Cookie Settings

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide essential functionality and improve your experience. Some features, such as demo scheduling and chat support, require marketing cookies to function. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to all cookies. Alternatively, you can customize your preferences, but note that declining marketing cookies will limit certain website features.

Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence October 1-5, 2018

Cyware Weekly Cyber Threat Intelligence October 1-5, 2018 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Oct 5, 2018

The Good

Friday is here at last! This means that its once again time to take stock about the biggest and most important cybersecurity news from the week the flew past us. First, let's raise a glass to all the positive efforts made by law enforcement agencies and organizations in enhancing the security of people. US Capitol police arrested a suspect charged with doxing US Republican senators. Google plans to enforce more stringent roles on developers to block malicious Chrome extensions. Meanwhile, authorities arrested a man responsible for hacking scores of US government websites.

  • Washington D.C.-based 27-year old Jackson Cosko was arrested by the US Capitol police for doxing three US Republican senators. Cosko, worked as an intern in the office of Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, modified information such as the Senators’ home addresses and personal phone numbers. The incident reportedly took place during the Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. However, following his arrest, Cosko was fired.

  • Google plans to enforce more stringent roles on developers to block malicious Chrome extensions. The new measures will give the users of extensions more control over which sites extensions can access. Google is also prohibiting extensions using obfuscated code. Extension developers will also have to do more to protect their developer accounts. For instance, starting 2019, extension developers will have to enable two-factor authentication for their accounts.

  • Authorities arrested a man responsible for hacking scores of US government websites. Billy Ribeiro Anderson, who went by the pseudonym “AlfabetoVirtual” pleaded guilty to two counts of computer fraud. According to the DoJ, Anderson gained unauthorized access to over 11,000 US military, government, and business websites.

  • A French police officer was arrested for selling confidential police data on the dark web. The rogue officer, who went by the pseudonym “Haurus”, used to work for Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI) or the General Directorate for Internal Security - a French intelligence agency.

The Bad

A number of major data breaches and leaks emerged over the past week. The biggest data breach of the week award goes to Facebook. The tech giant acknowledged suffering a massive breach. Sales engagement startup, Apollo was hit by hackers who stole a database that contained 200 million contact records. The Fast food chain Burgerville was targeted by the FIN7 hacker group in an attack that saw customers’ personal and financial data stolen.

  • The biggest data breach of the week award goes to Facebook. The tech giant acknowledged suffering a massive breach that compromised over 50 million user accounts. The attackers exploited a flaw that first appeared in July 2017, when Facebook made some changes in the video uploading feature. This is Facebook’s second breach in 2018. The previous breach made headlines after profile details of 87 million users were improperly accessed by the political data firm Cambridge Analytica.

  • Sales engagement startup, Apollo was hit by hackers who stole a database that contained 200 million contact records. The stolen database contained the contact details of prospective customers from 10 million companies. The compromised data includes customers’ names, email addresses, company names, and other business information.

  • The fast-food chain Burgerville suffered a data breach that that may have compromised payment details of thousands of customers. Burgerville said that the attack was orchestrated by the notorious FIN7 cybercrime gang. The compromised data includes customers’ names, card numbers, expiration dates and CVV numbers of both credit and debit cards.

  • Brazilian banks suffered a massive attack by cybercriminals who used a 100,000-strong botnet. The attack targeted users attempting to access the online banking sites of Brazilian banks were being redirected to phishing sites. The cybercriminals behind the GhostDNS botnet campaign are still scanning the internet for Brazilian routers with weak or no passwords.

New Threats

Multiple new malware, vulnerabilities and threat actors have been coming out of the woodwork all of last week. A flaw in Telegram exposed users’ IP addresses. The Fallout exploit kit was found distributing the Kraken Cryptor ransomware. Meanwhile, white-hat hackers discovered 150 bugs in websites of the US Marine Corps.

  • A flaw in Telegram exposed users’ IP addresses. The breach was caused by a bug in the desktop version of the Telegram app, which inadvertently leaked users’ IP addresses during voice calls.
  • The Fallout exploit kit has switched from spreading the GandCrab ransomware to distributing the Kraken Cryptor ransomware. The EK began distributing the Kraken Cryptor ransomware (version 1.5) earlier this week. Kraken Cryptor appeared in the Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) arena and is now being actively distributed in the wild by multiple sources.
  • White-hat hackers discovered 150 bugs in websites of the US Marine Corps. Around 100 security researchers participated in the “Hack The Marine Corps” bug bounty program and took home a total of $150,000. The bugs were reported for the US Marine Corps Cyberspace Command team, during a three-week-long bug bounty program.
  • The DanaBot banking malware is back in action. A new campaign was discovered targeting victims in the US. The malware was first discovered in May 2018, when it was targeting victims in Australia. Since then, DanaBot has been updated several times and has also switched targets from Australia to Europe, and now to the US.

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.