Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 27 - 31, 2020

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 27 - 31, 2020 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing July 31, 2020

The Good

The rise in phishing attempts aimed at stealing taxpayer data during the COVID-19 calls for additional security measures. Realizing the need of the hour, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has asked tax professionals to enable multi-factor authentication to defend against such cyberattacks. Moreover, a sum of $53 million has been dedicated by the Senate Appropriations Committee to prevent attackers from pilfering coronavirus vaccine research.

  • The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has asked tax professionals to enable multi-factor authentication to improve defense against hacking attempts. The measure is a part of the ‘Working Virtually:Protecting Tax Data at Home and at Work’ campaign.
  • The Senate Appropriations Committee has rolled out a sum of $53 million for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS CISA) to protect coronavirus vaccine development research from malicious hackers.
  • The Pentagon’s undersecretary of research and engineering is planning to build a roadmap of science and technology activities related to advances in cybersecurity in the next 25 years. The roadmap will be built in the line with the 2018 National Defense Strategy.

The Bad

Along with the good, comes the bad. Having said that, the week witnessed data leaks of cosmetic giant Avon, an Israel-based marketing site, Promo, and the streaming service, IndieFlix. A massive cyberespionage campaign named ‘Operation North Star’ — associated with the Hidden Cobra attackers — also came to light this week.

  • A potential vulnerability in the website of the cryptowallet firm, Ledger, resulted in the compromise of nearly 1 million email addresses. In addition, for a subset of 9,500 customers, details such as first and last names, postal addresses and phone numbers were exposed.
  • Since July 21, ShinyHunters hacker group has been leaking breached databases for free on a hacker forum. These databases contain 386 million user records stolen from 18 different websites in the past seven months.
  • The Nefilim ransomware operators hacked and stole files from a Dussmann Group subsidiary, Dresdner Kühlanlagenbau GmbH (DKA). Eventually, they posted around 14GB worth of stolen data on their data leak site.
  • The online Michigan bar exam was targeted in a sophisticated cyberattack that temporarily took down the test offered by the vendors.
  • Cosmetic giant, Avon, leaked 19 million records including personal information and technical logs due to a misconfigured Elasticsearch database. Among the personal data exposed, it included full names, phone numbers, dates of birth and email addresses of users.
  • National Cardiovascular Partners notified 78,070 of its patients about a security breach that occurred on May 19. The incident took place after an attacker gained access to an employee email account.
  • The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine claimed that real IP addresses of almost 3 million sites were exposed on the dark web. The data leak had occurred due to disruption in Cloudflare’s services.
  • An Israel-based marketing video creation site, Promo, suffered a data breach after a database containing 22 million user records was leaked for free on a hacker forum. The data contained email addresses, names, genders, and geographic locations of users.
  • A group of unidentified thieves broke into multiple Walgreens stores in late May and early June to steal prescription information and other data of some 70,000 customers. The firm claimed that no credit card data and Social Security numbers were affected in the incident.
  • A security issue in the Vermont Department of Taxes site affected the private information of several taxpayers who filed for tax returns between February 2017 and July 2020. The exposed data included the Social Security numbers of the buyers and sellers of different properties.
  • Approximately 10,000 patients’ information was affected by a data breach at the University of Utah Health. The breach occurred between April 6 and May 22, 2020.
  • Researchers revealed that Hidden Cobra had targeted the U.S. defense and aerospace sectors in a campaign dubbed ‘Operation North Star.’ The campaign, which relied on fake job offers, was carried out between March and May 2020.
  • A report revealed that there are more than 9,000 unsecured databases — across 20 countries — that are exposed online for public access. These databases contain more than ten billion records with details such as email addresses, names, passwords, and phone numbers.
  • Research team discovered an unsecured Amazon S3 bucket belonging to IndieFlix. The bucket contained over 90,000 files related to scans of confidential motion picture acquisition agreements, tax ID requests, and contact details of film professionals.

New Threats

Talking about new threats, researchers found a previously described ‘EMV-Bypass Cloning’ technique being used in the wild. The method can allow attackers to conduct fraudulent purchases from otherwise secure EVM chip cards. There was also a discovery of another attack technique —named ‘Timeless Timing Attacks’ — that exploited HTTP/2 and WPA3 protocols.

  • A technique ‘EMV-Bypass Cloning’ first described in 2008, has been found to be used in the wild this year. The method can allow attackers to conduct fraudulent purchases by copying the information stored on the magnetic stripes present on EVM chip cards.

  • Researchers have demonstrated a new ‘Timeless Timing’ Attacks technique that exploits the HTTP/2 and WPA3 protocols. This new attack technique can be used to leak sensitive information.

  • A malspam campaign was observed pushing GuLoader through malicious attachment. The campaign used the DHL delivery lure to push the malware.

  • TrickBot’s Anchor backdoor has been ported to infect Linux devices. In addition to acting as a backdoor, the malware contains an embedded Windows TrickBot executable.

  • The FBI issued a security alert about the Netwalker ransomware operators targeting the U.S. and foreign government organizations. According to the alert, the operators began targeting the organizations from June 2020.

  • The FBI also warned about the discovery of new network protocols that are being used to launch large scale DDoS attacks. The three new attack vectors are CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol), WS-DD (Web Services Dynamic Discovery), ARMS (Apple Remote Management Service), and the Jenkins web-based automation software as well.

  • A new variant of Mirai botnet that includes an exploit for remote code execution vulnerability in F5 networks was discovered this week. The flaw in question is CVE-2020-5902.

  • A serious BootHole vulnerability can put billions of Windows and Linux devices at risk. The flaw is a buffer overflow issue related to the way GRUB2 parses its grub.cfg configuration file. Attackers can exploit the flaw to install stealthy and persistent malware.

  • Kaspersky revealed that the Lazarus threat actor group is behind a new ransomware strain known as VHD. The ransomware is deployed as a final payload while using the MATA malware framework.

  • A new malware, Doki, associated with Ngrok threat actors is being used to deploy malicious payloads on misconfigured Docker servers. The malware leverages a unique method to abuse the Dogecoin cryptocurrency blockchain to contact its operators.

  • A new hacker-for-hire mercenary group, Deceptikons, has been found to be active for almost a decade. The group has primarily targeted law and fintech firms.

Related Threat Briefings

Aug 29, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 25–29, 2025

From cryptocurrency scams to software vulnerabilities, recent global efforts showcase robust responses to sophisticated cyber threats. Cryptocurrency firms, including Chainalysis, Binance, OKX, and Tether, froze $46.9 million in funds stolen through Southeast Asia-based "romance baiting" scams, targeting victims via fake investment schemes. Meanwhile, the CISA introduced the new ‘Software Acquisition Guide: Supplier Response Web Tool’ to empower organizations to integrate cybersecurity into their procurement processes, addressing software supply chain vulnerabilities. Posing as a golden ticket from the Bangladesh Education Board, SikkahBot is preying on students with fake scholarship lures. Active since July 2024, this Android malware grabs high-risk permissions to intercept SMS and steal financial data. A data theft campaign attributed to UNC6395 targeted Salesforce instances via compromised OAuth tokens linked to the Salesloft Drift app, exfiltrating sensitive credentials. Blind Eagle's shadow looms over Colombia, with five activity clusters unleashing RATs and phishing on government sectors from May 2024 to July 2025. Click Studios is sounding the alarm on a dangerous flaw in Passwordstate’s password manager. This authentication bypass lets attackers access the admin section via a crafted URL. Truesec uncovered a cybercrime campaign distributing a trojanized "AppSuite PDF Editor" via Google ads, installing "TamperedChef" malware that steals credentials and web cookies. The Sangoma FreePBX Security Team has warned about an actively exploited zero-day vulnerability in FreePBX servers with the Administrator Control Panel (ACP) exposed to the internet.

Aug 22, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 18–22, 2025

As cyber threats evolve, global takedown efforts are stepping up to safeguard digital ecosystems. INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti arrested 1,209 cybercriminals across 18 African nations, recovering $97.4 million and dismantling over 11,000 malicious infrastructures. In another coordinated operation, U.S. authorities seized the Rapper Bot DDoS botnet, which had been active since 2021 and targeted 18,000 victims across 80 countries. The Python Package Index (PyPI) introduced defenses against domain resurrection attacks to prevent account hijacking and supply chain attacks. Berserk Bear hackers are wielding a seven-year-old Cisco flaw to infiltrate global critical infrastructure. Exploiting CVE-2018-0171, these FSB-linked attackers trigger device reloads and use custom SNMP tools. MuddyWater APT is targeting CFOs with spear-phishing, using Firebase-hosted phishing pages and custom CAPTCHAs. With a diplomat’s charm, malicious emails are smuggling XenoRAT into South Korea’s embassies via GitHub traps. Since March, this spearphishing spree has targeted European missions. Masquerading as an Australian electronics store, Cookie Spider’s malvertising campaign unleashed the AMOS malware on over 300 targets. Fraudsters posing as celebrity podcast reps are reeling in business owners with a bait. This podcast imposter scam lures victims into tech-check calls that grant remote access. A zero-day flaw has Apple racing to patch millions of devices with emergency iOS and iPadOS updates.

Aug 8, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 04–08, 2025

In the wake of recent cyberattacks, the US federal judiciary is locking down sensitive court documents with a fortified approach to cybersecurity. Courts nationwide are enforcing stricter access controls, monitored handling procedures, and a mandatory IT security “scorecard” for annual self-assessments to pinpoint vulnerabilities. DARPA is raising the stakes at DEF CON, pitting seven AI-powered cyber reasoning systems against each other to secure the open-source software underpinning critical infrastructure. These autonomous tools, designed to detect and patch vulnerabilities in code vital to water systems and financial institutions, analyzed 7.8 million lines in preliminary rounds, catching 59% of synthetic flaws and uncovering real ones. Akira ransomware is striking with surgical precision, exploiting a suspected zero-day flaw in SonicWall SSL VPN devices, even those fully patched. Since mid-July 2025, attackers have used Virtual Private Server logins to bypass MFA, hitting multiple targets in rapid succession. A stealthy Python-based PXA Stealer is sweeping across 62 countries, pilfering sensitive data from unsuspecting victims. This infostealer campaign has exfiltrated hundreds of thousands of passwords and more. Phishing emails disguised as court summons are delivering a malicious payload to Ukrainian government and defense sectors, courtesy of UAC-0099. A cunning Android RAT, PlayPraetor, is sweeping through six countries, already compromising over 11,000 devices with its deceptive tactics. It masquerades as legitimate apps via fake Google Play Store pages and Meta Ads. ClickTok is luring TikTok Shop users into a trap with a crafty blend of phishing and malware. This global campaign deploys over 10,000 fake TikTok websites and 5,000 malicious apps, impersonating TikTok’s e-commerce platforms to steal cryptocurrency wallet credentials. Ghost Calls, a new evasion tactic, is turning Zoom and Microsoft Teams into covert channels for malicious activity, slipping past traditional defenses with ease.

Aug 1, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 28–August 01, 2025

Picture this: a tool so fast it dissects malware at lightning speed, giving your team the edge in a digital arms race. Meet Thorium, the CISA’s latest open-source gem. This platform automates cyberattack investigations, processing over 1,700 jobs per second and ingesting 10 million files per hour per permission group. Meanwhile, as AI reshapes the battlefield, OWASP is arming professionals with fresh guidance to secure agentic AI applications driven by LLMs. It’s a playbook for locking down user authentication with OAuth 2.0, encrypting sensitive data, and bolstering supply chain security. Cybercriminals are donning digital disguises, impersonating trusted enterprises with fake Microsoft OAuth applications to steal credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. Hackers exploited a critical SAP NetWeaver flaw to deploy the Auto-Color Linux malware. This malware, equipped with a rootkit and adaptive evasion tactics, adjusts its behavior based on user privileges. Operation CargoTalon, tied to threat cluster UNG0901, targeted organizations with EAGLET malware hidden in fake invoice files, quietly siphoning off sensitive data to a C2 server. A newly discovered cyberattack technique, dubbed Man in the Prompt, is turning browser extensions into unwitting accomplices in data theft from generative AI tools. DoubleTrouble is targeting users through Discord-hosted APKs, disguising itself as a legitimate app to slip past defenses. A stealthy Android banking trojan, RedHook, is targeting Vietnamese users through phishing sites mimicking trusted agencies. Spread via a malicious APK on an exposed AWS S3 bucket, it exploits accessibility services to steal credentials and banking details, with over 500 infections tied to Chinese-speaking actors.

Jul 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 21–25, 2025

The BlackSuit ransomware crew just lost its home turf. As part of Operation Checkmate, international law enforcement has seized the group’s dark web extortion and negotiation sites. New York is taking aim at cyber threats to its water systems. A newly proposed set of regulations outlines mandatory IT and OT cybersecurity measures for water and wastewater infrastructure, aligning with federal guidelines and introducing funding to support modernization across the state. Not every scam needs sophistication, sometimes all it takes is a lonely heart and a convincing profile picture. SarangTrap, a massive mobile spyware campaign, is luring victims on Android and iOS through fake dating apps. Storm-2603 is slipping through SharePoint’s cracks and locking the doors behind it. The suspected China-based threat group is exploiting two SharePoint vulnerabilities to deploy Warlock ransomware. A trusted source turned treacherous. Hackers launched a supply chain attack on Arch Linux by slipping malware into three AUR packages. These packages silently deployed a RAT that gave attackers persistent control over infected machines. A browser tweak here, a fake mod there, and suddenly your crypto wallet spills its secrets. In a new campaign, the Scavenger trojan exploits DLL Search Order Hijacking to infiltrate password managers and wallets. A new RaaS group called Chaos is conducting high-impact ransomware campaigns through a number of tactics, using remote management tools for long-term access. Mimo is getting stealthier and greedier. The financially motivated group has moved from targeting Craft CMS to Magento, exploiting PHP-FPM vulnerabilities to deploy malware via fileless techniques.

Jul 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 14–18, 2025

A keyboard army just lost its command center. Europol’s Operation Eastwood has crippled the pro-Russian hacktivist group NoName057(16). The international effort, involving law enforcement from 12 nations, led to two arrests and the takedown of over 100 servers linked to the group’s “DDoSia” project. Britain wants bug-hunters on its side. The NCSC has launched the Vulnerability Research Initiative, a new program inviting external researchers to help uncover security flaws in widely used hardware and software. Cisco Talos uncovered a MaaS campaign targeting Ukraine, where attackers used Amadey malware and GitHub repositories to stage payloads. The setup mimics tactics from a SmokeLoader phishing operation. Over 600 malicious domains are distributing fake Telegram APKs to unsuspecting users. Most are hosted in China and exploit the Janus vulnerability in Android. Users who trusted GravityForms’ official site got more than they expected. A supply chain attack injected backdoors into plugin files distributed via the official site and Composer. The H2Miner botnet has resurfaced with updated scripts that mine Monero, kill rival malware, and deploy multiple malware. Bundled with it is Lcrypt0rx, a likely AI-generated ransomware that exhibits sloppy logic, malformed syntax, and weak encryption using XOR. A new Konfety variant uses the same package name as a legitimate app but hides the real payload in a lookalike version distributed through third-party stores. One sandbox escape makes five. Google patched a high-severity Chrome flaw that lets attackers break out of the browser’s sandbox using crafted HTML and unvalidated GPU commands.

Jul 4, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 30–July 04, 2025

It looked like a crypto investment until €460 million vanished. Operation BORRELLI dismantled a global fraud ring that scammed over 5,000 victims, with arrests in Madrid and the Canary Islands. A fake workforce was quietly funding a real regime. The DoJ disrupted a North Korean scheme where remote IT workers used stolen identities to get jobs at over 100 U.S. companies. The operation funneled $5 million to the DPRK, exposed military tech, and led to raids across 16 states. Sometimes, the app that looks harmless is just the decoy. Recent investigations uncovered massive Android fraud schemes, including IconAds and Kaleidoscope, which used icon hiding, fake apps, and third-party distribution to flood ad networks with billions of fake requests. Two different names - same tactics, same tools, same playbook. Researchers have found striking overlaps between TA829 and the lesser-known UNK_GreenSec, both of which use phishing lures and REM Proxy services through compromised MikroTik routers. It starts with what looks like an official message from the Colombian government. Behind it is a phishing campaign delivering DCRAT, a modular remote access tool designed for theft and system control. Botnet operators are now turning broken routers into system wreckers. RondoDox is a new Linux-based botnet exploiting CVE-2024-3721 and CVE-2024-12856 to gain remote access to TBK DVRs and Four-Faith routers. That Zoom update request on Telegram? It could be a trap. North Korean actors are deploying NimDoor malware to infiltrate Web3 and crypto platforms using social engineering via Telegram. Google has patched CVE-2025-6554, a critical zero-day in Chrome’s V8 engine that was exploited in the wild to execute arbitrary code.

Jun 27, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

A Common Good Cyber Fund was launched to support non-profits delivering critical cybersecurity services for public benefit. The fund is backed by the U.K and Canada, with G7 leaders endorsing similar initiatives. A phishing email is all it takes to breach critical infrastructure. The OneClik APT campaign is targeting energy and oil sectors using Microsoft ClickOnce to deliver a .NET loader and Golang backdoor. A handful of outdated routers is all it takes to build a persistent espionage network. The LapDogs campaign is targeting SOHO devices with a custom backdoor called ShortLeash, giving attackers root access and control over compromised systems. A familiar package name could be hiding far more than useful code. North Korean actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign have published 35 malicious npm packages, including keyloggers and multi-stage malware. A fake Windows update might just be the start of something worse. The EvilConwi campaign is abusing ConnectWise ScreenConnect to deliver signed malware through tampered installers. Encrypted messaging apps aren’t immune to state-backed malware delivery. APT28 is targeting Ukrainian government entities via Signal, sharing macro-laced documents that deploy a backdoor named Covenant. Some WordPress plugins are doing a lot more than extending site functionality. Researchers uncovered a long-running malware campaign that uses rogue plugins to skim credit card data, steal credentials, and manage backend systems on infected sites.

Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

As cybercriminals weave intricate webs in the digital underworld, global defenders are cutting through the chaos. Six nations toppled Archetyp Market, a darknet drug bazaar with €250 million ($288 million) in Monero deals, nabbing its admin and vendors while seizing €7.8 million ($9 million) in assets. The U.K unveiled a Cyber Growth Action Plan, injecting £16m ($21.2m) to fortify its £13.2bn ($17.5bn) cybersecurity industry after attacks bled retailers like M&S. Stateside, the U.S. reclaimed $225 million in crypto from investment scams, marking the Secret Service’s biggest digital heist bust yet. Cloud services are being quietly turned into covert attack channels. The Serpentine#Cloud campaign is abusing Cloudflare Tunnels and Python to deploy fileless malware via invoice-themed phishing lures. A popular WordPress plugin is exposing sites to full takeover. It affects the AI Engine plugin, impacting over 100,000 websites and opening the door to site-wide compromise. An official-looking email from the tax department may be anything but. Silver Fox APT is targeting Taiwanese users with phishing emails posing as the National Taxation Bureau, delivering malware like Winos 4.0, HoldingHands RAT, and Gh0stCringe. A new Android trojan is turning devices into data-harvesting tools under attackers’ full control. Attributed to the LARVA-398 group, AntiDot has infected thousands of devices through phishing and malicious ads. A fake job offer could now come bundled with custom-built spyware. PylangGhost is targeting crypto professionals in India. Delivered through spoofed job sites, the malware includes registry tampering, remote control, and data exfiltration modules aimed at compromising Windows systems. One compromised travel site is now a launchpad for infostealer infections. A new ClickFix variant, LightPerlGirl, is using fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA prompts and clipboard hijacking to deliver the Lumma infostealer.