Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 29 - July 03, 2020

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 29 - July 03, 2020 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • July 3, 2020

The Good

With the number of cybercrimes increasing day by day, it has become an utmost priority to heighten the cybersecurity vigilance across the organizations. Taking this into account, federal authorities have released many advisories related to synthetic identity theft and cyberattacks through Tor networks and IPsec VPNs. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published three new standards to improve the security of IoT devices.

  • The U.S. Federal Reserve has issued guidelines for financial organizations on how to mitigate synthetic identity fraud. The experts have recommended a multi-layer approach to effectively identify and mitigate such types of frauds.
  • The Cybersecurity Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has shared tips on defense against cyberattacks via Tor network - that is used by threat actors to hide their identity and real IP address. The advisory has been created with contributions from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
  • The ISO has published three new standards to increase security and seamless communication between IoT devices. The standards are ISO/IEC 21823, ISO/IEC TR 30164, and ISO/IEC TR 30166.
  • The Australian Signal Directorate (ASD) has been assigned a fund of over $1 billion amid the rise in cyberattacks against the nation’s governments and businesses. The amount will be used over the next 10 years to disrupt foreign cybercriminals and better identify malicious hackers.
  • A group of academics has developed a new SSO algorithm that aims at security user information, including username and passwords, from being accessed by third-party services and applications.
  • The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has published an advisory to warn about potential threats on IP Security Virtual Private Networks (IPsec VPNs). It has provided recommendations on how to secure IPsec tunnels which can be exploited to steal sensitive data contained within the traffic.

The Bad

The week saw one of the worst data leaks of the year due to misconfigured databases. A set of SQL databases containing 14 million users records from 945 websites was dumped for sale on the dark web. On the other hand, a data breach broker claimed to have sold over 1.3 million people’s records stolen from 14 different websites.

  • A data breach at CNY Works exposed the names and social security numbers of around 56,000 users. The firm claimed that there was no evidence of misuse of the stolen data.
  • The Evil Corp gang’s new ransomware, WastedLocker, was used to infect dozens of the U.S. newspaper websites owned by the same company. These attacks relied on fake software update alerts that delivered the malicious payload.
  • A hacker took over nearly 23,000 unsecured MongoDB databases with an intent to get ransom from victim companies. The affected company was given two days time to pay the asked ransom, failing which the data would be leaked online. Additionally, the hacker threatened to contact the local GDPR authority to report the leak.
  • Printer manufacturer, Xerox Corporation, became the latest victim of Maze ransomware. The attackers had breached the company on June 25 and stole nearly 100 GB worth of data.
  • Unsecured databases belonging to two Chinese firms - Xiaoxintong and Shanghai Yahua Smartech - had leaked millions of user records. The compromised information included mobile numbers, hashed passwords, and more.
  • Around 250,000 sets of personally identifiable information of users were leaked in a targeted multi-stage bitcoin scam. The scam affected users in the UK, Australia, South Africa, the U.S., Singapore, Spain, and Malaysia.
  • A collection of SQL databases linked with 945 websites were up for sale on the dark web. These databases included approximately 150GB data of nearly 14 million people.
  • Decentralized finance liquidity provider, Balancer Pool, disclosed a sophisticated hack that tricked the firm into releasing $500,000 worth of tokens.
  • A data breach broker claimed to have sold databases containing over 1.3 million records on the dark web. These databases belonged to 14 companies that included HomeChef, Footters, Revelo, Tokopedia, Fluke, DarkThrone, JamesDelivery, and Playwings.
  • Eight U.S. cities using Click2Gov web-based software were hit in Magecart skimming attacks. This enabled the attackers to steal personal and credit card information from customers.
  • One of the broadcasting sites of France Télévisions was hit in a cyberattack. However, the attack did not affect its antennae.
  • Five dating apps used in the U.S. and East Asia leaked millions of customer records due to unprotected databases. These affected apps include CatholicSingles, Yestiki, SPYKX, Blurry, Charin, and Kyuun.
  • V Shred exposed the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of over 99,000 customers and trainers following an unsecured AWS S3 bucket. The bucket contained 1.3 million files, totaling about 606 GB of data.
  • A database containing more than 300,000 BMW car owners was offered for sale on an underground forum. The data exposed included full names, email addresses, vehicle numbers, and dealer names.
  • NetWalker operators claimed attacks on Trinity Metro by publishing some of the stolen data on the internet. The data included contents related to “Accounting and HR Shared,” “Daily Operations Documents,” “Planning Documents,” and “Security.”

New Threats

In addition to data leaks, the cybersecurity landscape witnessed the notoriety of other malware such as Trickbot, Alina PoS, and XMRig. All these malware have now evolved with extra stealing and evasion capabilities to affect more and more people.

  • The****Sodinokibi ransomware gang began the first dark web auction of legal data stolen from Grubman Shire Meiselas and Sacks. The stolen data belonged to high-profile celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and LeBron James.
  • Threat actors continued to evolve the capabilities of several existing malware such as Trickbot, Alina PoS malware, and XMRig to expand their attack surfaces. While the new variant of Trickbot checked for screen resolution as an anti-VM check, the latest version of Alina malware used the DNS Tunneling method to exfiltrate payment card details from PoS systems. Meanwhile, the new XMRig variant masquerades as Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service to unleash cryptomining payloads.
  • Two new ransomware, named EvilQuest and Try2Cry, were found targeting users. The EvilQuest is distributed on torrent sites bundled with a software app named Little Snitch. On the other hand, Try2Cry adopts USB flash drives spreading LNK files.
  • The terror of Snake ransomware is spreading far and wide. According to researchers, this ransomware will pose a unique threat to companies with industrial control systems. Since its inception, Snake has struck two firms - Honda and Enel Group.
  • FakeSpy Android malware operators were discovered impersonating postal services in the U.S., China, and Europe to steal financial data from users. The attack was carried out through phony messages.
  • Researchers revealed that the Windows drivers used in ATMs and PoS devices could be abused to allow attackers to escalate privileges and gain deeper access into the targeted system. Ultimately, this would enable them to steal money or customer data.
  • Google removed 25 malicious apps from the Google Play Store for stealing Facebook credentials. These apps were developed by the same threat actor group.
  • Magecart attackers are using an EXIF metadata of an image file to hide their skimmer code and load on to retail sites. The skimmer code is loaded on websites using a WordPress e-commerce plugin.
  • Researchers demonstrated a new hack technique on Industrial Control Systems (ICS). This can be done by remotely injecting keystrokes through an industrial barcode scanner that is connected to the computer.
  • The Valak information stealer is being distributed in ongoing campaigns targeted at enterprises in North America, South America, and Europe. The malware is propagated via malicious spam alongside secondary payloads such as Gozi and IcedID.

Related Threat Briefings

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 15, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, August 11–15, 2025

Ransomware gangs are taking heavy hits on multiple fronts. In Operation Checkmate, U.S. authorities seized $1.1 million in ransom-linked cryptocurrency and shut down four servers and nine domains tied to the BlackSuit group. At the same time, researchers dealt a critical blow to DarkBit ransomware, linked to Iran’s MuddyWater APT, by exploiting flaws in its AES-128-CBC key generation to crack the encryption.

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 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 07–11, 2025

You don’t need to visit shady corners of the internet to get infected, GitHub will do. A malware campaign is disguising Lumma Stealer as tools like Free VPN for PC, using polished project pages, Base64 payloads, and trusted Windows processes to slip past defenses. The Anatsa banking trojan slipped back into Google Play, targeting North American users with fake maintenance screens while logging keystrokes and automating fraudulent transactions. Crypto users are being lured in by fake AI and gaming firms offering too-good-to-be-true deals.

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.

Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

A global sweep just knocked out thousands of malicious command centers. INTERPOL’s Operation Secure led to the dismantling of over 20,000 malicious IPs tied to 69 malware strains across 26 countries. NIST has published new guidance to help organizations put Zero Trust Architecture into action, offering 19 real-world implementations built with industry partners. CyberEye lowers the barrier for cybercrime with a plug-and-play toolkit. This .NET-based RAT uses Telegram for command and control while offering modules for keylogging, credential theft, and platform-specific data grabbing. The TokenBreak attack manipulates how text is tokenized in classification models to sneak past defenses. A Mirai variant is actively exploiting a command injection vulnerability in TBK DVR-4104 and DVR-4216 devices, to conscript them into a botnet for DDoS attacks. Unpatched IT tools are once again opening the door to ransomware attacks. CISA has warned about vulnerabilities in SimpleHelp RMM software being exploited by groups like Play and DragonForce in double-extortion campaigns. Fog ransomware operators are blurring the line between admin tools and attack chains. In a recent incident, they deployed a mix of open-source and legitimate software to gain persistence and exfiltrate data undetected. Over 20 phishing applications impersonating popular crypto wallets have been found stealing mnemonic phrases to drain users’ funds.

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.