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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - December 26–30

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - December 26–30 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Dec 30, 2022

The Good

As we wrap up the final week of 2022, here’s a glance at a significant development made by the U.S. government. President Joe Biden passed the expenditure bill for the fiscal year 2023, of which $2.9 billion has been allocated for cybersecurity efforts. The CISA will use the fund to strengthen civilians and federal networks, besides improving its cybersecurity operations. Meanwhile, the DoJ indicted a hacker who was accused of stealing $110 million in a fraud scheme against the Mango Markets cryptocurrency exchange.

  • An amount of $2.9 billion has been allocated to CISA for the fiscal year 2023. With the given budget, the CISA aims to improve emergency communications preparedness and strengthen civilian and government networks. A portion of the amount will also be used for CISA’s advanced cybersecurity operations.

  • The DoJ filed criminal charges against a hacker for stealing approximately $110 million in a fraud scheme targeting Mango Markets cryptocurrency exchange. The hacker manipulated the price to trap the investors and steal their funds.

  • The Ukraine cyber police seized a call center for duping 18,000 victims by pretending to be IT security employees at banks. The scammers contacted the victims and claimed that their bank accounts had been accessed by hackers and requested their financial information.

The Bad

Moving on, ransomware attacks continue to disrupt the operations of victim organizations. This week, a Portuguese port and a city in Westchester County fell victim to attacks by the LockBit ransomware group. The Royal ransomware group also claimed responsibility for attacks against the telecommunications company Intrado. The Black Basta group was also reported to have stolen data from multiple electric utilities after targeting a major U.S. government contractor.

  • The Kimsuky APT group was associated with a new phishing campaign that was aimed at nearly 900 foreign policy experts in South Korea. The attack was launched via spear-phishing emails that impersonated different well-known authorities and contained a link to a fake website that resulted in the download of malware.

  • The Port of Lisbon was targeted in an attack by the LockBit ransomware group. The attackers claimed to have stolen all the data from the website and demanded a sum of close to $1.5 million to prevent the data leakage.

  • Thousands of Citrix servers still remain vulnerable to attacks due to two critical vulnerabilities that are tracked as CVE-2022-27510 and CVE-2022-27518. These flaws affect Citrix ADC and Gateway endpoints and have been patched with the release of new versions last month.

  • It’s been a year and around 40% of software using Apache Log4j are still vulnerable to the Log4Shell attack. A security update to fix the flaw was issued last year.

  • The Royal ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against telecommunications company Intrado. As proof of the breach, the gang shared a 52.8MB archive containing scans of passports, business documents, and driver’s licenses of employees.

  • Operations at the police department, municipal court, and other government offices in the city of Mount Vernon were disrupted following an attack by LockBit ransomware. The breach was executed by exploiting a remote access tool used by the city’s IT provider.

  • Threat actors used Black Basta ransomware to steal sensitive data from multiple electric utilities linked to the Chicago-based engineering firm Sargent & Lundy, which is also a major U.S. government contractor. The attack occurred in October.

  • Lake Charles Memorial Health System in Louisiana disclosed that the personal data of nearly 270,000 patients were accessed in the October ransomware attack. This included patients’ health insurance information, medical records, and social security numbers.

  • Lazarus was associated with a massive phishing campaign that targeted NFT investors. Nearly 500 phishing domains mimicking well-known NFT marketplaces, such as OpenSea, X2Y2, and Rarible were used to dupe victims.

  • 3Commas cryptocurrency platform admitted to a hack after a set of 10,000 API keys was published by a hacker on Twitter. The firm urged Kucoin, Coinbase, and Binance to revoke all keys connected to 3Commas.

New Threats

Threat actors are always gearing up to evolve their attack techniques and some of them were noticed this week. The BlueNoroff APT adopted a new tactic to sneak past the Mark-of-the-Web (MotW) security measures. On the other hand, researchers observed threat actors delivering a variety of malware by exploiting the Google Ads platform under the MasquerAds campaign. Furthermore, a newly found CatB ransomware group emerged with new evasion techniques.

  • A new technique dubbed MasquerAds is being increasingly used across the Google Ads platform to spread malware to unsuspecting users searching for popular software products. Among the products impersonated include Grammarly, MSI Afterburner, Slack, Dashlane, Malwarebytes, Audacity, OBS, AnyDesk, and Libre.
  • Experts from American universities demonstrated a new attack technique that could be used to eavesdrop on users. Called EarSpy, the technique relied on motion sensor data arising from the echo of speakers in Android phones.
  • Lazarus’ subgroup BlueNoroff has adopted a new tactic to bypass Mark-of-the-Web (MotW) security measures and deliver a new malware that goes by the same name. The gang is using the tactic to target financial institutions in Japan.
  • A security researcher identified security issues in Google Home smart speakers that could be exploited to install backdoors and turn them into wiretapping devices. The flaws could be triggered by sending arbitrary HTTP requests within the victim’s LAN network.
  • The CISA added two-year-old security flaws impacting TIBCO Software’s JasperReports products to its list of most exploited vulnerabilities catalog. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2018- 5430 and CVE-2018-18809, are related to information disclosure vulnerability and directory traversal vulnerability respectively.
  • Experts warned of a critical Linux kernel vulnerability that leads to remote code execution attacks on SMB servers. The flaw has a CVSS score of 10 and only affects SMB servers using the ‘ksmbd’ module.
  • A newly identified CatB ransomware group has been found implementing several anti-VM and DLL hijacking techniques to evade detection. The ransomware is believed to have a connection with Pandora ransomware.

Related Threat Briefings

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.