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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 25 - 29, 2022

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, September 05 - 09, 2022 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Jul 29, 2022

The Good

Quantum computers are the talk of the town and one cannot ignore the cyber risks associated with them. Therefore a new bill that fortifies conventional computers from possible data breaches due to quantum computing has come into action. This requires the federal agencies to actively monitor their defense systems to keep adversaries at bay. The healthcare sector is also being urged to implement the new guidelines from HC3 in the wake of rising web application attacks.

  • U.S. federal credit union regulators announced a new mandate to report cyber incidents. According to the new proposed rule, the federally chartered credit union organizations are required to report within 72 hours of a cyberattack and apply for third-party security breaches as well.

  • The Department of Health and Human Services Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) has urged healthcare entities to review their tactics and remediation strategies owing to the rise in web application attacks. The department has also issued a series of guidelines to create awareness about such attack types.

  • A newly introduced Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act requires federal agencies to adopt proper defenses against quantum-computing threats. As part of the bill, the federal agencies are required to migrate information technology systems to post-quantum cryptography, which will be monitored by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

  • The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has updated the cybersecurity directive to secure oil and natural gas pipelines from attacks. The directive went into effect on July 27 and aims at providing owners and operators more flexibility in reporting cybersecurity incidents.

The Bad

LinkedIn and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) are the new hotbeds for phishing as researchers unveiled details about their misuse in widespread campaigns to harvest personal information from users. Network and system outages were also reported by multiple organizations and institutions following ransomware attacks. In one incident, the attackers made a ransom demand of over $600,000 to prevent the data from being leaked online.

  • St. Luke’s Health System notified that an unknown number of patients were impacted by a data breach at one of its vendors, Kaye-Smith. The exposed information includes names, phone numbers, ID numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers of patients.

  • Wooton Upper School in Bedfordshire has fallen victim to an attack by Hive ransomware. Following the attack, the attackers demanded a ransom of over $600,000 to stop the stolen data from being released online.

  • Another critical vulnerability impacting the Atlassian Confluence server and data center has come under active exploitation this week. The flaw in question is CVE-2022-26138 and can be abused to gain unrestricted access to all pages in Confluence.

  • A data breach impacting the personal information of some City of Detroit retirees came to notice this week. There are security concerns about the exploitation of people’s identities if the information is sold on the dark web forum.

  • Akamai mitigated one of the largest DDoS attacks that hit an organization in Europe. Around 75 attack attempts were made in the past 30 days with the traffic peaking at 853.7 Gbps and 659.6 Mpps over 14 hours.

  • InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) has become a new hotbed for phishing. Researchers have noticed an increase in the number of phishing emails containing IPFS URLs. These websites mimic several branded websites to trick users into sharing their personal information.

  • Four packages in the npm repository were found stealing Discord tokens and bank card data. All these packages contained highly obfuscated malicious Python and JavaScript code, dubbed Volt Stealer and Lofy Stealer, respectively.

  • Customers associated with Chase Bank are being warned against a new phishing campaign that attempts to pilfer their personal and banking details. The customers are lured with a phishing website that looks similar to the original site of the bank.

  • Microsoft found a new spyware campaign targeting entities in Europe and Central America. The campaign was launched by a North Korean threat actor, named Knotweed, using a malware dubbed Subzero.

  • A cyberattack at the managed service provider NetStandard had forced the company to shut down its MyAppsAnywhere cloud services. The action was taken to prevent the attack from spreading further.

  • WordFly has suffered an outage following a ransomware attack. During the attack, miscreants stole email addresses and names of customers connected with top arts organizations.

  • Microsoft says attackers increasingly use malicious Internet Information Services (IIS) web server extensions to compromise unpatched Exchange servers. These compromised servers are later used as a channel to bypass detection and distribute malicious payloads.

  • The decentralized music platform Audius was hacked over the weekend, with threat actors stealing over 18 million AUDIO tokens worth approximately $6 million. the hacker exploited a bug in the contract initialization code to launch the hack.

  • Charity platform Giving.sg has raised an alarm about a phishing attack that tries to steal credit card information and personal details from users on the pretext of donations. Investigations are underway.

  • A new phishing campaign codenamed 'Ducktail' is underway, targeting professionals on LinkedIn to take over their Facebook business accounts. The campaign has been active for almost four years from now.

  • The ransomware gang Lockbit claims to have hacked the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) and added the government agency to the list of victims reported on its dark web leak site. The stolen data includes documents, scans, financial reports, and contracts.

New Threats

In new threats, the capabilities of Gootkit and Amadey bot have been improved to launch more sophisticated attacks. While the new Gootkit variant uses fileless techniques to drop Cobalt Strike and other malicious malware, the new Amadey bot is capable of bypassing 14 different antivirus products.

  • A new malware, masquerading as cleaner apps, has infected over 1 million users across the globe. These apps are distributed via the Google Play Store app. Once executed, the malware displays unwanted advertisements and runs malicious payloads without the knowledge of the user.

  • Kaspersky researchers discovered CosmicStrand, a new strain of UEFI rootkit popular among Chinese-speaking hackers. The rootkit was found on ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards.

  • Researchers disclosed details of a new attack campaign, tracked as STIFF#BIZON. It targeted high-value organizations in multiple countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, using Konni RAT.

  • A new version of Amadey bot distributed via SomkeLoader malware in a campaign. The campaign used software cracks and keygen sites as bait to lure their victims. The latest version of Amadey is capable of bypassing 14 different antivirus products.

  • Researchers have published a connection between SharpTongue and Kimsuky threat actor groups. SharpTongue is known for deploying a malicious SHARPEXT browser extension to steal mail data directly from webmail sessions. Targeted users include those from the U.S, Europe, and South Korea.

  • Capabilities of Gootkit loader have been updated to use fileless techniques to drop Cobalt Strike and other malicious malware. In the past, Gootkit used freeware installers to mask malicious files.

  • QBot is now spreading via Windows calculator. This is a new evasion technique adopted by attackers to remain undetected during the infection process.

  • Multiple DHL phishing pages have been found exfiltrating users’ personal data via Telegram bot. The fake pages use design elements like colors, fonts, and styles found on a typical DHL tracking page to convince victims that it’s legitimate in nature.

  • Cyble researchers spotted a new Rust-based infostealer, named Luca Stealer. The source code of the malware has been released for free on hacker forums. Luca Stealer is being actively used by threat actors.

  • Researchers have reiterated similarities between LockBit 3.0 ransomware and BlackMatter. The overlapping includes the privilege escalation and credential harvesting routines used to identify APIs required to terminate processes on victims’ machines.

  • A new phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform is being sold to cybercriminals aiming to gain access to the financial information of individuals residing in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia. The toolkit is tracked as Robin Bank and was utilized in a large-scale phishing campaign observed in June.

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.