Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - January 31–04

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - January 31–04 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing February 4, 2022

The Good

As cyberattacks across the world continue to rise, our governments are fighting back hard. The DHS has created a first-ever cyber review board that brings together security experts from all fields to deal with major cyber incidents. In the same vein, a European Union agency proposed to create a systemic cyber event coordination framework to deal better with critical cross-border cyber incidents impacting the financial sector.

  • The DHS announced the creation of a new Cyber Safety Review Board to gather all security experts from private and public sectors to review and analyze cybersecurity incidents. This board comes as a part of the executive order signed by the U.S. President last year. The board’s first task would focus on Log4j vulnerabilities.
  • The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) planned a new systemic cyber event coordination framework that would enable relevant authorities in the EU to collaborate better while responding to cross-border cyber events affecting the financial sector. The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) have been urged to create a plan for the development of a Pan-European systemic cyber coordination framework.
  • E-commerce retailer Target open-sourced its proprietary scanner, named Merry Maker, for detecting payment card skimming attacks. The scanner supports YARA rules, IOCs, and unknown domain rules, and detects codes that steal payment card data.

The Bad

Crypto theft is getting worse by the day. Relentless cybercriminals exploited a vulnerability in the Wormhole crypto platform and made away with 120,000 Wrapped Ethereums, causing the company to temporarily shut down operations. The British Council exposed the data of thousands of students, owing to an unsecured Azure database. This incident, once again, displays how important it is to secure cloud databases. As the CISA warns about potential cyber risks to athletes during the Beijing Winter Olympics, researchers discovered that the internal IT network of the National Games of China was breached by some unknown hackers.

  • A vulnerability in the Wormhole cryptocurrency platform allowed a threat actor to steal an estimated $322 million worth of Ether cryptocurrency. The attackers exploited the ‘smart contracts’ feature on the platform to hack the portal.
  • The BlackCat ransomware group has been held responsible for the recent cyberattacks on two German oil companies. This ultimately affected hundreds of gas stations across northern Germany. The firms took immediate actions as part of their contingency plans.
  • An unsecured Microsoft Azure blob belonging to the British Council revealed student names, IDs, usernames and email addresses, and other personal information. More than 100,000 files with student records were found exposed online.
  • Cisco Talos researchers uncovered a wave of attacks starting around October 2021, targeting Palestinian organizations and activists through political lures with an aim to infect them with a malware dubbed Micropsia. The attacks are part of a broader campaign, dating back to 2017, connected to a group known as Arid Viper.
  • Researchers from Binarly discovered 23 vulnerabilities in UEFI firmware made by InsydeH2O. Most of these flaws stem from the System Management Mode (SMM) that provides system-wide functions such as power management and hardware control. The firmware is used by multiple computer vendors such as Fujitsu, Intel, AMD, Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, HP, Siemens, Microsoft, and Acer.
  • Business services provider Morley Companies Inc. has disclosed a data breach as a result of a ransomware attack that occurred in August 2021. The incident affected the data of more than 500,000 individuals, including Morley’s employees, contractors, and clients. The compromised data included full names, social security numbers, dates of birth, medical diagnostics, and treatment information of individuals.
  • A targeted spear-phishing campaign called Operation EmailThief exploited an XSS zero-day vulnerability in Zimbra to target several government and media organizations in Europe. Launched by a threat actor named TEMP_Heretic, the campaign was executed in December 2021 in two phases. The initial phase aimed at reconnaissance and leveraged specially designed phishing emails.
  • CISA has issued a warning about multiple vulnerabilities affecting the Airspan Networks Mimosa equipment. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities can allow attackers to gain user data, compromise Mimosa’s AWS cloud EC2 instance and S3 buckets, and conduct remote code execution on all cloud-connected Mimosa devices. Some of these flaws have earned CVSS score ratings of 10.
  • Avast disclosed that an anonymous hacker group had accessed the internal IT network of the 2021 National Games of China about 12 days prior to the beginning of the event. After gaining access, the threat actor attempted to move across the network via brute-forcing services and exploits, in an automated manner.

New Threats

Iran-based threat actors were pretty active this week as the MuddyWater APT was found conducting cyberespionage activities against Turkish organizations and governmental institutes. The other group—Phosphorous (aka Charming Kitten)—developed a unique backdoor, dubbed PowerLess, with advanced evasive capabilities. This week, we were introduced to a few new malware, among which is the Mars Stealer. It happens to be a redesign but a more powerful version of the Oski malware that disappeared suddenly in the summer of 2020.

  • A new malware dubbed CoinStomp is targeting cloud services to mine cryptocurrencies. Currently, the malware has targeted multiple cloud service providers in Asia. It employs the timestomping attack technique and a number of anti-analysis techniques to evade detection.
  • A new SEO poisoning campaign is being used in the wild to drop BATLOADER and other payloads like Ursnif and Atera Agent malware onto the targeted systems. The attackers target the victims who are on the lookout for downloading productivity tools like TeamViewer, Zoom, or Visual Studio. The attackers use these software installers as part of their SEO poisoning attack in order to redirect users to false sites.
  • The Iranian MuddyWater APT group is targeting Turkish organizations and governmental institutions in a new cyberespionage campaign. The campaign is using malicious Office documents and PDFs pretending to be from the Turkish Health and Interior Ministries. The documents deliver a malicious PowerShell-based downloader that gains a foothold into the network.
  • The relatively new macOS malware UpdateAgent has been upgraded to deliver adware and potentially other malicious payloads. One of the latest features also includes its ability to bypass Apple’s built-in Gatekeeper system.
  • Security researcher Chris Campbell found a new phishing campaign infecting victims with the BazarLoader (BazarBackdoor) trojan through malicious CSV files. The phishing emails pretend to be "Payment Remittance Advice" with links to attacker-controlled sites that download the CSV files.
  • A new malware named Mars Stealer was discovered in the wild. Researchers surmise it to be a redesign of the Oski malware that shut down development abruptly in 2020. Mars Stealer can steal data from all popular web browsers, two-factor authentication plugins, and multiple cryptocurrency extensions and wallets.
  • The Iran-based Phosphorous threat actor group has added a new PowerShell backdoor named PowerLess to its arsenal. The malware includes keylogging and info stealing capabilities. One of the IP addresses serves a domain that is being used as a C2 server for the recently discovered Memento ransomware.
  • Researchers observed a new StrifeWater RAT being used by the Moses APT group. The RAT comes with multiple evasion and screen capturing capabilities. The malware can also create persistence, download additional extensions, and execute system commands.
  • A Chinese threat actor group tracked as Antlion has been using a new custom backdoor called xPack to target organizations in the financial and manufacturing sectors. The campaign has been active for over 18 months and the backdoor allows attackers to run WMI commands remotely. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to exfiltrate data from infected networks.
  • The relatively new Sugar ransomware is being available to cybercriminals as Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). Written in Delphi, the ransomware borrows its code from several other ransomware. It employs a modified version of the RC4 encryption algorithm along with a crypter that is being offered to affiliates as part of the service.
  • Accounting and tax software provider Intuit alerted customers of an impersonation scam attempting to trick victims with fake warnings of suspended accounts. Hackers masquerade as the Intuit Maintenance Team.

Related Threat Briefings

Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

Authorities have taken down a major hub for stolen financial data. The DOJ seized approximately 145 domains associated with the BidenCash marketplace, which had evolved from a small credit card shop in 2022 into a massive hub for stolen payment data. In a move to reinforce Europe’s cyber defenses, Microsoft is stepping in with strategic support. The newly launched European Security Program offers EU governments free access to AI-driven threat intelligence, vulnerability alerts, and guidance to counter attacks from state-sponsored actors. Not all GitHub projects are built with good intentions. Researchers uncovered a widespread campaign involving more than 130 repositories booby-trapped with malware disguised as game cheats, hacking tools, and utilities. A free software download could end up costing your entire crypto wallet. ViperSoftX is back in circulation, targeting crypto users with malicious PowerShell scripts bundled into cracked apps, keygens, and torrent packages. Some attackers mine crypto, JINX-0132 mines misconfigurations. This threat actor is running a stealthy cryptojacking campaign against DevOps platforms, exploiting exposed defaults and overlooked RCE flaws. Destruction masquerading as maintenance tools is hitting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Researchers attributed a new wiper malware called PathWiper to a Russia-linked APT group, targeting critical systems by leveraging legitimate administrative frameworks. A few swapped letters could be all it takes to get owned. A new supply chain attack targets Python and npm developers through typo-squatting and name confusion. A new Android banking trojan, named Crocodilus, has emerged in the threat landscape. It masquerades as legitimate apps like Google Chrome and uses overlay attacks to steal credentials from financial apps.

May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

Under the hood of vulnerability management, NIST just added a sharper diagnostic tool. The new Likely Exploited Vulnerabilities metric offers deeper insight into which CVEs are likely being used in the wild, complementing EPSS with more contextual signals. Digital warfare is no longer a future threat, it's a current investment. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has unveiled a £1 billion Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks and support offensive cyber missions. With AI-driven systems like the Digital Targeting Web in development, the goal is seamless coordination across weapons platforms. A quiet but relentless campaign has been unfolding across multiple industries. The Chinese group Earth Lamia is targeting finance, government, logistics, and more by exploiting known web app vulnerabilities. APT41 hides malware commands where no one’s looking: your calendar. In a creative twist on C2 infrastructure, China-backed APT41 embedded encrypted instructions inside Google Calendar events. AyySSHush doesn’t make noise, it builds armies. More than 9,000 ASUS routers have been compromised by this botnet, which quietly slips in through a CVE-2023-39780 exploit. Fake CAPTCHA prompts are now doing more than testing if you're human—they're installing malware. EDDIESTEALER, a new Rust-based infostealer, spreads through deceptive CAPTCHA pages that trigger malicious PowerShell scripts. Threat actors are wrapping their tools in layers of obfuscation, and DOUBLELOADER is no exception. This new backdoor uses the ALCATRAZ obfuscator—once seen in the game-hacking scene—to disguise its presence. A new Go-based botnet called PumaBot is clawing its way through Linux IoT devices. It brute-forces SSH credentials, impersonates Redis files for stealth, and deploys rootkits to mine crypto and steal credentials.

May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

Operation Endgame just dealt a major blow to the ransomware supply chain. Europol led the charge in dismantling malware infrastructure tied to multiple malware families, seizing 300 servers and more. Japan has officially gone on the cyber offense. The new Active Cyberdefense Law allows preemptive strikes against foreign cyber threats. It enables traffic analysis and takedowns of hostile servers. Think twice before clicking on that Ledger update. A new macOS malware campaign is deploying fake versions of the Ledger Live app to steal cryptocurrency seed phrases. A Turkish phishing lure leads straight to SnakeKeylogger. Fake AI tools are the new phishing lures and they’re convincing. Cybercriminals cloned Kling AI’s brand through Facebook ads and spoofed websites to trick users into downloading malware. The DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) malware is making the rounds again - this time disguised as a Turkish bank email. The copyright threat in your inbox might be bait. A phishing campaign sweeping across central and eastern Europe is using fake legal complaints to deliver the Rhadamanthys Stealer. Two years of silence, 6,200 downloads later - the malware is finally found. A malicious campaign targeting JavaScript developers slipped past detection by disguising harmful npm packages as plugins for frameworks like React, Vue.js, Vite, and Quill Editor. Researchers uncovered a stealthy new backdoor paired with a Monero coinminer, using the PyBitmessage library for encrypted peer-to-peer communications.

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 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.

Mar 28, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, March 24–28, 2025

The U.K’s NCSC is putting domain abuse in its crosshairs. New guidance targets registrars with a push to curb malicious domain registrations and hijacks. The recommendations focus on tightening security at registration, offering enhanced protections to customers, and more. Europe is getting serious about the quantum future. ETSI has rolled out a new quantum-safe encryption standard featuring Covercrypt, a novel key encapsulation scheme with built-in access controls. By tying decryption permissions to user attributes, Covercrypt delivers speed and post-quantum security. Medusa isn’t just encrypting files, it’s dismantling defenses first. The RaaS has been leveraging a malicious driver called ABYSSWORKER in BYOVD attacks to disable endpoint protections. FamousSparrow has returned with new tools and a familiar agenda. The Chinese APT group was behind a July 2024 attack targeting a U.S. trade group and a Mexican research institute, deploying a web shell on an IIS server to drop SparrowDoor and ShadowPad. A supply chain attack snuck through npm by modifying what developers thought they could trust. Threat actors used two packages to inject malware into the widely used ethers library. Lucid isn’t just phishing - it’s engineering trust through your inbox. This advanced PhaaS platform weaponizes the built-in features of iMessage and RCS to create hyper-realistic scams. Known for years of corporate espionage, RedCurl has shifted gears with a new ransomware called QWCrypt. The malware was found in a North American network, targeting hypervisors for maximum disruption. PlayBoy Locker is offering ransomware with a user manual and tech support. The newly investigated RaaS platform operates on an affiliate model and comes packed with features. Targeting Windows, NAS, and ESXi systems, it moves laterally using LDAP scans and abuses Restart Manager DLLs to shut down active processes before encryption.