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 Threat Intelligence, December 23 - 27, 2019

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 23 - 27, 2019 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Dec 27, 2019

The Good

Welcome to the most exciting weekend of the year and the final weekly threat intelligence newsletter this year. Let’s begin with the good news for the week. In a new study, researchers discussed a new cryptography method for full secrecy based on One-time pad (Vernam Cypher). Also, CISA unveiled Trusted Internet Connection policy (TIC) 3.0 to help government agencies build secure networks. Further, US Congress cleared the TRACED Act to curb robocall spam menace and it is now headed to the Oval Office.

  • A group of researchers presented a new cryptography method for full secrecy based on One-time pad (Vernam Cypher). The complex time-varying irreversible structures of silicon chips can be used as the one-time key, which cannot be recreated and intercepted as it is never stored anywhere. Also, the method is compatible with the existing optical communication infrastructure.

  • Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released Trusted Internet Connection policy (TIC) 3.0—a draft set of use cases and other guidance to help government agencies build secure networks. The administration hopes it will give agencies enough flexibility to make sound security decisions for any kind of network, including those just over the horizon.

  • The US Congress passed the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act to fight against spam robocalls. The bill includes penalties of up to $10,000 per incident for robocallers that break the law and it pushes telcos to implement stricter call authentication technologies.

The Bad

The week remained eventful for some organizations where security incidents were reported. The radio network giant Entercom was attacked for the second time since September. In other news, operators of Maze ransomware made 2 GB of stolen data public to prove to the media that they have a lot more than that. Meanwhile, attackers targeted the cryptocurrency project NULS, incurring the development team a loss of $480,000 worth of NULS tokens.

  • The radio network giant Entercom was hit by a cyberattack, forcing some stations to rely on their previously recorded programs. The company also experienced connectivity problems that disabled email communication, access to files, and content for the digital platforms. This is the second time that the network has suffered an attack within a few months. However, the operations were fully restored the next morning.

  • The operators of Maze ransomware publicly released publicly 2GB (of 32 GB) files that were stolen by them during the attack at the city of Pensacola. The crooks had demanded a $1 million ransom to decrypt the locked files. The attackers stated that they released the stolen data to prove to the media that they stole more than just a few files during the attack.

  • The development team behind the cryptocurrency project NULS lost almost $480,000 worth of NULS tokens in a hack. The team reported that more than half a million tokens were liquidated via cryptocurrency exchanges. NULS network participants were later urged to update their node software to the latest version as soon as possible.

  • The personal data of 2,400 Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel, was potentially affected after systems at ST Logistics were impacted by a malware attack. ST Logistics said attackers sent malicious emails to its employees’ email accounts. No details were given on when the phishing had occurred or for how long.

  • Truckstop.com experienced disruption in its online services following malware attacks on its network. Though the incident did not affect its customer information, it forced customers to look for alternatives right before the Christmas rush. The firm is said to be working on the issue. Truckstop.com is one of the largest neutral freight matching marketplaces in North America and handles about 500,000 loads per day.

  • The Islands restaurant chain and Champagne French Bakery Cafe announced payment card breaches for locations across the U.S. In both cases, attackers used PoS malware to capture card data stored in the magnetic stripe. As per reports, the malware was active between February 18, 2019, and September 27, 2019.

  • Around 260 passengers were left stranded after RavnAir canceled at least a half-dozen flights in Alaska due to a cyberattack on its computer systems. Airlines said operations were expected to be slowed or disrupted for the next week because of the necessity of shutting down the IT network. The airline serves more than 100 communities in Alaska, many of which are not accessible by road.

  • Healthcare startup Lyfebin exposed more than 93,000 medical imaging files stored on its unprotected Amazon Web Services storage bucket. The files were dated between September 2018 and October 2019 and were stored in the DICOM format. The exposed files were X-rays, MRI, and ultrasound scans. Lyfebin secured the data after being warned of the security lapse.

New Threats

Moreover, numerous vulnerabilities and threat campaigns also found their place in the headlines. Right at the top was a flaw in Citrix Application Delivery Controller and Citrix Gateway which imperiled 80,000 corporate LANs at risk. Additionally, a phishing campaign targeting PayPal customers was discovered by security researchers. Also, a researcher managed to exploit a bug in Twitter’s Android app and matched 17 million phone numbers to authentic Twitter user accounts.

  • A critical vulnerability in Citrix Application Delivery Controller and Citrix Gateway put almost 80,000 companies in 158 countries potentially at risk. The bug could allow an attacker to perform arbitrary code execution even without proper authentication. The company had not immediately released a patch but it recommended mitigation techniques that could be implemented until a firmware fix arrives.
  • A vulnerability was discovered in the Twitter app for Android that attackers could have exploited to obtain sensitive information or take control of accounts. A security researcher said he matched 17 million phone numbers to Twitter user accounts by exploiting the flaw. He matched records from users in Israel, Turkey, Iran, Greece, Armenia, France, and Germany until Twitter put a break on his efforts.
  • The dating app Plenty of Fish immediately pushed out a fix for its app after a security researcher revealed that it leaked information that users had set to ‘private’ on their profiles. The leaked information included users’ first names and postal ZIP codes, leading to disclosing people’s home address.
  • A new P2P botnet dubbed Mozi was found infecting Netgear, D-Link, and Huawei routers. The botnet borrows its code from Gafgyt botnet. The attackers wanted to launch DDoS attacks through this. The botnet used telnet and exploits for propagation to new vulnerable devices.
  • Magellan 2.0, a new set of five SQLite vulnerabilities, was seen affecting Chrome versions prior to 79.03945.79. The vulnerabilities were tracked as CVE-2019-13734, CVE-2019-13750, CVE-2019-13751, CVE-2019-13752, CVE-2019-13753. An attacker could abuse the vulnerability to launch remote code execution, leak program data, or cause a program to crash.
  • A new phishing campaign impersonating the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) was observed by security researchers. The attack involved sending legitimate-looking emails containing a PDF attachment to multiple organizations and individuals in Canada. The purpose of the campaign was to harvest victims’ RBC express credentials. The attackers behind this were reportedly able to run a large-scale operation and remain under the radar for a long time.
  • Researchers identified a phishing campaign targeting PayPal customers with emails camouflaged as ‘unusual activity’ alerts warning them of suspicious logins. The phishers scared the potential victims with limited account access and that they need to secure it by confirming their identity. People clicking on the link in the email were being redirected to a PayPal phishing login page to enter their details.
  • A critical vulnerability in Cisco’s Appliance Adaptive Security (ASA) and Firepower was being widely exploited by attackers. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2018-0296, enabled unauthenticated, remote attackers to view sensitive system information. While Cisco was planning to disclose the details, attackers were aiming at causing a DoS condition.
  • A zero-day vulnerability existed in Dropbox for Windows allowing attackers to gain permission reserved to SYSTEM, the most privileged account on the operating system. The flaw affected the standard Dropbox installations. Dropbox didn’t release a new version but pushed a temporary solution which is freely available in the form of a micro patch.

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.