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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, February 01 - 05, 2021

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, February 01 - 05, 2021 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Feb 5, 2021

The Good

Good news travels like molasses, nonetheless, it travels. This week has brought us some good news in its bounty. Another ransomware bit the dust. Another dark web marketplace was shut down. It seems like we are finally gaining some momentum in the race against threat actors.

  • Operators behind the Fonix ransomware shut down their operation and released the master decryption key for free to the infected users.

  • A coordinated law enforcement operation successfully shut the shop for ValidCC, a dark web marketplace involved in trading stolen payment card data for more than six years.

  • IBM announced to offer $3 million in grants to six school districts in the U.S. to help them prepare for and defend against cyberattacks.

  • As part of efforts to addressing account takeovers by OGUsers, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms are reclaiming the hordes of stolen accounts and sending cease and desist letters to the hackers.

The Bad

By now, it has started feeling like a normal year in the sense that we are witnessing multiple breaches a week. Some unsecured database. Just the usual, you know? Also, Babuk Locker is moving pretty fast for a newly born ransomware. Maybe it’s time Spotify addresses its security concerns after being attack for the second time in three months.

  • The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is dealing with a ransomware attack that encrypted data and impacted two of its services.

  • British services business Serco has been hit by the Babuk Locker ransomware, impacting the firm’s European operations. The ransomware operators have further claimed to copy more than 1TB of data after hacking the network for about three weeks.

  • The data of 3.2 million DriveSure clients was available on Raidforums hacking forum late last month. The information exposed included names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, car makers, car service records, dealership records, and car models.

  • Washington’s State Auditor office has suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of 1.6 million employment claims. Threat actors exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer service from Accellion to breach the data.

  • An unsecured Microsoft Azure blob was found leaking images of hundreds of passports and identity documents of journalists and volleyball players from around the world.

  • Spotify suffered another credential-stuffing attack in a span of three months. Experts surmise more than 100,000 customers could face account takeover.

  • Estate agent Foxtons Group is under pressure due to a data leak incident. Reports claim that thousands of customer card and personal details have been uploaded to a dark web site.

  • Oxfam Australia has launched an investigation after its customer database containing 1.7 million customer details and donor information was put on sale on the dark web.

  • A mysterious hacking group has targeted BigNox, a company that makes the NoxPlayer Android emulator, in a highly-targeted supply chain attack.

New threats

It is an especially warm January, but the new threats that you are going to read in here might give you a chill. The evolution graph of Agent Tesla is on the rise. Trickbot is getting stronger and stronger. Kubernetes clusters are facing new sophisticated threats. You are warmed up enough. Here are other threats that this week sailed through.

  • A malicious Home Depot advertising campaign has been found redirecting Google Search visitors to tech support scams.
  • Researchers have spotted a new component of the Trickbot malware that performs local network reconnaissance. Named masrv, the component enables threat actors to send a series of Masscan commands to scan the local networks for the further infection process.
  • A malware backdoor named Kobalos has been attacking Linux supercomputers, as well as several privately held servers in North America, Europe, and Asia.
  • The Babyk ransomware operators have launched a new data leak site to publish victim’s stolen data as part of a double extortion strategy.
  • New details have emerged about malicious extensions for Chrome and Edge browsers. These extensions collectively called CacheFlow were found hijacking clicks to links in search result pages to redirect unsuspecting users to phishing sites and ads.
  • A new version of Agent Tesla is targeting Microsoft’s Anti-Malware Software Interface (AMSI) to avoid detection. The new version also has an added capability of deploying a Tor client.
  • Matryosh is a new variant of the Mirai botnet that is primarily designed to launch DDoS attacks. Research claim that the botnet’s command format and its use of TOR C2 are highly similar to that of another botnet called LeetHozer.
  • The TeamTNT threat actor group is deploying a new Hildegard malware in a new cryptojacking operation. The campaign targets Kubernetes clusters to gain initial access.
  • A new way to perform an XS-Leak side-channel attack has been disclosed. The new side-channel attack leverages browser and extension vulnerabilities to trigger cross-site leaks.
  • Scammers are now targeting Discord servers to send private messages to users in a new cryptocurrency giveaway scam. The messages appear to be from new, upcoming cryptocurrency exchanges and promise free Bitcoin or Ethereum.

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.