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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - February 06–10

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - February 06–10 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Feb 10, 2023

The Good

A new family of cryptographic algorithms has been approved by the NIST to protect the integrity of data security in lightweight IoT devices. The algorithm, known as Ascon, comprises several authenticated ciphers that will ensure that the protected data is authentic and has not been changed in transit. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the U.K have jointly issued sanctions against seven criminals connected to TrickBot trojan, as well as to Conti and Ryuk ransomware. This is one of the first actions taken by both countries amid the growing number of high-profile attacks worldwide.

  • The NIST has selected the Ascon algorithm developed at Graz University as a cryptography standard for lightweight IoT protection. The algorithm has been selected from 57 proposals submitted in 2019. The agency will publish the full standard later in 2023, which applies to miniature technologies such as medical implants or keyless car openers.

  • The U.S. President announced his intent to appoint 14 industry executives to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). The new appointees will assist the previously appointed NSTAC members to provide national security and emergency preparedness solutions across operational technology and digital systems.

  • The U.K and the U.S. sanctioned seven people connected to a single network behind the Conti and Ryuk ransomware gangs, as well as the Trickbot banking trojan. The sanctions are considered the first major move of a new campaign of concrete action between the two countries.

  • Flawed encryption logic used in Cl0p ransomware’s Linux variant allowed SentinelOne researchers to create and release a free decryptor. The Linux Cl0p variant is relatively new and was first spotted in late December 2022. The ransomware encrypts the RC4 key responsible for the file encryption using the asymmetric algorithm RSA and a public key.

The Bad

A sophisticated snooping operation on organizations in the U.S. and Germany was discovered this week. The campaign dubbed Screentime targeted around 1,000 organizations with a variety of malware designed to monitor victims’ activity and capture screenshots. On the other hand, customers of a popular meal delivery service, Weee!, are at risk of identity theft as a hacker named IntelBroker leaked their sensitive information on hacker forums. Furthermore, the Lorenz ransomware gang has added a U.S.-based healthcare organization to its list of victims and posted the stolen data on its site.

  • A data breach at the Weee! Asian and Hispanic meal delivery service resulted in the leak of the personal information of 11 million customers. A threat actor named IntelBroker has leaked the stolen data on hacking forums. The data includes last names, email addresses, phone numbers, order notes, and order comments of users who placed an order between July 12, 2021, and July 12, 2022.

  • A novel phishing attack that deploys a first-stage malware payload targeted 1,000 organizations in the U.S. and Germany. The campaign, dubbed Screentime, was first observed in October 2022 and was attributed to a new threat actor TA866. The malware used in the campaign were WasabiSeed, Screenshotter, AHK Bot, and Rhadamanthys Stealer.

  • Reddit suffered a cyberattack, allowing attackers to access internal business systems and steal internal documents and source code. The hackers used phishing lures to target Reditt employees with a landing page impersonating its intranet site. The fake site stole employees’ credentials and two-factor authentication tokens.

  • Researchers cited an increased prevalence of HTML smuggling activity that lures users into deploying malicious payloads. The campaign impersonated brands such as Adobe Acrobat, Google Drive, and the US Postal Service, and have recently been detected to deploy Cobalt Strike, QakBot, IceID, and Xworm RAT.

  • The U.S. and South Korean government agencies are warning against ongoing ransomware activity against healthcare and other critical infrastructure sectors. These attacks are linked to the North Korea-based DPRK threat actors who earn revenue from ransom demands.

  • The Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) hospital was forced to cancel all non-emergency surgeries and other medical procedures following a security incident that crippled its computer systems. The incident is believed to be yet another ransomware attack on the U.S. healthcare providers.

  • The Lorenz ransomware gang added the healthcare company AmerisourceBergen to its list of victims. The attackers posted the exfiltrated data on their site with a previous date, November 1, 2022, suggesting that the incident took place a while back.

  • Berkeley County Schools, West Virginia, was forced to temporarily cancel its daily classes and activities following a cyberattack. Law enforcement agencies were notified about the attack and the institution worked constantly to restore the affected IT systems, internet, and phone services.

  • Indigo Books & Music, the largest bookstore chain in Canada, was hit by a cyberattack that forced the chain to shut down its website. While the exact nature of the incident remains unclear, Indigo has not yet confirmed if the hackers have stolen customer data.

New Threats

Don’t fall victim to ESXiArgs ransomware! The CISA and the FBI issued a warning as they continue to track new variants of the ransomware. It has been revealed that the attackers have so far compromised over 3,800 vulnerable VMware ESXi servers worldwide. Additionally, there is evidence that other ransomware operators are exploiting the ESXi server flaw to launch attacks. Cyberattacks leveraging the OneNote application have also become a matter of security concern as another campaign deploying QakBot has come to light. Meanwhile, the Gootkit malware loader is on a rampage, targeting healthcare and financial institutions in the U.S., the U.K, and Australia.

  • A new version of the Medusa botnet, based on Mirai code, has been spotted in the wild. It features a ransomware module and a Telnet brute-forcer, along with DDoS capabilities. The new version of Medusa features a data exfiltration tool, however, it does not steal user files before encryption.
  • A new ransomware named ESXiArgs and the Royal Ransomware’s Linux variant was found actively targeting a two-year-old RCE vulnerability in VMware ESXi servers. Additionally, BlackBasta ransomware operators have been blamed for multiple attacks that involved the exploitation of vulnerable ESXi servers.
  • A modified version of the Stealerium malware named Enigma was used in a campaign that targeted the cryptocurrency industry in Eastern European countries. The attack was launched using phishing emails pretending to be a job offer with fake cryptocurrency interviews to lure their targets.
  • A new threat group known as NewsPenguin used espionage tools to target Pakistan’s Navy. The group used the upcoming Pakistan International Maritime Expo & Conference as a lure to trick victims into opening phishing emails containing malware.
  • The Gootkit malware is prominently going after healthcare and finance in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. The attack chain relies on luring victims searching for agreements and contracts on DuckDuckGo and Google and redirecting them to fake web pages that ultimately lead to the deployment of the malware.
  • Sonatype researchers identified four malicious Python libraries hosted on the official PyPI portal. The libraries contained functionality to install malware, delete the netstat utility, and tamper with SSH keys installed on systems. In another incident, a bunch of malicious PyPI packages was associated with a malware author named Core 1337 to steal personal information through Discord.
  • A malvertising campaign, tracked as D-Shortiez, was spotted hijacking back button presses in WebKit-based browsers to redirect users to scam sites. Researchers identified that more than 300 million malicious ads were served over the last six months to target users in the U.S.
  • Avast found four malicious Dota 2 game mods published on the official Steam store. The bundled backdoor within malicious game modes potentially allowed the installation of further malware on the victim’s device. The attackers also exploited a known Google V8 JavaScript flaw as part of the malware execution process.
  • An alert from the CERT-UA revealed that threat actors conducted a phishing campaign against Ukrainian government agencies to deploy the Remcos RAT on their computers. The email contained a file reminding recipients to pay for services availed from Ukrtelecom.

Related Threat Briefings

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.