Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - February 26–01

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - February 26–01 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • March 1, 2024

The Good

In the evolving landscape of digital security, significant advancements have been made to protect sensitive information and bolster cybersecurity measures. The NIST's Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 has been updated to provide comprehensive guidance for organizations of all types, introducing new focus areas. Meanwhile, the Biden administration's executive order targets the safeguarding of Americans' sensitive personal data from foreign threats.

  • The NIST updated its Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 to cater to all types of organizations, with a new focus on governance and a suite of tailored resources for different audiences. The updated framework includes new categories for incident response management and supply chain risk response, aiming to future-proof organizations against evolving cyber threats. It aims to future-proof organizations and has received positive feedback from industry players.
  • Apple introduced the PQ3 post-quantum cryptographic protocol to iMessage to defend encryption from quantum computing-powered attacks, providing Level 3 security. PQ3 integrates the Kyber algorithm for post-quantum cryptographic needs and implements a periodic post-quantum rekeying mechanism for maximum security. The new protocol ensures compromise-resilient encryption, initial key establishment, and ongoing key regeneration, making it a significant advancement in communication security.
  • The Biden administration issued an executive order that aims to prevent the large-scale transfer of Americans' sensitive personal data to countries of concern, safeguarding genomic, biometric, personal health, geolocation, and financial data, and certain types of PII. The order also addresses the risks associated with the transmission of data via network infrastructure and the access to healthcare-related data. It seeks to address the threat while minimizing disruption to commercial activity and maintaining open, global, and secure data flows across borders.
  • The Department of Energy is investing $45 million in 16 cybersecurity projects to protect the electric grid and other energy infrastructure from cyber threats. This funding comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and aims to improve threat detection and authentication systems. The Energy Department is working to identify pilot projects for securing energy systems and refine industrial control systems to support engineers and technicians.

The Bad

In a disconcerting wave of cybersecurity incidents, the digital safety landscape faces severe challenges. Golden Corral revealed a data breach affecting over 180,000 individuals, compromising sensitive information such as SSNs and medical details. Simultaneously, YX International suffered a leak exposing crucial security codes for major social platforms, while pharma giant Cencora encountered a cyberattack on its IT systems, the extent of financial and operational repercussions still unclear.

  • Pepco Group's Hungarian business was hit by a sophisticated phishing attack, resulting in a loss of approximately €15.5 million (~ $16.8 million). While efforts to recover the funds are underway, the incident does not involve customer, supplier, or colleague data. Experts suggest the attack resembles the BEC scam tactic. The group is thoroughly reviewing systems and processes to bolster security.
  • Golden Corral, a popular American restaurant chain, disclosed an August 2023 data breach, compromising the personal information of over 180,000 individuals, including current and former employees and their beneficiaries. The breach involved sensitive data such as SSNs, financial account information, and medical details.
  • An exposed database belonging to an Asian technology company, YX International, was found to be leaking sensitive data, including one-time security codes for Facebook, Google, and TikTok accounts. The exposed database contained text messages, password reset links, and internal email addresses with passwords associated with the company. The database had monthly logs dating back to July 2023.
  • U.S. law firm Houser LLP disclosed experiencing a system breach in May 2023, potentially exposing personal data, including credit card numbers, of over 325,000 individuals. The breached data included sensitive information such as SSNs, financial account details, individual tax identification number, and medical information.
  • Pharma giant Cencora, formerly AmerisourceBergen, disclosed a cyberattack that resulted in data theft from its corporate IT systems. Financial and operational impacts are yet to be determined. The firm asserted that the attack was unrelated to the Optum ransomware incident. Notably, there's no indication of the perpetrator, and no ransomware group has claimed responsibility.
  • The BlackCat ransomware group attacked Verbraucherzentrale Hessen, a consumer advice center in Germany. Verbraucherzentrale Hessen confirmed the attack on its IT infrastructure, leading to temporary accessibility issues. Meanwhile, doubts arise regarding the group’s claim of targeting Electro Marteix, SL in Spain, as no evidence of an attack was found.
  • The highly sophisticated Xeno RAT has been openly shared on GitHub by its creator, moom825. Compatible with Windows 10 and 11, this RAT offers a wide array of features for remote system management, including a SOCKS5 reverse proxy, real-time audio recording, and a hidden virtual network computing (hVNC) module. Notably, Xeno RAT is built from scratch, providing a unique approach to RAT development, and includes a builder for crafting customized malware variants.
  • Jeff "Jihoz" Zirlin, one of the co-founders of the blockchain game Axie Infinity and the related Ronin Network, had almost $10 million (3,248 ETH coins) stolen. While the attack was limited to his personal accounts and unrelated to the operation of Ronin or Axie Infinity, it's unclear how the intruders gained access to his wallets. Analysts traced the stolen funds to activity on Tornado Cash, a mixer popularly used for cryptocurrency laundering.
  • The IntelBroker group allegedly compromised a Los Angeles International Airport database, stealing the confidential data of private plane owners. The breach impacted 2.5 million records containing full names, CPA numbers, email addresses, company names, plane model numbers, and tail numbers. No customer or traveler data was affected. Criminals claimed to have exploited a bug in the airport's CRM system.
  • Insomniac Games, a Sony subsidiary known for its popular video games, alerted data breach notification letters to employees whose personal information was stolen and leaked online following a Rhysida ransomware attack last year. The breach resulted in the theft of over 1.3 million files, including personal data belonging to current and former employees and independent contractors. Meanwhile, Sony continues to investigate the breach.
  • LockBit has reestablished its leak site following a law enforcement takedown. In a lengthy statement attributed to its leader, LockBit accuses the FBI of exploiting a PHP vulnerability to breach its servers but vows not to retreat from the criminal underground. Law enforcement has not commented on the claims. Despite LockBit's comeback attempt, experts believe the takedown has permanently damaged its reputation and effectiveness in the cybercriminal world.
  • loanDepot, a major U.S. loan and mortgage company, revealed that almost 17 million customers had their sensitive personal information stolen in a ransomware attack that occurred last month. The stolen data includes names, dates of birth, email and postal addresses, financial account numbers, phone numbers, and SSNs. loanDepot did not disclose whether it paid a ransom.

New Threats

Innovative threats are marking a concerning trend for digital security worldwide. In Mexico, tax-themed phishing campaigns are distributing TimbreStealer malware. Concurrently, researchers uncovered SPIKEDWINE's attack on European diplomats, leveraging a deceptive PDF to deploy the WINELOADER backdoor. Moreover, UAC-0184 adopted steganography to spread Remcos RAT via phishing in Finland.

  • Unit42 researchers discovered a new Linux variant of the Bifrost RAT, named BIFROSE, that evades detection by using a deceptive domain resembling a legitimate VMware domain. The malware is distributed through email attachments and malicious websites, and it allows attackers to gather sensitive information from victims' computers. The researchers noted a spike in Bifrost activity and the presence of an ARM version, indicating an expanding attack surface.
  • Security researchers uncovered a significant campaign of repository confusion attacks on GitHub, impacting over 100,000 repositories and potentially millions more. This sophisticated cyberattack targets developers by tricking them into downloading and using malicious repositories disguised as legitimate ones. Attackers clone popular repositories, inject them with malware, and upload them on GitHub with identical names.
  • Security experts noted an updated WarZone RAT (v3) being advertised on hacking forums. It boasts enhanced features like the "Smart Updater" for stealthy tool updates and the ability to uninstall old files when the news is executed successfully. Its new capabilities include client control, file management, and remote system control, empowering attackers with extensive control over compromised systems.
  • Mexican users have been facing tax-themed phishing attacks distributing TimbreStealer, a sophisticated Windows malware. The threat actors use geofencing and other evasive techniques to avoid detection and target various sectors. The malware includes checks to detect sandbox environments, embedded modules for decryption, and the ability to harvest a wide range of data.
  • Zscaler's ThreatLabz discovered a targeted attack by SPIKEDWINE involving a suspicious PDF masquerading as an invitation letter from the Ambassador of India. The PDF contains the previously undocumented WINELOADER backdoor and targets European diplomats with advanced tactics. Threat actor exploits geopolitical relations, utilizing compromised infrastructure and themes related to wine.
  • Bitdefender researchers uncovered a new variant of the AMOS Stealer, dubbed Atomic, targeting macOS systems. This variant combines features of information stealers, keyloggers, and cryptocurrency mining tools. It utilizes Python and Apple Script code to target browser files, system information, and crypto wallets. Bitdefender has provided Indicators of Compromise to aid in detection and mitigation efforts.
  • Microsoft Outlook disclosed a critical security flaw (CVE-2024-21413) abused by malicious actors. Rated CVSS 9.8, the vulnerability bypasses protected view settings, enabling malicious files to open in editing mode rather than protected mode. While Outlook uses the default browser for http:// or https:// links, certain protocols like "file://" lack warning dialogs, allowing attackers to access resources and exploit SMB protocol flaws, revealing NTLM credentials.
  • The hacking group UAC-0184 has evolved its tactics, employing steganographic image files to distribute the Remcos RAT to a Ukrainian entity in Finland. The attack was initiated through carefully crafted phishing emails, utilizing a modular malware loader, named IDAT, that employs sophisticated evasion techniques, such as dynamic loading of Windows API functions, HTTP connectivity tests, process blocklists, and syscalls.
  • An ad fraud campaign, dubbed SubdoMailing, has come to light that utilizes over 8,000 legitimate domains and 13,000 subdomains, to bypass security filters. It includes the likes of major brands, such as MSN, VMware, and eBay, that criminals abuse to send millions of scam emails daily. By hijacking abandoned subdomains of trusted brands, threat actors launch fraudulent schemes via fake giveaways or surveys to trick users. The daily number of emails reaching targets exceeds 5,000,000.

Related Threat Briefings

Jun 27, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

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Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

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Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

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Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

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May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

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May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

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May 16, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 12–16, 2025

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May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

Another blow to DDoS-for-hire networks. Europol has shut down six services used to launch global cyberattacks, arresting suspects in Poland and seizing domains in the U.S. The UN has launched a new framework to help policymakers make sense of cyber intrusions. Called UNIDIR Intrusion Path, it complements models like MITRE ATT&CK but simplifies the technical details. It breaks down attacker activity into three layers, making it easier to evaluate threats in a policy context. Old routers are becoming cybercrime goldmines. The FBI has warned that end-of-life routers are being hijacked with malware like TheMoon and sold on proxy networks such as 5Socks and Anyproxy. These compromised devices are used for crypto theft, cybercrime-as-a-service, and even espionage. Crypto users on Discord are the latest targets of a phishing campaign tied to Inferno Drainer. Attackers were found impersonating the Collab.Land bot to trick users into signing malicious transactions. The Play ransomware group has joined the list of actors exploiting CVE-2025-29824. This Windows zero-day in the CLFS driver enables privilege escalation via a race condition during file operations. Linked to the Balloonfly group, the attacks targeted a U.S. organization and included deployment of the Grixba infostealer. COLDRIVER’s latest malware, LOSTKEYS, is now in play. The Russian state-backed group is deploying this tool to steal files and system data from advisors, journalists, NGOs, and individuals linked to Ukraine. Agenda’s playbook just got upgraded. The ransomware group has added two new tools: SmokeLoader and a stealthy .NET-based loader called NETXLOADER. The latter leverages techniques like JIT hooking and AES decryption to deploy ransomware. Corporate HR teams are the latest target in a spear-phishing spree by Venom Spider. Disguised as job applications, these emails deliver More_eggs backdoor, now upgraded with advanced features.

May 2, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 28–May 02, 2025

The FBI just dropped a massive breadcrumb trail. Details of 42,000 phishing domains tied to the LabHost platform have been released to help defenders investigate potential breaches. The service enabled the theft of 500,000 credit cards and over a million credentials. The takedown of JokerOTP has exposed just how far phishing has evolved. The tool was used in more than 28,000 attacks across 13 countries, tricking victims into handing over 2FA codes by mimicking trusted brands. The operation cost victims £7.5 million and has now led to serious criminal charges, thanks to a joint effort involving Europol and Dutch authorities. Malware’s now hitching a ride on Go modules. Socket has uncovered three malicious packages hiding disk-wiping payloads, designed to cause irreversible data loss, especially on Linux systems. These modules take advantage of Go’s decentralized ecosystem. In the shadows of the cybersecurity landscape, MintsLoader emerges as a formidable adversary, orchestrating a multi-faceted infection strategy that deploys the notorious GhostWeaver RAT. Some PyPI packages are doing more than importing functions. Researchers uncovered seven malicious Python packages under the “Coffin” naming scheme, using Gmail’s SMTP service as a stealthy C2 channel. Ransomware groups aren’t always the ones breaking the door open. Researchers have uncovered ToyMaker, an initial access broker selling network entry to ransomware groups. Using a custom malware strain called LAGTOY, ToyMaker establishes reverse shells and executes commands on compromised systems. New vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, collectively dubbed AirBorne, expose billions of devices to remote code execution without user interaction. Sharp and TX stealers are back, donning a new cloak - named Hannibal Stealer. It is going after credentials from browsers, crypto wallets, FTP clients, and VPN apps. It even captures Discord tokens and Steam sessions.

Apr 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 21–25, 2025

AI security finally has a global playbook. ETSI has released TS 104 223, a first-of-its-kind technical specification outlining how to secure AI systems across their entire lifecycle - from design to decommissioning. MITRE’s latest update is catching up with the cloud. ATT&CK v17 expands the framework to include ESXi and adds more than 140 defensive analytics. Platform-specific data collection advice, improved mitigation mapping, and deeper coverage of mobile threats like SIM swaps round out the upgrade. An APT group with deep roots in Southeast Asia is quietly siphoning data through everyday cloud platforms. Earth Kurma has been active since late 2020, targeting government and telecom entities across the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Signal and WhatsApp are the new frontline for cloud compromise. Russian actors are running OAuth phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365 users tied to Ukraine and human rights work. A forged email that passes every security check - that’s the new phishing trick. Attackers are using DKIM replay tactics to forward legitimate Google security alerts to unsuspecting victims. It starts with a fake sales order and ends with FormBook silently stealing your data. A recent phishing campaign has been abusing a long-patched Microsoft flaw to deliver a fileless variant of the malware. Docker containers aren’t always what they seem. A new threat named TenoBot is targeting systems running outdated Teneo Web3 node software, deploying malicious containers to hijack environments. A stealthy new RAT is slipping through Ivanti Connect Secure devices in Japan. Dubbed DslogdRAT, the malware exploits a zero-day flaw to execute commands via web shell and quietly exfiltrate data using encoded C2 traffic.

Apr 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 14–18, 2025

The U.S. is drawing a hard line on data outflows. The DOJ’s new Data Security Program aims to block foreign adversaries, specifically nations like China and Russia, from acquiring sensitive American data through commercial channels. SSL certificates are about to expire a lot faster. In a move to tighten digital trust, the CA/Browser Forum has approved a gradual reduction in certificate lifespans - from the current 398 days to just 47 by 2029. One email, three stages, and no files to catch. Agent Tesla is being deployed through spam campaigns that use archive attachments with embedded JavaScript. They look like browser helpers, but they act like spyware. A set of 57 Chrome extensions have been found snooping on users. XorDDoS is now compromising Docker servers and deploying new features tied to a “VIP” variant. Most of the recent activity is hitting U.S. infrastructure. UNC5174 is keeping a low profile, but its targets aren’t. Active since late 2024, the Chinese state-linked group has been compromising Linux systems using a malicious bash script that drops SNOWLIGHT malware and a fileless VShell RAT. A wine-tasting invite with a side of malware. APT29, the Russian state-aligned group, is targeting European diplomatic networks with phishing lures disguised as event announcements.

Apr 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 07–11, 2025

The U.K. government rolled out a Cyber Governance Code of Practice aimed at directors and board members, not just CISOs. Backed by the NCSC and other national bodies, the code includes practical actions, modular training, and a board-level toolkit. Startups building the future of cyber defense are getting serious backing. The British Business Bank has committed most of a £50 million fund to Osney Capital, which will invest in early-stage cybersecurity companies across the U.K. A torrent download might be doing more than delivering cracked software. A campaign has been distributing ViperSoftX to Korean users, likely run by Arabic-speaking threat actors. Invasive spyware campaigns are zeroing in on high-risk communities. MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR are being deployed through trojanized mobile apps to surveil Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese individuals, as well as civil society groups. Search for QuickBooks during tax season, and you might land on a trap. Threat actors are placing deceptive Google Ads that link to phishing pages almost identical to the real QuickBooks login portal. It starts with a PDF search and ends with malware on your machine. A new campaign is using fake CAPTCHAs and Cloudflare Turnstile to lure users into downloading LegionLoader. Seed phrases aren’t supposed to come from strangers. The PoisonSeed campaign is targeting crypto holders and enterprise users by compromising bulk email services. Victims are lured with fake wallet setup instructions that embed attacker-controlled recovery phrases - giving threat actors full access once the wallets are used. A Chinese-linked threat group, ToddyCat, has been exploiting a security vulnerability in ESET's software to deliver a new malware, TCESB, in Asia.