Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 07 - 11, 2020

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 07 - 11, 2020 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • December 11, 2020

The Good

  • The cyberworld did see some sunshine this week in the otherwise mostly gloomy environment. Although it is not much, it definitely is a path leading to better security measures for organizations and individuals alike.
  • Google security experts open-sourced a fuzzing tool, named Atheris, to help developers find security vulnerabilities and patch them before attackers abuse them. The tool supports Python 2.7, 3.3+, and native extensions created with CPython.
  • Apple, Cloudflare, and Fastly codesigned a new DNS benchmark to deal with privacy issues faced by DNS. The new standard would separate IP addresses from queries to mask requests and make it harder for attackers to track users online.
  • Australia’s National Intelligence Community is planning on building a highly-secure private community cloud service that would be able to protect classified data, including top secrets. The project is led by the Office of National Intelligence, Australia’s top intelligence agency, which has issued call for expressions of interest.

The Bad

Even with all the positive developments in cybersecurity, there will always be some bad to dampen moods and efforts. Hackers are still leeching off of weaknesses in systems and institutions to pilfer away data or bring chaos. This week witnessed SQL databases on sale, severe attacks on several big firms, and also, more COVID-19 related attacks. Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated with their tactics and techniques, which has become a major cause for headaches.

  • More than 250,000 databases have been compromised due to an ongoing ransomware attack that abused weak credentials on MySQL servers. The campaign was launched in January and to date, 83,000 victims have been targeted.

  • An ongoing malware campaign is hitting the internet with malware that disrupts the security of web browsers, adds malicious extensions, and makes changes to victims’ systems. The malware, dubbed Adrozek, has been launched against Google, Yandex, Edge, and Firefox.

  • Hackers made off with 113,000 voters’ personal information from online voter registration services in Alaska. The data consisted of names, dates of birth, driving licenses, party affiliations, last four digits of their social security numbers, and mailing addresses.

  • The Netherlands-based staffing agency Randstad was hit by a cyberattack using the Egregor ransomware and its IT services were breached. The hackers published some internal corporate data, including financial reports and legal documents, in an extortion attempt.

  • Embraer, the third-largest airplane maker in the world, was hit by a ransomware attack last month. However, the RansomExx operators released some of the firm’s files on their data leak site after the latter refused to pay the ransom.

  • Electronics giant Foxconn underwent a ransomware attack, in which the attackers stole unencrypted files and subsequently, encrypted them. The attack was conducted by the DoppelPaymer ransomware gang who published the stolen data on its leak site.

  • FireEye announced that it was hacked, allegedly, by Russian hackers. The firm stated that the attackers had used “novel tools” to evade security tools and forensics. The hackers made off with red team tools that imitate the most sophisticated hacking tools.

  • The European Medicines Agency (EMA) was targeted in a cyberattack, in which documents associated with the vaccine development had been accessed. Pfizer and BioNTech stated that the personal details of trial participants were not stolen and the attack would not have any adverse effect on the timeline.

  • APT28, a Russia-linked cyberespionage gang, has been unveiled leveraging COVID-19 phishing lures to disseminate the Go version of its Zebrocy malware. The lure was spread as a part of a Virtual Hard Disk file that can be accessed only by Windows 10 users.

New Threats

Another day, another new threat. The education sector is still burdened by the threat of ransomware attacks, leading to data theft or interruption in distance learning services. In addition to that, botnets have gained additional powers and have been causing disaster in their wake. Several new bugs have been identified in different systems that can lead to dire consequences.

  • The FBI and CISA issued a joint warning about the rising ransomware attacks against the K-12 educational sector. The five most active ransomware targeting K-12 schools include Ryuk, REvil, Nefilim, AKO, and Maze.

  • Critical vulnerabilities discovered in D-Link routers make them susceptible to zero-day attacks. The flaws include an unauthenticated remote LAN/WAN root command injection flaw (CVE-2020-25757), authenticated root command injection vulnerability (CVE-2020-25759), and an authenticated crontab injection (CVE-2020-25758).

  • An ongoing phishing scam is targeting Ledger wallet users with fake data breach alerts in an attempt to steal cryptocurrency. The emails state that the user has been impacted by a breach and they should install the latest version of Ledger Live to protect their assets with a new PIN.

  • A new strain of the RANA Android malware has been unveiled that spies on Telegram, WhatsApp, Skype, and other instant messaging platforms. The malware has been linked to the APT39 Iranian cyberespionage group and possesses new surveillance functionalities.

  • A set of 33 vulnerabilities, dubbed Amnesia:33, has been discovered to affect four open-source TCP/IP stacks. These bugs can be abused to conduct RCE, DoS, info-leak, and DNS cache poisoning attacks.

  • PlayStation Now (PS Now) bugs allowed hackers to run arbitrary code on Windows devices running vulnerable app versions. The bugs impact the PS Now version 11.0.2 on computers with Windows 7Sp1 or later.

  • Check Point researchers unveiled that there has been a rise in infections caused by the Phorpiex botnet. Infamous for cryptomining and sextortion spam campaigns, the botnet has been discovered spreading the Avaddon ransomware.

  • Scammers are luring victims to fake sites to check the balance on their Target gift cards. While some crooks have gone to the extent of making a fake website eerily similar to the legitimate one, others have registered a targetgiftscard[.]com domain.

  • A new Qbot malware strain switched to a stealthier persistence mechanism that takes advantage of system shutdown and resumes messages to establish persistence.

  • Cisco Talos detected two RCE bugs—CVE-2020-7559 and CVE-2020-7560—in Schneider Electric EcoStruxure. These bugs could be abused by sending the target a specially designed network request or project archive.

Related Threat Briefings

Sep 26, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, September 22–26, 2025

European authorities have crushed a €100 million crypto fraud ring, nabbing five suspects across multiple countries. Active since 2018, this scam lured victims in 23 nations with fake investment platforms. Operation HAECHI VI has clawed back $439 million from global cybercrime, striking a blow against financial fraud. Spanning 40 countries, this effort blocked 68,000 bank accounts and 400 crypto wallets, recovering $16 million in illicit crypto and $342 million in currencies. China’s UNC5221 is sneaking Brickstorm into network appliances, lurking undetected. This Go-based backdoor, mimicking legit software, hits SaaS and tech firms with custom C2 servers. Cloaked in fake copyright notices, the Lone None group is sneaking Pure Logs and Lone None Stealer into systems. With fake job portals as bait, Iran’s Nimbus Manticore targets Europe’s defense and telecom sectors. Their spear-phishing campaign uses multi-stage DLL sideloading to deploy MiniJunk and MiniBrowse. North Korean hackers are reeling in crypto developers with fake LinkedIn job offers, hiding AkdoorTea malware. This Contagious Interview campaign uses BeaverTail and Tropidoor to pilfer data across platforms. Russia’s COLDRIVER is baiting victims with a fake CAPTCHA in the ClickFix campaign. Using BAITSWITCH to download SIMPLEFIX, a PowerShell backdoor, this multi-stage attack targets Russian civil society and Western groups, gathering system data via stealthy C2 communication. Since 2022, a stealthy campaign has been hijacking DLLs to unleash a PlugX variant on Asia’s telecom and manufacturing sectors. It uses malicious documents and shared cryptographic tools to deploy RainyDay and Turian-like backdoors.

Sep 19, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, September 15–19, 2025

In a bold takedown, Microsoft and Cloudflare have dismantled the RaccoonO365 phishing empire targeting Microsoft 365 users. This PhaaS racket, raking in $100,000 in crypto, hit sectors like healthcare, prompting a lawsuit with Health-ISAC and the seizure of 330 domains to protect public safety. Brazil is setting a new benchmark for kids' online safety with a landmark law demanding strict age verification. The Digital ECA bans targeted ads for children, requires parental tools, and ditches self-declaration for reliable checks, making Brazil the first in Latin America to shield minors from harmful content. Researchers have uncovered joint activity involving the use of Gamaredon's custom tools to deploy Kazuar, a powerful Turla-developed backdoor known for its stealth and persistence. In a recent FileFix campaign, threat actors are hiding malicious PowerShell scripts and encrypted binaries inside seemingly innocent image files. Unlike earlier proof-of-concept variants, this iteration ups the ante by using multilingual phishing pages and deeply obfuscated JavaScript. AppSuite, OneStart, and ManualFinder are a malware triple threat. Posing as legit tools like PDF editors, they use Electron and PowerShell to track users and install sneaky extensions. Malware deployment is getting more modular and more menacing. CountLoader is a newly developed malware loader tied to Russia-affiliated ransomware groups like LockBit, BlackBasta, and Qilin. Google has shipped an urgent patch to plug a critical flaw in Chrome. Tracked as CVE-2025-10585, the newly patched vulnerability stems from a type confusion bug in the V8 JavaScript engine. Maranhão Stealer is hunting gamers through pirated software. Built with Node.js and Inno Setup, it mimics Microsoft components to hide, using DLL injection for persistence.

Sep 12, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, September 08–12, 2025

CISA’s new playbook is shaking up the CVE program. Its Quality Era pushes for better automation, APIs, and data standards. With a focus on transparency and global partnerships, it aims to keep vulnerability management vendor-neutral and collaborative. California’s latest privacy law is forcing browsers to step up. Every website visit will carry user requests to block third-party data grabs, boosting consumer control. Akira ransomware is busting into networks through SonicWall's CVE-2024-40766 flaw. ACSC warns of fresh exploits since September, with 40 incidents probed. A rogue Chrome extension, Madgicx Plus, is preying on Meta advertisers with a slick AI optimization pitch. This malware, spread through polished domains tied to past scams, hijacks Google and Facebook accounts, siphoning off valuable ad assets with deceptive ease. Masquerading as harmless GitHub files, Kimsuky is sneaking malware into systems with malicious LNK files. Mustang Panda's latest ToneShell variant is digging deep into systems with slick persistence moves. Delivered via DLL sideloading in archives, it dodges analysis, enforces single-instance rules, and sets up scheduled tasks in user directories. Researchers uncovered a RAT storm hitting Chinese users since May. Phishing on GitHub Pages drops ValleyRAT, FatalRAT, and kkRAT, the latter echoing Ghost RAT with beefed-up encryption and commands. Slipping through macOS like a shadow in the fog, ChillyHell malware cloaks itself as a harmless app to wreak havoc.

Sep 5, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, September 02–05, 2025

Forging a united front, 15 nations have rallied behind a new guide to bolster software supply chain security with SBOMs. This joint effort pushes for transparency in software components, defining roles and urging broad adoption across industries. ISC2 is arming professionals with a new Threat Handling Foundations Certificate to tackle rising cyber incidents. Covering DFIR through four courses, it sharpens skills across four courses, addressing visibility gaps and supply chain risks with practical, tool-focused training. A zero-day flaw in Sitecore deployments is opening doors for hackers to unleash WeepSteel malware. By exploiting a reused ASP.NET key, attackers achieve remote code execution. Iran’s Homeland Justice APT is casting a wide phishing net, targeting over 50 global embassies and organizations. Using 100+ hijacked email accounts and malicious Word docs, they exploit trusted identities to deliver malware. Lazarus Group is playing a dangerous game of impersonation, wielding three new RATs against a DeFi target. Using fake Telegram profiles and sham scheduling sites, they deploy PondRAT for initial access. Slipping through digital cracks, China-aligned GhostRedirector is hijacking Windows servers with a stealthy C++ backdoor called Rungan. Paired with the Gamshen IIS module for SEO fraud, it boosts gambling sites on Google. Lurking in your inbox, Russia’s APT28 is wielding NotDoor to turn Outlook into an espionage tool. This VBA backdoor, triggered by email keywords, uses obfuscation and DLL side-loading to dodge detection. A fake PDF editor peddled through Google ads is dishing out the TamperedChef infostealer to unsuspecting users.

Aug 29, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 25–29, 2025

From cryptocurrency scams to software vulnerabilities, recent global efforts showcase robust responses to sophisticated cyber threats. Cryptocurrency firms, including Chainalysis, Binance, OKX, and Tether, froze $46.9 million in funds stolen through Southeast Asia-based "romance baiting" scams, targeting victims via fake investment schemes. Meanwhile, the CISA introduced the new ‘Software Acquisition Guide: Supplier Response Web Tool’ to empower organizations to integrate cybersecurity into their procurement processes, addressing software supply chain vulnerabilities. Posing as a golden ticket from the Bangladesh Education Board, SikkahBot is preying on students with fake scholarship lures. Active since July 2024, this Android malware grabs high-risk permissions to intercept SMS and steal financial data. A data theft campaign attributed to UNC6395 targeted Salesforce instances via compromised OAuth tokens linked to the Salesloft Drift app, exfiltrating sensitive credentials. Blind Eagle's shadow looms over Colombia, with five activity clusters unleashing RATs and phishing on government sectors from May 2024 to July 2025. Click Studios is sounding the alarm on a dangerous flaw in Passwordstate’s password manager. This authentication bypass lets attackers access the admin section via a crafted URL. Truesec uncovered a cybercrime campaign distributing a trojanized "AppSuite PDF Editor" via Google ads, installing "TamperedChef" malware that steals credentials and web cookies. The Sangoma FreePBX Security Team has warned about an actively exploited zero-day vulnerability in FreePBX servers with the Administrator Control Panel (ACP) exposed to the internet.

Aug 22, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 18–22, 2025

As cyber threats evolve, global takedown efforts are stepping up to safeguard digital ecosystems. INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti arrested 1,209 cybercriminals across 18 African nations, recovering $97.4 million and dismantling over 11,000 malicious infrastructures. In another coordinated operation, U.S. authorities seized the Rapper Bot DDoS botnet, which had been active since 2021 and targeted 18,000 victims across 80 countries. The Python Package Index (PyPI) introduced defenses against domain resurrection attacks to prevent account hijacking and supply chain attacks. Berserk Bear hackers are wielding a seven-year-old Cisco flaw to infiltrate global critical infrastructure. Exploiting CVE-2018-0171, these FSB-linked attackers trigger device reloads and use custom SNMP tools. MuddyWater APT is targeting CFOs with spear-phishing, using Firebase-hosted phishing pages and custom CAPTCHAs. With a diplomat’s charm, malicious emails are smuggling XenoRAT into South Korea’s embassies via GitHub traps. Since March, this spearphishing spree has targeted European missions. Masquerading as an Australian electronics store, Cookie Spider’s malvertising campaign unleashed the AMOS malware on over 300 targets. Fraudsters posing as celebrity podcast reps are reeling in business owners with a bait. This podcast imposter scam lures victims into tech-check calls that grant remote access. A zero-day flaw has Apple racing to patch millions of devices with emergency iOS and iPadOS updates.

Aug 15, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 11–15, 2025

Ransomware gangs are taking heavy hits on multiple fronts. In Operation Checkmate, U.S. authorities seized $1.1 million in ransom-linked cryptocurrency and shut down four servers and nine domains tied to the BlackSuit group. At the same time, researchers dealt a critical blow to DarkBit ransomware, linked to Iran’s MuddyWater APT, by exploiting flaws in its AES-128-CBC key generation to crack the encryption.

Aug 8, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 04–08, 2025

In the wake of recent cyberattacks, the US federal judiciary is locking down sensitive court documents with a fortified approach to cybersecurity. Courts nationwide are enforcing stricter access controls, monitored handling procedures, and a mandatory IT security “scorecard” for annual self-assessments to pinpoint vulnerabilities. DARPA is raising the stakes at DEF CON, pitting seven AI-powered cyber reasoning systems against each other to secure the open-source software underpinning critical infrastructure. These autonomous tools, designed to detect and patch vulnerabilities in code vital to water systems and financial institutions, analyzed 7.8 million lines in preliminary rounds, catching 59% of synthetic flaws and uncovering real ones. Akira ransomware is striking with surgical precision, exploiting a suspected zero-day flaw in SonicWall SSL VPN devices, even those fully patched. Since mid-July 2025, attackers have used Virtual Private Server logins to bypass MFA, hitting multiple targets in rapid succession. A stealthy Python-based PXA Stealer is sweeping across 62 countries, pilfering sensitive data from unsuspecting victims. This infostealer campaign has exfiltrated hundreds of thousands of passwords and more. Phishing emails disguised as court summons are delivering a malicious payload to Ukrainian government and defense sectors, courtesy of UAC-0099. A cunning Android RAT, PlayPraetor, is sweeping through six countries, already compromising over 11,000 devices with its deceptive tactics. It masquerades as legitimate apps via fake Google Play Store pages and Meta Ads. ClickTok is luring TikTok Shop users into a trap with a crafty blend of phishing and malware. This global campaign deploys over 10,000 fake TikTok websites and 5,000 malicious apps, impersonating TikTok’s e-commerce platforms to steal cryptocurrency wallet credentials. Ghost Calls, a new evasion tactic, is turning Zoom and Microsoft Teams into covert channels for malicious activity, slipping past traditional defenses with ease.

Aug 1, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 28–August 01, 2025

Picture this: a tool so fast it dissects malware at lightning speed, giving your team the edge in a digital arms race. Meet Thorium, the CISA’s latest open-source gem. This platform automates cyberattack investigations, processing over 1,700 jobs per second and ingesting 10 million files per hour per permission group. Meanwhile, as AI reshapes the battlefield, OWASP is arming professionals with fresh guidance to secure agentic AI applications driven by LLMs. It’s a playbook for locking down user authentication with OAuth 2.0, encrypting sensitive data, and bolstering supply chain security. Cybercriminals are donning digital disguises, impersonating trusted enterprises with fake Microsoft OAuth applications to steal credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. Hackers exploited a critical SAP NetWeaver flaw to deploy the Auto-Color Linux malware. This malware, equipped with a rootkit and adaptive evasion tactics, adjusts its behavior based on user privileges. Operation CargoTalon, tied to threat cluster UNG0901, targeted organizations with EAGLET malware hidden in fake invoice files, quietly siphoning off sensitive data to a C2 server. A newly discovered cyberattack technique, dubbed Man in the Prompt, is turning browser extensions into unwitting accomplices in data theft from generative AI tools. DoubleTrouble is targeting users through Discord-hosted APKs, disguising itself as a legitimate app to slip past defenses. A stealthy Android banking trojan, RedHook, is targeting Vietnamese users through phishing sites mimicking trusted agencies. Spread via a malicious APK on an exposed AWS S3 bucket, it exploits accessibility services to steal credentials and banking details, with over 500 infections tied to Chinese-speaking actors.

Jul 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 21–25, 2025

The BlackSuit ransomware crew just lost its home turf. As part of Operation Checkmate, international law enforcement has seized the group’s dark web extortion and negotiation sites. New York is taking aim at cyber threats to its water systems. A newly proposed set of regulations outlines mandatory IT and OT cybersecurity measures for water and wastewater infrastructure, aligning with federal guidelines and introducing funding to support modernization across the state. Not every scam needs sophistication, sometimes all it takes is a lonely heart and a convincing profile picture. SarangTrap, a massive mobile spyware campaign, is luring victims on Android and iOS through fake dating apps. Storm-2603 is slipping through SharePoint’s cracks and locking the doors behind it. The suspected China-based threat group is exploiting two SharePoint vulnerabilities to deploy Warlock ransomware. A trusted source turned treacherous. Hackers launched a supply chain attack on Arch Linux by slipping malware into three AUR packages. These packages silently deployed a RAT that gave attackers persistent control over infected machines. A browser tweak here, a fake mod there, and suddenly your crypto wallet spills its secrets. In a new campaign, the Scavenger trojan exploits DLL Search Order Hijacking to infiltrate password managers and wallets. A new RaaS group called Chaos is conducting high-impact ransomware campaigns through a number of tactics, using remote management tools for long-term access. Mimo is getting stealthier and greedier. The financially motivated group has moved from targeting Craft CMS to Magento, exploiting PHP-FPM vulnerabilities to deploy malware via fileless techniques.

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.