Cookie Settings

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide essential functionality and improve your experience. Some features, such as demo scheduling and chat support, require marketing cookies to function. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to all cookies. Alternatively, you can customize your preferences, but note that declining marketing cookies will limit certain website features.

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - March 04–08

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - March 04–08 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Mar 8, 2024

The Good

As we navigate the vast expanse of the digital frontier, two beacons of guidance have emerged to illuminate our path. First, the NSA and the CISA released five pivotal cybersecurity bulletins, charting a course for safer cloud navigation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard is steering the maritime sector into secure waters, bolstering its Cyber Command and setting a course for robust cybersecurity standards.

  • The NSA and the CISA released five joint cybersecurity bulletins focusing on best practices to secure data in cloud environments. The recommendations include implementing IAM solutions, encryptions, data encryption, network segmentation, and mitigating risks from MSPs. The guidance also includes tips for securing cloud services and emphasizes the importance of understanding shared security responsibilities.

  • The NSA released guidance on implementing a zero-trust security framework to limit adversary movement within internal networks. This approach assumes that a threat already exists and requires strict controls for accessing resources, such as data flow mapping, segmentation, and software-defined networking. The framework consists of seven pillars, and the agency has just released guidance for the network and environment component.

  • GitHub is implementing push protection as the default for all public repositories to prevent accidental leakage of secrets like API keys and tokens. The feature scans code commits for secrets and alerts developers if any are found. It has detected over 1 million leaked secrets this year alone. The feature supports over 200 token types and patterns from 180 service providers.

  • The U.S. Coast Guard is enhancing its cybersecurity capabilities and expanding its Cyber Command operations to address growing cyber threats in maritime transportation systems. Additionally, the Coast Guard is implementing specific cyber risk management actions for cranes manufactured by Chinese companies and is planning to establish new cybersecurity standards for U.S. ports and vessels.

The Bad

While there is enough beer, the fate of restarting production remains uncertain - such is the plight of Duvel Moortgat Brewery. The Stormous ransomware group claimed credit for the attack. Casting more shadows across cyberspace, Mr. Green Gaming faced a breach, exposing the personal data of 27,000 users, with details now lurking in the dark web's corners due to an exploited inactive account. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s largest telco was found grappling with a major data heist of 1.7TB, purportedly by hackers with ties to the Chinese government.

  • A ransomware attack on Swiss technology company Xplain resulted in the leak of 65,000 sensitive government documents, impacting key administrative units and containing personal data and classified information. Most of the leaked files belong to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, with a smaller impact on the Federal Department of Defence.

  • The Jersey Financial Services Commission experienced a data breach, allowing unauthorized access to non-public names and addresses. The breach was due to a misconfiguration in a third party-supplied Registry system. The leak did not link individuals to registered entities or roles, and the organization is working with authorities and conducting thorough investigations to improve the system's design.

  • Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat was targeted in a ransomware attack, leading to the suspension of production. The attack prompted an immediate halt to production. While the company is well-stocked to handle the disruption, there is uncertainty about when production will resume. The Stormous ransomware group added the company to its leak site and allegedly stole 88GB of data.

  • School District 67 (Okanagan-Skaha) in Penticton and Summerland notified parents of a cyberattack that compromised personal information, including student files, report cards, and possibly health data. The district shut down online services, contacted the police, and initiated an investigation. Concerned individuals are advised to contact the district and take precautionary measures such as changing passwords and monitoring online activity.

  • Fidelity Investments Life Insurance disclosed that attackers acquired information about 28,268 customers in a ransomware attack on Infosys’ US subsidiary, Infosys Mccamish Systems. The information includes names, SSNs, states of residence, bank accounts, routing numbers, dates of birth, and credit card numbers of individuals. While the LockBit group had previously claimed responsibility for attacks, it remains unclear as to how attackers gained access to the network and how much data was stolen.

  • A data breach at Mr. Green Gaming affected the personal information, such as dates of birth, email addresses, geographic locations, addresses, and usernames, of around 27,000 users. The incident came to light after the information was circulated on the dark web. The breach was attributed to the unauthorized access of an inactive administrator account.

  • Canada’s financial intelligence agency FINTRAC was forced to pull off its corporate systems following a cyber incident that occurred over the weekend. While the nature of the incident is not disclosed, the agency revealed that its intelligence or classified systems were unaffected.

  • Muscatine Power and Water, a utility company in Iowa, disclosed that the information of nearly 37,000 people was affected in a January ransomware attack. The hackers had gained unauthorized access to SSNs and CPNI of individuals after infiltrating its corporate network environment.

  • Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan experienced a data breach, allegedly orchestrated by cybercriminals backed by the Chinese government. The breach resulted in the theft of 1.7TB of government-related information, which was subsequently offered for sale on the dark web. While the Defense Ministry confirmed the breach, it assured that no confidential information was compromised.

  • American Express informed customers about a data breach involving a third-party service provider used by its travel services division. While the breach did not compromise American Express's systems, it resulted in unauthorized access to customers' credit card account numbers, names, and expiration dates. The exact scope of the breach, including the number of affected customers and the timing, remains unclear.

New Threats

In the digital world's latest chess game, cyber adversaries advance with cunning moves. ESET unveiled a cyberespionage offensive against Tibetans, orchestrated around the Monlam Festival with trojanized software, traced back to the Evasive Panda APT group. Parallelly, the Python Infostealer malware emerged, lurking in Facebook Messenger to snatch user credentials through deceptive messages. Additionally, Zscaler exposed a crafty campaign exploiting popular online meeting platforms to deploy RATs on unsuspecting devices, aiming to pilfer sensitive information.

  • A cyberespionage campaign targeted Tibetans through a strategic web compromise and trojanized software, utilizing the Monlam Festival as a focal point for attacks, revealed ESET. The Evasive Panda APT group, with Chinese alignment, was identified as the likely perpetrator based on the use of MgBot and the newly discovered Nightdoor backdoor.
  • A new threat, dubbed Python Infostealer, was observed targeting Facebook Messenger users and pilfering their credentials. This malware operates stealthily by leveraging legitimate platforms like GitHub and GitLab for its C2 infrastructure. The infection begins with innocuous Messenger messages containing archived files, initiating a two-stage infection process. The stealer comes in three variants, aiming to harvest and exfiltrate user credentials to platforms like Discord, GitHub, and Telegram.
  • Cisco disclosed critical vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-20335 and CVE-2024-20336, in the web-based management interface of its Small Business 100, 300, and 500 Series Wireless Access Points. These flaws could permit authenticated remote attackers to execute command injections and buffer overflow attacks, potentially leading to full compromise of the devices. Since no patches will be provided, users are urged to replace affected devices and transition to newer models.
  • Zscaler researchers shared details of a new campaign that leveraged online meeting platforms, such as Skype, Google Meet, and Zoom, to spread RATs. While SpyNote is distributed on Android platforms, NjRAT and DCRat are deployed on Windows systems. The ultimate goal of the attack was to steal confidential information, keystrokes, and files from targeted devices.
  • A new malware dubbed WogRAT was found using the online notepad platform, aNotepad, as a covert channel to target Windows and Linux systems. The Linux version of the malware, which comes in ELF form, shares similarities with the Windows variant. However, it distinguishes itself by utilizing Tiny Shell for routing operations and additional encryption in its communication with the C2 server. The malware has been targeting users in Japan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries.
  • Cado Security Labs identified four new Golang malware that targeted misconfigured servers and exploited an n-day vulnerability (CVE-2022-26134) in Confluence to conduct RCE attacks and infect new hosts. Once initial access was achieved, a series of shell scripts and Linux attack techniques were used to deliver a cryptocurrency miner.
  • Researchers warned about a new banking trojan, named CHAVECLOAK, that uses Smishing, phishing emails, and compromised websites to infect Brazilian banking users. The malware targets Windows devices and accesses online banking platforms to steal banking credentials and financial information. In one such campaign, the attackers used phishing emails disguised as legitimate bank communications to trick users into downloading the malware.
  • The North Korean APT group Kimsuky was found exploiting ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws (CVE-2024-1708 and CVE-2024-1709) to deploy a new ToddleShark malware on targeted systems. The malware, believed to be a variant of BabyShark and ReconShark backdoors, is capable of gathering a wide range of system information such as hostname, user accounts, network configurations, installed security software, and current network connections.
  • Insikt Group unearthed a new infrastructure used by the operators of the Predator spyware in 11 countries. By analyzing the domains facilitating the spyware's delivery, potential Predator customers were identified in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. Predator grants access to sensitive data and leave minimal traces. The sophisticated spyware is distributed through spoofed websites and an anonymization network, making attribution challenging.

Related Threat Briefings

Jan 10, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, January 06–10, 2025

The U.K is fortifying its digital defenses with the launch of Cyber Local, a £1.9 million initiative to bridge cyber skills gaps and secure the digital economy. Spanning 30 projects across England and Northern Ireland, the scheme emphasizes local business resilience, neurodiverse talent, and cybersecurity careers for youth. Across the Atlantic, the White House introduced the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a consumer-friendly cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices. Overseen by the FCC, the initiative tests products like baby monitors and security systems for compliance with rigorous cybersecurity standards, ensuring Americans can make safer choices for their connected homes. China-linked threat actor RedDelta has ramped up its cyber-espionage activities across Asia, targeting nations such as Mongolia, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Vietnam with a modified PlugX backdoor. Cybercriminals have weaponized trust by deploying a fake PoC exploit tied to a patched Microsoft Windows LDAP vulnerability. CrowdStrike reported a phishing operation impersonating the company, using fake job offers to lure victims into downloading a fraudulent CRM application. Once installed, the malware deploys a Monero cryptocurrency miner. A new Mirai-based botnet, dubbed Gayfemboy, has emerged as a formidable threat, leveraging zero-day exploits in industrial routers and smart home devices. With 15,000 active bot nodes daily across China, the U.S., and Russia, the botnet executes high-intensity DDoS attacks exceeding 100 Gbps. In the Middle East, fraudsters are posing as government officials in a social engineering scheme targeting disgruntled customers. Cybercriminals have weaponized WordPress with a malicious plugin named PhishWP to create realistic fake payment pages mimicking services like Stripe. The plugin not only captures payment details in real time but also sends fake confirmation emails to delay detection.

Dec 20, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 16–20, 2024

In a digital age where borders are blurred, governments are sharpening their strategies to outpace cyber adversaries. The draft update to the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) introduces a comprehensive framework for managing nationwide cyberattacks that impact critical infrastructure and the economy. Meanwhile, the fiscal year 2025 defense policy bill, recently approved by the Senate, emphasizes strengthening cybersecurity measures both at home and abroad. A deceptive health app on the Amazon Appstore turned out to be a Trojan horse for spyware. Masquerading as BMI CalculationVsn, the app recorded device screens, intercepted SMS messages, and scanned for installed apps to steal sensitive data. Malicious extensions targeting developers and cryptocurrency projects have infiltrated the VSCode marketplace and NPM. Disguised as productivity tools, these extensions employed downloader functionality to deliver obfuscated PowerShell payloads. The BADBOX botnet has resurfaced, compromising over 192,000 Android devices, including high-end smartphones and smart TVs, directly from the supply chain. Industrial control systems are facing heightened risks as malware like Ramnit and Chaya_003 targets engineering workstations from Mitsubishi and Siemens. Both malware families exploit legitimate services, complicating detection and mitigation efforts in ICS environments. The Chinese hacking group Winnti has been leveraging a PHP backdoor called Glutton, targeting organizations in China and the U.S. This modular ELF-based malware facilitates tailored attacks across industries and even embeds itself into software packages to compromise other cybercriminals. A tax-themed phishing campaign, dubbed FLUX#CONSOLE, is deploying backdoor payloads to compromise systems in Pakistan. Threat actors employ phishing emails with double-extension files masquerading as PDFs.

Dec 13, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 09–13, 2024

Cybercrime’s web of deception unraveled in South Korea as authorities dismantled a fraud network responsible for extorting $6.3 million through fake online trading platforms. Dubbed Operation Midas, the effort led to the arrest of 32 individuals and the seizure of 20 servers. In a significant move to combat surveillance abuses, the U.S. defense policy bill for 2025 introduced measures to shield military and diplomatic personnel from commercial spyware threats. The legislation calls for stringent cybersecurity standards, a review of spyware incidents, and regular reporting to Congress. The subtle art of deception found a new stage with a Microsoft Teams call, as attackers used social engineering to manipulate victims into granting remote access. By convincing users to install AnyDesk, they gained control of systems, executing commands to download the DarkGate malware. Russian APT Secret Blizzard has resurfaced and used the Amadey bot to infiltrate Ukrainian military devices and deploy their Tavdig backdoor. In a phishing spree dubbed "Aggressive Inventory Zombies (AIZ)," scammers impersonated brands like Etsy, Amazon, and Binance to target retail and crypto audiences. Surveillance has reached unsettling new depths with the discovery of BoneSpy and PlainGnome, two spyware families linked to the Russian group Gamaredon. Designed for extensive espionage, these Android malware tools track GPS, capture audio, and harvest data. A new Android banking trojan has already caused havoc among Indian users, masquerading as utility and banking apps to steal sensitive financial information. With 419 devices compromised, the malware intercepts SMS messages, exfiltrates personal data via Supabase, and even tricks victims into entering details under the pretense of bill payment. Iranian threat actors have set their sights on critical infrastructure, deploying IOCONTROL malware to infiltrate IoT and OT/SCADA systems in Israel and the U.S.

Dec 6, 2024

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, December 02–06, 2024

NIST sharpened the tools for organizations to measure their cybersecurity readiness, addressing both technical and leadership challenges. The two-volume guidance blends data-driven assessments with managerial insights, emphasizing the critical role of leadership in applying findings. The Manson Market, a notorious hub for phishing networks, fell in a sweeping Europol-led takedown. With over 50 servers seized and 200TB of stolen data recovered, the operation spanned multiple countries, including Germany and Austria. Russian APT group BlueAlpha leveraged Cloudflare Tunnels to cloak its GammaDrop malware campaign from prying eyes. The group deployed HTML smuggling and DNS fast-fluxing to bypass detection, targeting Ukrainian organizations with precision. Earth Minotaur intensified its surveillance operations against Tibetan and Uyghur communities through the MOONSHINE exploit kit. The kit, now updated with newer exploits, enables the installation of the DarkNimbus backdoor on Android and Windows devices. Cloudflare Pages became an unwitting ally in the sharp rise of phishing campaigns, with a staggering 198% increase in abuse cases. Cybercriminals exploited the platform's infrastructure to host malicious pages, fueling a surge from 460 incidents in 2023 to over 1,370 by October 2024. DroidBot has quietly infiltrated over 77 cryptocurrency exchanges and banking apps, building a web of theft across Europe. Active since June 2024, this Android malware operates as a MaaS platform, enabling affiliates to tailor attacks. Rockstar 2FA, a phishing platform targeting Microsoft 365 users, has set the stage for large-scale credential theft. With over 5,000 phishing domains launched, the platform is marketed on Telegram. The Gafgyt malware is shifting gears, targeting exposed Docker Remote API servers through legitimate Docker images, creating botnets capable of launching DDoS attacks.