools: SmokeLoader and a stealthy .NET-based loader called NETXLOADER. The latter leverages techniques like JIT hooking and AES decryption to deploy ransomware. Corporate HR teams are the latest target in a spear-phishing spree by Venom Spider. Disguised as job applications, these emails deliver More_eggs backdoor, now upgraded with advanced features.

May 2, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 28–May 02, 2025

The FBI just dropped a massive breadcrumb trail. Details of 42,000 phishing domains tied to the LabHost platform have been released to help defenders investigate potential breaches. The service enabled the theft of 500,000 credit cards and over a million credentials. The takedown of JokerOTP has exposed just how far phishing has evolved. The tool was used in more than 28,000 attacks across 13 countries, tricking victims into handing over 2FA codes by mimicking trusted brands. The operation cost victims £7.5 million and has now led to serious criminal charges, thanks to a joint effort involving Europol and Dutch authorities. Malware’s now hitching a ride on Go modules. Socket has uncovered three malicious packages hiding disk-wiping payloads, designed to cause irreversible data loss, especially on Linux systems. These modules take advantage of Go’s decentralized ecosystem. In the shadows of the cybersecurity landscape, MintsLoader emerges as a formidable adversary, orchestrating a multi-faceted infection strategy that deploys the notorious GhostWeaver RAT. Some PyPI packages are doing more than importing functions. Researchers uncovered seven malicious Python packages under the “Coffin” naming scheme, using Gmail’s SMTP service as a stealthy C2 channel. Ransomware groups aren’t always the ones breaking the door open. Researchers have uncovered ToyMaker, an initial access broker selling network entry to ransomware groups. Using a custom malware strain called LAGTOY, ToyMaker establishes reverse shells and executes commands on compromised systems. New vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, collectively dubbed AirBorne, expose billions of devices to remote code execution without user interaction. Sharp and TX stealers are back, donning a new cloak - named Hannibal Stealer. It is going after credentials from browsers, crypto wallets, FTP clients, and VPN apps. It even captures Discord tokens and Steam sessions.