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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - January 29–02

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 20–24 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Feb 2, 2024

The Good

In a global crackdown against cybercrime, Interpol dismantled malicious servers that served as a channel for phishing and malware attacks in great measure. Meanwhile, authorities from the U.S. and Brazil wiped out the KV botnet and Grandoreiro trojan, respectively.

  • Interpol detained 31 suspected cybercriminals and took down 70% of 1,300 malicious servers in a three-month-long coordinated operation called Operation Synergia. Most of these servers were located in Europe, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and were used to carry out phishing attacks or distribute malware. In addition to the 31 arrests, Interpol identified an additional 70 suspects responsible for phishing attacks, spreading banking malware, and distributing ransomware.

  • The U.S. disrupted the Chinese state-sponsored Volt Typhoon hacking campaign that targeted American and allied critical infrastructure. The campaign involved embedding KV Botnet into privately owned routers to conceal its presence. A vast majority of routers from Cisco and NetGear that reached the end-of-life status were compromised by the botnet.

  • ESET researchers, in collaboration with the Federal Police of Brazil, wrecked the Grandoreiro malware threat, which has been targeting Spanish-speaking countries with financial fraud since 2017. This was possible after researchers discovered a design flaw in the malware's network protocol. The criminal structure is suspected of moving at least 3.6 million euros through fraud since 2019.

The Bad

Ransomware attack woes escalated as Schneider Electric's Sustainability Business division and a U.S. military-linked IT provider, Technica, fell victim to separate ransomware attacks. Additionally, Keenan & Associates disclosed a ransomware attack that impacted the sensitive data of over 1.5 million individuals.

  • California-based insurance broker Keenan & Associates notified over 1.5 million individuals about last year's ransomware and data exfiltration attack. An unauthorized party had gained access to some of the internal systems of the firm multiple times for about a week. The compromised data includes names, birth dates, SSNs, passport numbers, driver's license numbers, and health-related information.

  • Cloudflare revealed a breach of its internal Atlassian server by a suspected 'nation-state attacker', accessing Confluence wiki, Jira bug database, and Bitbucket source code management. The intrusion started on November 14, 2023, and involved one access token and three service account credentials stolen in Okta's breach from October.

  • French multinational Schneider Electric disclosed that its Sustainability Business division was impacted in a ransomware attack earlier this month. The attack affected its Resource Advisory product, as well as other division-specific systems. It is reported that the Cactus ransomware group is behind the attacks.

  • The BlackCat group threatened to leak 300GB of data stolen from Technica, a Virginia-based IT services company that works with the federal government. The stolen data also includes sensitive information about the U.S. military. To back up its claim, ALPHV posted more than two dozen screenshots of purportedly stolen documents featuring the names, Social Security numbers, clearance levels, and roles and work locations of dozens of people.

  • Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is investigating a data breach in its internal network. The breach affected the remote access to GAC’s network and several employees were asked to stop working remotely. The incident also impacted two internal drives, emails, calendars, and contacts of several staff members.

  • Researchers from RedHunt Labs discovered a significant security lapse at Mercedes-Benz, where a private key and authentication token were unintentionally left accessible online. The exposed token could provide unrestricted access to the company's GitHub Enterprise Server, resulting in the exposure of source code, cloud access keys, blueprints, single sign-on passwords, API keys, and more. The affected repositories also contained Azure and AWS credentials.

  • In a new update, the LockBit ransomware gang claimed responsibility for attacks on Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago by adding the name to its list of victims and demanding a $900,000 ransom to prevent the leak of data. The hospital had previously acknowledged the attack that was discovered on December 18, 2023. It determined that files containing patient information were copied from the network.

  • Security analysts at Resecurity found 1,572 compromised credentials on the dark web belonging to telecom network administrators and engineers from various companies including RIPE, Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), and the Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Center (LACNIC). Victims of the incident span across various sectors, including an Iranian research organization, a Kenyan financial institution, a major Spanish financial organization, and an Iraqi government agency.

  • The FBI issued a public service announcement cautioning about scammers exploiting courier services in tech support and government impersonation scams. Perpetrators, often targeting senior citizens, coerce victims into liquidating assets, buying precious metals, or wiring funds based on false claims of compromised financial accounts. The scammers then arrange for couriers to collect cash or valuables in person. The elaborate scheme has led to aggregated losses exceeding $55 million from May to December 2023.

  • A threat group infiltrated the database of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, obtaining confidential information, including the prime minister's identity documents, medical analyses, and other personal data. The attackers threatened to release the personal data of deputies if they did not receive a ransom, demanding 0.8 bitcoins. They reportedly published some information online, including the identity cards of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor.

  • The IntelBroker group allegedly targeted a popular mobile banking app with over 10 million users. The threat actor posted details of the exploit on a hacker forum, offering an exploit capable of scraping and leaking sensitive information from the banking app. The data for sale included full names, countries, and payment methods of users. Cybercriminals demanded payment exclusively in XMR (Monero).

  • Direct Trading Technologies, an international fintech company, exposed the sensitive information of over 300,000 users due to a misconfigured web server discovered by the Cybernews research team. The leaked data included trading activity, names, email addresses, IP addresses, plaintext passwords, home addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details. Additionally, internal comments from the company's outreach team about clients were exposed.

  • A misconfigured S3 bucket leaked COVID e-passport details of 3.5 Indian people, including their passport information, mobile numbers, vehicle numbers, gender, and email addresses. Early investigation reveals that the leaky database belonged to a third-party service provider.

New Threats

Several malware campaigns abusing recently disclosed vulnerabilities were discovered in the wild. While Akamai reported Log4Shell vulnerability and Polkit Linux component flaws being exploited to distribute new variants of the FritzFrog botnet, InfectedSlurs botnet was observed exploiting six zero-day vulnerabilities impacting Hitron DVR device models. In a separate instance, the Trigona group targeted MS-SQL servers to install Mimic ransomware.

  • Akamai Security Intelligence Group (SIG) uncovered several new variants of the FritzFrog botnet, one of which includes the capability to exploit the 2021 Log4Shell vulnerability. The botnet has also been upgraded with a module to exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2021-4034) in the Polkit Linux component. So far, the botnet has infected over 1500 victims worldwide.

  • The Patchwork APT group was found to have created at least 12 malicious Android apps, including MeetMe, Let’s Chat, Quick Chat, and Rafaqat, and distributed them through Google Play Store and other platforms to exfiltrate data from Pakistani users. As part of the attack, the attackers used romance scams to trick the victims into installing the apps that eventually downloaded the VajraSpy RAT onto their Android phones.

  • The CERT-UA warned about a PurpleFox malware campaign that infected at least 2,000 computers in Ukraine. As part of the activity, CERT-UA leveraged IOCs associated with the malware to monitor infected hosts between January 20 and 31, and detected 486 intermediate control server IP addresses, most of which were located in China.

  • Mandiant researchers discovered new malware attacks targeting Ivanti Connect Secure VPN and Policy Secure devices. Attackers were observed exploiting CVE-2023-46805 and CVE-2024-21887 to execute arbitrary commands on the unpatched Ivanti devices. Some of the malware employed in these attacks include a custom web shell tracked as BUSHWALK, a new variant of the LIGHTWIRE web shell, a Python-based CHAINLINE web shell, the FRAMESTING web shell, and KrustyLoader. Meanwhile, the CISA issued a fresh directive, demanding all federal agencies disconnect all instances of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure products within 48 hours.

  • Security researchers identified approximately 45,000 Jenkins instances that are vulnerable to a critical RCE bug CVE-2024-23897. The security issue can be abused in several ways, including manipulating Resource Root URLs, "Remember me" cookies, or CSRF protection bypass. Depending on permissions, attackers can exploit the flaw to access sensitive information, potentially leading to the decryption of stored secrets and other malicious activities.

  • AT&T researchers came across a phishing attack that leveraged the Microsoft Teams chat group to push DarkGate malware onto victims’ systems. The attackers used a domain named .onmicrosoft.com to send phishing messages, tricking users into downloading a deceptive file. Researchers noted that the attack succeeded because users had enabled External Access in Microsoft Teams users to message users in other tenants by default.

  • Researchers at Unit 42 identified a large-scale campaign named ApateWeb that employed over 130,000 domains to distribute scareware, PUPs, and other scam pages. The campaign involved adware programs, a rogue browser, and various browser extensions. These served as potential initial access points for cybercriminals, putting victims at risk of more severe threats.

  • The Trigona ransomware threat actor expanded its activities by installing Mimic malware targeting MS-SQL servers. The actor abused the Bulk Copy Program (BCP) feature in MS-SQL servers, utilizing the bcp.exe command-line tool during the malware installation process. The threat actor also used the Everything file search tool to speed up file encryption and imitate aspects of the Conti ransomware. The installed files contained tools for deactivating Windows Defender and port forwarding.

  • Akamai issued an InfectedSlurs botnet advisory following the discovery of active exploitation of multiple DVR device models from Hitron Systems. The botnet exploited six zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-22768 through CVE-2024-22772, and CVE-2024-23842) to launch attacks. These vulnerabilities, categorized as improper input validation issues, allowed attackers to inject OS commands and achieve remote code execution.

  • A new ransomware group, named Alpha, was observed on the landscape along with its leak site on the dark web. It displayed data from industries impacted across the U.K, U.S., and Israel. The ransomware appends a random 8-character alphanumeric extension to encrypted files, and its DLS, titled "MYDATA," is considered unstable and frequently offline.

  • Cado researchers recently encountered a novel malware campaign, dubbed “Commando Cat”, targeting exposed Docker API endpoints. It is unclear who the threat actor behind Commando Cat is or where they're from, though there is an overlap in scripts and IP addresses to other groups like Team TNT, indicating a potential connection.

  • Mandiant reported that the UNC4990 threat group has shifted from its traditional method of using USB devices to distribute payloads. It is now abusing legitimate services such as Ars Technica, GitHub, GitLab, and Vimeo to host the EMPTYSPACE downloader. It can execute QUIETBOARD backdoor or any payload from the command and control (C2) server.

  • Russia-based Star Blizzard APT impersonated Russian researchers and academics in a new campaign to gain access to their colleagues’ email accounts. The emails contained a document that included blurring content and a fake button to Google Drive.

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.