Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - December 26–29

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - December 26–29 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing December 29, 2023

The Good

Space missions are sensitive operations. To keep its security measures on the cutting edge, NASA released the Space Security Guide. In the wake of rising attacks in the healthcare sector, the HHS shared four new pointers. Additionally, Pakistan's PTA launched the 2023-2028 Cyber Security Strategy, focusing on telecom sector resilience.

  • NASA released its first Space Security Best Practices Guide, a 57-page document aimed at improving cybersecurity for future space missions. The guide leverages security controls outlined in the NIST’s Special Publication 800-53 and serves as a translation guide between NIST verbiage and NASA flight project language. It aims to enhance cybersecurity not only for NASA's missions but also for its international partners and the growing space industry. The guide provides principles applicable to various organizations and space missions, addressing risks such as cyberattacks on ground systems, communications jamming, and spoofing attempts.
  • The HHS announced new cybersecurity initiatives in response to the significant increase in cyber breaches affecting the healthcare sector. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reported a 93% rise in large data breaches from 2018 to 2022, with ransomware incidents seeing a 278% increase. The four measures outlined by HHS aim to enhance cybersecurity practices, incentivize their adoption, implement an HHS-wide strategy for enforcement, and expand the support system for the healthcare sector.
  • Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) launches a comprehensive Cyber Security Strategy 2023-2028 to fortify the country's telecom sector against rising cyber threats. Aligned with the National Cyber Security Policy, the five-year plan focuses on risk management, cyber defense, incident response, R&D, and public-private partnerships. It addresses challenges posed by increasing interconnectivity, emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach for a resilient digital infrastructure.

The Bad

A new ransomware group has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Named DragonForce, the group claimed to attack Ohio Lottery and Yakult Australia and obtain large troves of data from both firms. Xeinadin, Ubisoft, and LoanCare are among the other major victims of the week.

  • Swedish parking app developer EasyPark Group revealed a data breach affecting an unspecified number of its millions of users. While details about the breach remain limited, compromised information includes names, phone numbers, addresses, emails, and partial credit card/IBAN details. EasyPark warned of potential phishing attacks but assured users that the exposed data doesn't pose a risk of unauthorized transactions.
  • The Ohio Lottery faced a cyberattack on Christmas Eve, leading to the shutdown of some key systems. While the gaming system remained operational, certain services, such as mobile cashing, prize cashing above $599 at Super Retailers, and the display of winning numbers for KENO, Lucky One, and EZPLAY Progressive Jackpots, were affected. Again, DragonForce has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating they stole data amounting to over 600GB.
  • The LockBit ransomware group targeted the Xeinadin accountancy firm and claims to have stolen 1.5TB of customer data, including all internal databases, customer financials, passports, account balances, client legal information, and more. The ransomware group had given Xeinadin a deadline of December 25 to make contact and prevent the publication of the stolen data.
  • Yakult Australia, the manufacturer of a popular probiotic milk drink, fell victim to a cyber incident, allegedly by the DragonForce group. The group claimed to have pilfered 95GB of data belonging to the company. The leaked data includes company databases, contracts, passports, and other sensitive information. The company's IT systems in both Australia and New Zealand were affected, but operations remain unaffected.
  • Ubisoft investigated a potential data breach after researchers uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to their infrastructure. The threat actor claimed to have accessed Microsoft Teams, Confluence, and SharePoint installs and plans to exfiltrate around 900GB of data stolen from Ubisoft. The breach occurred on December 20 and lasted for about 48 hours.
  • The source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 has reportedly been leaked. This comes more than a year after the Lapsus$ hacking group breached Rockstar Games and stole corporate data. The source code was shared on various platforms, including Discord, a dark web site, and a Telegram channel previously used by the hackers.
  • LoanCare, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial (FNF), has reported a data breach to state regulators following a cyberattack in November. The breach, claimed by the ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware gang, resulted in unauthorized access to FNF’s IT network. The hackers were able to obtain personal information, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and loan numbers of 1,316,938 individuals.
  • National Amusements, the holding entity for Paramount and CBS, has acknowledged a cybersecurity incident resulting in unauthorized access to the personal data of 82,128 individuals. This security lapse transpired in December 2022, but its discovery was delayed until August 2023. The exact nature of the compromised information remains uncertain, though it could encompass financial details.
  • Over one million patients of Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan were hit by a data breach that exposed their medical information. The breach occurred at HealthEC, a population health management platform that provides services to Corewell Health. The exposed information includes names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, diagnoses, and other medical information.
  • Oklahoma-based non-profit health network, Integris Health, has confirmed a cyberattack in November that resulted in the theft of patient data. Extortion emails were sent to patients on December 24, 2023, claiming that their personal data, including Social Security Numbers, addresses, and insurance information, had been stolen. The hackers threatened to sell the data unless an extortion demand was paid by the victims. The extortion emails resemble tactics used by the Hunters International ransomware gang.
  • Eagers Automotive, the largest car dealership operator in Australia and New Zealand, was hit by a cyberattack, prompting a temporary stock trading halt. Concerns rose over potential data breach and exposure of sensitive customer information. While expressing regret for any inconvenience caused, Eagers Automotive did not explicitly address the possibility of a data leak. No ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

New Threats

On the malware side, APT28's phishing campaign was found deploying a Python malware called MASEPIE, McAfee uncovered the Xamalicious Android backdoor, and Carbanak added ransomware capability. Whereas, Barracuda's ESG devices were spotted with zero-day flaws.

  • Security researchers from McAfee have discovered a new Android backdoor called Xamalicious, implemented using the Xamarin open-source framework. The malware tries to gain accessibility privileges through social engineering and then communicates with a command-and-control server to download a second-stage payload. This payload can take full control of the infected device and perform fraudulent actions such as clicking on ads and installing apps without the user's consent.

  • The Mallox ransomware group has updated their PowerShell script to bypass anti-virus AMSI detection component, allowing them to execute malicious code without being detected. The script uses a technique developed by a researcher in 2022, which involves patching the Windows Defender registered DLL for AMSI with a shellcode to overwrite the function that scans PowerShell scripts.

  • According to cybersecurity firm NCC Group, Carbanak, a notorious banking malware, has evolved to incorporate ransomware attacks with updated tactics. In recent attacks observed in November 2023, Carbanak was distributed through compromised websites, impersonating various business-related software such as HubSpot, Veeam, and Xero. The malware, initially known for banking fraud, has been utilized by the FIN7 cybercrime syndicate.

  • Barracuda Networks discovered two zero-day vulnerabilities in its Email Security Gateway Appliance (ESG) devices, which were exploited by the China Nexus actor UNC4841. The two vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2023-7102 and CVE-2023-7101, exist in the Spreadsheet::ParseExcel third-party library. Barracuda has issued patches for these flaws to prevent an arbitrary code execution threat.

  • AhnLab analyzed attack campaigns targeting poorly managed Linux SSH servers, shedding light on the tactics employed by threat actors. The attackers use malware loaders like ShellBot, Tsunami, ChinaZ DDoS Bot, and XMRig CoinMiner. The analysis reveals the use of an ID and password list for SSH brute force attacks, with threat actors deploying various tools, including port scanners, banner grabbers, and SSH dictionary attack tools.

  • Ukraine's CERT reported a phishing campaign by the Russian state-sponsored hacking group APT28 (Fancy Bear) delivering new malware. The campaign featured a new Python malware downloader named 'MASEPIE,' which establishes persistence on infected devices, downloads additional malware, and steals data. APT28 also employed PowerShell scripts ('STEELHOOK') for data theft from Chrome-based browsers and a C# backdoor ('OCEANMAP') for stealthy command execution and retrieval.

  • The North Korean group Kimsuky has been observed using spear-phishing attacks to deliver various backdoors and tools, including AppleSeed, Meterpreter, and TinyNuke, to compromise targeted machines. Cybersecurity firm AhnLab attributed the activity to Kimsuky. The group's espionage campaigns involve spear-phishing attacks with malicious lure documents that deploy different malware families, with a notable Windows backdoor being AppleSeed.

  • Cybercriminals breached the fan expansion "Downfall" for the game Slay the Spire, distributing the Epsilon info-stealer malware through the Steam update system. The compromised package was a standalone modified version, not a mod installed via Steam Workshop. The attackers compromised one of the developers' Steam and Discord accounts, allowing them to control the mod's Steam account. The malware collects cookies, saved passwords, credit card details, and more from browsers, as well as Steam and Discord information.

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