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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - March 25–29

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 27–31 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Mar 29, 2024

The Good

In an era where digital fortresses are as crucial as physical ones, the Pentagon has taken a monumental step by unveiling its first-ever cybersecurity strategy, aimed squarely at protecting its defense industrial base from the ever-looming threat of cyberattacks. Meanwhile, the CISA has crafted its own narrative in this digital saga by releasing a 447-page draft of a new set of rules. These rules, mandated by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, are a bold move to mandate critical infrastructure organizations to report cyberattacks to the federal government.

  • The Pentagon released its first cybersecurity strategy aimed at protecting its defense industrial base from cyberattacks. The strategy outlines goals and objectives to enhance cybersecurity and resilience within the supply chain, which consists of numerous entities contracting directly with the Pentagon. This initiative includes the Cybersecurity Maturity Model certification program to raise standards among contractors.

  • The White House announced new orders and requirements for federal agencies regarding the use of AI. The measures aim to ensure AI safety, protect privacy, advance equity, and promote innovation. Federal agencies are mandated to implement safeguards when using AI, monitor its impact on the public, and address algorithmic discrimination. The policy also emphasizes transparency and upskilling of federal workers in AI. Additionally, the government plans to hire 100 AI professionals and allocate funds for AI training programs.

  • The CISA released a 447-page draft of a new rule requiring critical infrastructure organizations to report cyberattacks to the federal government. The rule, mandated by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, aims to improve incident tracking and response. It requires reporting of cyber incidents within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours, with exemptions for public disclosure. The cost of enforcing the rule is estimated at $2.6 billion over 11 years. The public has 60 days to comment on the rule, which covers 16 critical infrastructure sectors.

The Bad

In the shadows of our interconnected world, a trio of cyber threats casts a long and ominous shadow. The first whisper of danger comes from the INC Ransom group's bold ultimatum to NHS Dumfries and Galloway, threatening to leak 3TB of stolen data unless a ransom is paid. This is closely followed by the revelation of APT31's assault on Finland's parliament in 2021. The final blow was dealt by the discovery

of thousands of vulnerable Microsoft Exchange servers across Germany, laying bare the soft underbelly of our digital infrastructures.

  • Hot Topic disclosed two waves of credential stuffing attacks from November, potentially exposing customers' personal information and partial payment data. Cybercriminals targeted Hot Topic Rewards accounts using login information obtained from an unknown source, potentially accessing names, email addresses, order histories, and partial payment data.

  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care disclosed that the number of people affected by a ransomware attack in April 2023 is higher than initially reported, with 2,860,795 individuals impacted. The attack exposed personal and health information of current and former subscribers, dependents, and contracted providers.

  • In an update, the INC Ransom group threatened to publish 3TB of data stolen from the NHS Dumfries and Galloway if the agencies failed to fulfill its ransom demand. As proof, it has shared some sample documents, containing medical assessments, analysis results, and psychological reports of doctors and patients. Meanwhile, the agencies have confirmed the attack by adding that clinical data of a small number of patients was leaked by the ransomware group.

  • The Big Issue, a U.K street newspaper supporting homeless people, was hit by a cyberattack. The attack, claimed by the Qilin ransomware gang, allegedly compromised 550GB of data, including files related to commercial and personnel operations. The company is working with experts to investigate and restore systems, while ensuring magazine distribution continues.

  • The Finnish Police attributed the March 2021 parliament attack to the China-linked group APT31, identifying one suspect. The investigation revealed a complex criminal infrastructure used by nation-state actors, and international collaboration was crucial in the investigation. The U.S. government announced sanctions against alleged APT31 members and a tech company used in cyber operations. The U.K, Australia, and New Zealand also accused APT31 of cyber intrusions.

  • Chinese APT groups launched a cyberespionage campaign targeting ASEAN organizations with malware. Two separate APT groups are responsible for the campaign, including the well-known threat actor Stately Taurus. The cyberattack involved two malicious packages, one of which was created specifically for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. The full extent of the campaign and the potential involvement of other actors are still under investigation.

  • The German national cybersecurity authority found 17,000 Microsoft Exchange servers in Germany exposed online and vulnerable to critical security flaws, affecting various institutions and businesses. Approximately 37% of Exchange servers in Germany are severely vulnerable, with many still using outdated versions and not applying available security updates in a timely manner. Many of these servers belong to institutions such as schools, medical facilities, and local governments.

  • The well-known cryptocurrency wallet manufacturer, Trezor, had its Twitter account hacked by scammers who posed as credible entities and used fake Calendly links to compromise the account. Despite the security breach, Trezor assured customers that their hardware wallets and products remained secure. Trezor quickly deleted the unauthorized tweets and posted a warning to its 205,000 followers.

  • The city of St.Cloud in Florida fell victim to a ransomware attack, forcing people to make cash payments at parks and recreation events. Additionally, payments for services at the Transfer station are temporarily being made in cash. Investigations are underway. The incident comes days after the city government of Pensacola and Jacksonville Beach confirmed suffering disruption due to ransomware attacks.

  • A Canadian discount retailer, Giant Tiger, announced a third-party data breach that impacted the data of its customers. This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses of email subscribers, and loyalty members of Giant Tiger. Additionally, the data of those who placed online orders for in-store pickup or home delivery were compromised in the incident. Customers are advised to be vigilant about suspicious emails and phone calls.

New Threats

Amid the cyber chaos, Python developers are under siege from a sophisticated campaign designed to siphon off their crypto wallets and personal data, compelling PyPI to freeze new additions in a defensive maneuver. Concurrently, PhantomRAT emerged from the cyber shadows, targeting Russian organizations with deceptive precision, while a newfound vulnerability rattled the Grafana platform, exposing the fragility of cyber defenses and prompting an immediate call to arms for upgrades and heightened vigilance.

  • Checkmarx team reported a new multi-stage attack campaign against Python developers, which aims at stealing their crypto wallets, sensitive data from browsers, and various credentials. The attackers are leveraging typosquatting and automation to upload malicious Python packages to the repository. As a precautionary measure, PyPI has temporarily suspended new project creation and new user registration to mitigate the ongoing campaign.

  • A threat actor group linked to Ukraine was reported using a new malware, named PhantomRAT, to target organizations in Russia. To deliver PhantomRAT into victims’ systems, the hackers used phishing emails containing a PDF file disguised as a contract, along with an attached RAR archive protected by a password sent within the email. The malware is capable of downloading files from a command and control (C2) server and uploading files from a compromised host to the attackers' controlled server.

  • Unit 42 researchers have discovered a new Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) vulnerability that impacts the Grafana platform. This vulnerability, assigned as CVE-2024-1313, has a CVSS score of 6.5 and can allow low-privileged Grafana users to delete dashboard snapshots belonging to other organizations using the snapshot's keys. Users are suggested to upgrade the version to 10.4.x, 10.3.5, 10.2.6, 10.1.9 or 9.5.18 to mitigate the BOLA risk.

  • A new PhaaS named Darcula was found using nearly 20,000 domains to spoof brands and steal credentials from Android and iPhone users in more than 100 countries. Touted to offer over 200 templates, the kit has been used against various organizations, including financial, government, telecommunications, and airlines. These templates impersonate landing pages of multiple brands and use the correct local language, logos, and content to trick users. As part of the attack tactic, it uses the RCS protocol for Google messages and iMessage to send phishing messages.

  • The Black Lotus Labs team at Lumen Technologies discovered a long-term campaign targeting end-of-life small home/office routers and IoT devices using an updated version of the "TheMoon" malware. The campaign has resulted in over 40,000 infected bots from 88 countries, being used to power the Faceless proxy service, which facilitates cybercriminal activities. The infection process for victim proxy devices involves a series of steps, including setting up iptable rules, contacting NTP servers, and communicating with a C2 server to download subsequent modules.

  • The ShadowRay hacking campaign targets an unpatched vulnerability in the popular open-source AI framework Ray. The attacks have been ongoing since September 5, 2023, affecting sectors such as education, cryptocurrency, and biopharma. Anyscale, the developer of Ray, disclosed several vulnerabilities but did not fix a critical flaw, CVE-2023-48022, due to a lack of authentication. This has led to active exploitation by hackers, resulting in the potential leakage of sensitive data and the hijacking of computing power from thousands of compromised companies.

  • Rockwell Automation published three new security advisories regarding vulnerabilities in its FactoryTalk, PowerFlex, and Arena Simulation products. The Arena Simulation software has six vulnerabilities, including five high-severity arbitrary code execution flaws and one medium-severity information disclosure and denial-of-service (DoS) issue. Exploitation of the Arena Simulation vulnerabilities requires users to open malicious files. The PowerFlex product vulnerabilities are three high-severity DoS flaws with no patches available yet. The FactoryTalk View ME product has a medium-severity vulnerability that allows remote restarting of the PanelView Plus 7 terminal without security protections.

  • Kimsuky group re-emerged in a new campaign that dropped Endoor backdoor disguised as an installer from a Korean public institution. The backdoor is developed in Golang and is capable of pilfering basic information from infected systems. It includes other features such as command execution, file upload and download, process-related tasks, and Socks5 proxy. As part of the campaign, the threat actor used the backdoor to download additional malware or install screenshot-taking malware, noted researchers.

  • Researchers shared details of a newly discovered phishing-as-a-service kit named Tycoon 2FA, highlighting that it is widely used to target Microsoft 365 users and Gmail accounts. The kit, which shares similarities with Dadsec OTT and other AitM platforms, is capable of creating fake login pages of legitimate services to bypass MFA protections and exfiltrate credentials. The platform leverages 1,100 domains and has been observed in thousands of phishing attacks.

  • Researchers have uncovered a new ransomware, named HelloFire, that disguises as legitimate penetration testing activities to trick users. Once executed, the ransomware appends the encrypted files with ‘.afire’ extension and launches a ransom note in a ‘Restore.txt’ file. The encryptor is built as a Windows PE 32bit executable using Visual C++ and has a file size of 49.5KB.

Related Threat Briefings

Feb 14, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, February 10–14, 2025

Cyber defenders are sharpening their tools, and EARLYCROW is the latest weapon against stealthy APT operations. This method detects C2 activity over HTTP(S) using a novel traffic analysis format called PAIRFLOW. India is taking digital banking security up a notch. The RBI is launching a dedicated domain to curb financial fraud and enhance trust in online banking. Starting April 2025, financial institutions will register under this domain. China’s RedMike hackers are dialing into telecom networks - literally. Between December 2024 and January 2025, they targeted over 1,000 unpatched Cisco devices. Their primary focus? Global telecoms and university networks in Argentina, Bangladesh, and the U.S. Russia’s Sandworm hackers are using pirated software as bait. Their latest attack on Ukrainian Windows users disguises malware inside trojanized KMS activators and fake Windows updates. Love is in the air, but so are phishing scams. In late January, cybercriminals launched a Valentine’s-themed phishing campaign, offering fake gift baskets in exchange for stolen credentials. Cybercriminals are upping their game with Astaroth, a phishing kit that doesn’t just steal credentials but also hijacks entire sessions. By using a reverse proxy, Astaroth intercepts logins and 2FA tokens in real time, allowing attackers to bypass security measures undetected. South America’s foreign ministry was caught in the crosshairs of an advanced cyber-espionage campaign. In November 2024, attackers linked to REF7707 deployed the PATHLOADER and FINALDRAFT malware to infiltrate diplomatic networks. A new malware named Ratatouille is stirring up trouble by bypassing UAC and using I2P for anonymous communications. Spreading through phishing emails and fake CAPTCHA pages, it tricks victims into running an embedded PowerShell script.

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.