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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - April 17–21

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - August 21–25 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Apr 21, 2023

The Good

Cyberattacks continue to grow in complexity creating overwhelming consequences. Therefore, protecting these devices against any cyber threat requires a collaborative effort from individuals, organizations, and law enforcement authorities. Keeping this aspect in view, the agencies from Five Eyes countries have issued a cybersecurity best practice guide to improve the security posture of smart city systems. Meanwhile, the EU Commission is working on new security regulations with the aim to boost defense and establish a common incident response plan across EU member states.

  • The CISA, in collaboration with the NSA, the FBI, the NCSC-UK, the ACSC, the CCCS, and the NCSC-NZ, has issued guidelines on best cybersecurity practices for smart cities. It provides an overview of risks associated with ICT supply chain risks, interconnected attack surfaces, and increased use of automation in operations.

  • The European Commission has published the first draft of its Cyber Solidarity Act which focuses on improving cybersecurity across EU member states and establishing a common incident response plan. The new regulations include three major areas of interest; the establishment of a European Cybersecurity Shield, the introduction of a new Cyber Emergency Mechanism, and the creation of the Cybersecurity Incident Review Mechanism.

  • The HHS cybersecurity task force has updated the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) with three new resources to help healthcare organizations address cybersecurity risks effectively. The HICP 2023, which is based on inputs from more than 150 industry experts, includes a free educational platform to train staff on social engineering, malicious data loss, identity theft, and more.

  • ESET researchers, with the help of GitHub, have temporarily disrupted the operations of RedLine Stealer. The experts managed to pull off this act as the malware used GitHub repositories as dead-drop resolvers in the control panel. ESET shared this finding with GitHub, which immediately suspended the repositories.

The Bad

Despite the positive developments, the cybersecurity space witnessed some massive data leak incidents arising due to misconfigured cloud assets. More than 8,000 poorly-secured servers were found exposing sensitive information such as login credentials, database backups, and configuration files online. On the other hand, an unprotected database belonging to the Philippine National Police had laid bare over 1.2 million records containing personal details and tax identification numbers of its employees. Researchers also warned about obsolete routers leaking corporate network information, which increases the chance of fraudulent schemes.

  • A misconfigured database exposed more than 1.2 million police records on the internet. The database also included 800 GB of information on people who applied for employment in law enforcement in the Philippines, along with documents on tax identification numbers of law enforcers. It is believed that the database had been left exposed for at least six weeks.

  • Network infrastructure provider CommScope confirmed suffering a ransomware attack that took place last month. Vice Society had claimed responsibility for the attack and for stealing the sensitive data of over 30,000 employees.

  • Capita, a London-based corporation, admitted to a ransomware attack that may have compromised the data of some of its staff, potential customers, and vendors. Meanwhile, BlackBasta claimed responsibility for the attack and further added that it has put up for sale sensitive data stolen from the firm. This includes bank account information, addresses, and passport photos.

  • Researchers indexed more than 8,000 misconfigured servers that exposed sensitive information and database backups to the public. Furthermore, over 18,000 comma-separated value files and another 2,000 SQL database files could also be accessed without any authentication. This huge volume of exposed data can be used by attackers to launch malicious attacks.

  • Researchers warned that decommissioned core routers from Cisco, Juniper, and Fortinet were found leaking corporate network information, including credentials, and data on applications, customers, vendors, and partners. The applications exposed in the routers included Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange, Spiceworks SQL, VMWare Horizon View, and Salesforce.

  • Point32Health, a New England health insurance firm, is dealing with a ransomware attack that impacted several of its systems. The firm detected the attack on April 17 after it was unable to access the systems for service members, accounts, brokers, and providers. Upon detecting the unauthorized activity, it proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat.

  • Payment processing giant NCR disclosed that it was a victim of a ransomware attack that occurred last weekend. This caused a PoS outage and affected multiple companies using the service. One of the affected systems was Aloha, the payments service which is used by multiple restaurants.

  • Microsoft uncovered a Remcos RAT campaign that targeted organizations dealing with tax preparation, financial services, CPA, bookkeeping, and accounting. As part of the campaign, the attackers relied on legitimate links that redirected recipients to fake tax documents sent by clients.

New Threats

Besides data leaks, a surge in the adoption of new attack tactics and techniques was also observed this week. While the MuddyWater APT was found abusing yet another legitimate tool, SimpleHelp, to bypass traditional security checks, the Play ransomware group upgraded its arsenal with two new .NET tools to improve the effectiveness of its attacks. Furthermore, a hacking tool, dubbed AuKill, came in handy for intruders deploying backdoors and ransomware in BYOVD attacks.

  • The Iranian threat actor group, MuddyWater, was found abusing yet another legitimate tool, called SimpleHelp, to ensnare more victims. The tool enabled threat actors to take control of the victim’s devices and maintain persistence without being detected by traditional security tools. The tool also allowed the attackers to execute various arbitrary commands on the targeted device.
  • Government agencies in the U.S. and the U.K issued a joint advisory to warn organizations about attacks targeting an old vulnerability in Cisco routers. The attacks are attributed to the Fancy Bear threat group and the flaw in question is CVE-2017-6742. It can allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the targeted device by sending specially crafted SNMP packets. The attackers are exploiting the vulnerability to deploy a custom malware, named Jaguar Tooth.
  • The Play ransomware group added two custom tools written in .NET to expand the effectiveness of its attacks. Named Grixba and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), these tools enable attackers to keep track of users in compromised networks and gather information about security, backup, and remote administration software.
  • Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) deciphered multiple Russian threat actor groups involved in different large-scale phishing attacks. One of them is identified as FROZENLAKE, which is active since 2022. The attackers focus on targeting webmail users in Eastern Europe. Another notable adversary is FROZENBARENTS (aka Sandworm), which was engaged in attacks against organizations affiliated with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) and other entities in the energy sector in Ukraine.
  • Researchers observed a new variant of LockBit ransomware that focuses on disrupting macOS systems. While the variant is in active development, it is revealed that the malware enables threat actors to encrypt files stored on ARM-powered Macs.
  • In another update, the NCSC warned about a new class of Russian adversaries that focused on performing DDoS attacks against critical entities such as airports, parliaments, and government sites. Hence the agency advised all organizations to implement recommended actions to increase the security of system administration.
  • State-backed hacking groups are using a new hacking tool, dubbed AuKill, to disable EDR software on target’s systems before deploying backdoors and ransomware in BYOVD attacks. The tool uses several threads to continuously probe and disable security processes and services. So far, the tool has been used in at least three separate attacks launched by Medusa Locker and LockBit.
  • A subgroup of the Phosphorous APT group has been found leveraging N-day vulnerabilities to launch low-volume phishing attacks against US critical infrastructure including seaports, energy companies, and transit systems. Among the other tactics are the use of post-compromise tools, an obscure C2 communication protocol, and a third custom implant.
  • Poorly secured MS-SQL servers were found being hacked to deploy Trigona ransomware and encrypt all files. The servers were breached via brute-force attacks. After connecting to a server, the attackers deployed a malware dubbed CLR Shell in the first stage and Trigona ransomware in the last stage of the attack.
  • The CISA released a new report on ICONICSTEALER, an info-stealer used in the supply chain attack against 3CX’s desktop app. The malware is designed to primarily steal sensitive data from a victim user's web browser.
  • Secureworks researchers found a new wave of SEO poisoning attacks that distributed Bumblebee malware on victims’ systems. Booby-trapped versions of legitimate software were pushed in the Google search ads to trick unsuspecting users into downloading it.
  • Threat actors abused Eval PHP, an abandoned WordPress plugin, to take over and backdoor websites. The plugin allowed attackers to insert malicious PHP code into pages and posts on WordPress sites. These malicious codes are executed every time the posts or the pages are opened in a browser.

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.