Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 24–28

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 24–28 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • May 28, 2021

The Good

This section today is just like chicken soup for your cyber soul. Let's start with the security directive by DHS to pipeline companies that will assist their teams in reporting and mitigating threats to their networks. Kudos to the stakeholders for another step in the right direction. The underground cybercrime economy has been hit with yet another crackdown by French intelligence and law enforcement authorities who shut down the Le Monde Parallèle (The Parallel World) marketplace.

  • The U.S. Coast Guard announced the establishment of its first-ever red team under the Cyber Operational Assessments Branch to bolster the Coast Guard’s cyber defenses.
  • The DHS will be issuing a security directive to pipeline companies that will assist their teams in reporting cybercriminal activities within their network to mitigate threats.
  • The FBI is planning on sharing compromised passwords with Have I Been Pwned’s ‘Password Pwned’ service. This would enable users and admins to check for passwords that have been used for malicious intents.
  • The French National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations seized their third dark web marketplace, known as Le Monde Parallèle (The Parallel World).
  • The post-quantum cryptography standard, a years-long project by the federal government, is to be finalized later this year. It is believed that quantum computing will be able to tear through existing pubic key encryption algorithms.

The Bad

Government entities are always lucrative targets for cybercriminals because of the sensitive nature of the data handled by them. This week, the Belgian Interior Ministry was found to have been hit by a cyberespionage campaign by foreign threat actors. It seems that even though we are not talking about the SolarWinds attacks anymore, the attackers behind it are working hard on making headlines. They went ahead and targeted 150 entities across the world. It is already established that exposed databases are one of the major cybersecurity concerns in today’s time. However, organizations need to step up their security game and not leave low-hanging fruits for cybercriminals.

  • Fujitsu was forced to temporarily shut down its ProjectWEB SaaS platform after cyberattacks on multiple Japanese government entities, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Cabinet Secretariat; and the Narita Airport.
  • Microsoft discovered the Russia-based APT29 threat actor targeting around 150 government agencies, consultants, think tanks, and NGOs in at least 24 nations. This group was responsible for the SolarWinds attack.
  • A cyberespionage campaign hit the Belgian Interior ministry in 2019 and was uncovered this March. Federal authorities had launched an investigation to identify the origin of the operation, which data had been hacked, and whether a foreign state was involved.
  • Private patient info was released to media outlets by hackers who targeted hospitals in New Zealand’s Waikato district. The attack took place last week and the hackers gained unauthorized access to documents containing names, phone numbers, and addresses of patients and staff.
  • Around 200,000 patients and employees of Rehoboth Mckinley Christian Health Care Services (RMCHCS) were affected due to a data breach.
  • Bose Corporation suffered a data breach that occurred due to a ransomware attack in March. The personal information—social security numbers, compensation information, and other HR-related information—of some of its current and former employees was accessed by the attackers.
  • A database belonging to Bergen Logistics remains exposed for public access without any security authentication. It includes 467,979 records, containing names, addresses, order numbers, and email addresses, all relevant to shipments and customers.
  • Indonesia’s government admitted to the leak of the personal data of millions of citizens on the RaidForums dark web market. The data was stolen from a national health insurance scheme Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS).

New Threats

A novel data theft technique was discovered in 2015 which came to be known as Rowhammer. As chips are shrinking, Rowhammer attacks are getting harder to stop with another new attack technique discovered this week. We also witnessed the transformation of a wiper to malware. This new malware wants to make chaos and not money. In a new vulnerability discovery, Apple’s new M1 chips were found to be riddled with a new bug at the hardware level.

  • The BazarLoader backdoor has returned in a new campaign that masquerades as a fake movie-streaming service BravoMovies.
  • Apple M1 chips are being bugged by a newly found M1RACLES bug. Tracked as CVE-2021-30747, the bug allows two apps running on the same device to exchange data between one another via a secret channel at the CPU level.
  • Steam is being targeted by a new type of phishing attack. The important aspect of the scam is that the URL includes a secured padlock, which convinces the users into believing that the website is safe.
  • New details have emerged about the TeamTNT hacking group that has targeted close to 50,000 IPs in a lesser-known worm-like attack between March and May. Most of the compromised Kubernetes nodes are from China and the U.S.
  • A new cyberespionage campaign is making the rounds in which SolarMarker backdoor pretends to be a legit PDFescape Installer to bypass security solutions.
  • Evil Annotation and Sneaky Signature are two recently discovered exploits that can be weaponized against certified PDFs to alter arbitrary content. Twenty-four popular PDF tools are vulnerable to either one or both the flaws.
  • Google security experts demonstrated another variant of the Rowhammer attack dubbed Half-Double that capitalizes on newer DRAM chips to alter the contents of memory.
  • The Iranian hacking group Agrius has come up with a new destructible wiper malware Apostle that includes the functionality of wiper and ransomware. This new malware primarily focuses on cyberespionage and destruction.
  • A new, sophisticated malvertising campaign has been spotted that propagates the weaponized AnyDesk installer.
  • Check Point Research and Kaspersky uncovered a campaign, probably by Chinese threat actors, targeting Uyghurs via phishing documents branded with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) logo.

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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

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Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

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Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

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Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

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May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

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May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

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May 16, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 12–16, 2025

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May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

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May 2, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 28–May 02, 2025

The FBI just dropped a massive breadcrumb trail. Details of 42,000 phishing domains tied to the LabHost platform have been released to help defenders investigate potential breaches. The service enabled the theft of 500,000 credit cards and over a million credentials. The takedown of JokerOTP has exposed just how far phishing has evolved. The tool was used in more than 28,000 attacks across 13 countries, tricking victims into handing over 2FA codes by mimicking trusted brands. The operation cost victims £7.5 million and has now led to serious criminal charges, thanks to a joint effort involving Europol and Dutch authorities. Malware’s now hitching a ride on Go modules. Socket has uncovered three malicious packages hiding disk-wiping payloads, designed to cause irreversible data loss, especially on Linux systems. These modules take advantage of Go’s decentralized ecosystem. In the shadows of the cybersecurity landscape, MintsLoader emerges as a formidable adversary, orchestrating a multi-faceted infection strategy that deploys the notorious GhostWeaver RAT. Some PyPI packages are doing more than importing functions. Researchers uncovered seven malicious Python packages under the “Coffin” naming scheme, using Gmail’s SMTP service as a stealthy C2 channel. Ransomware groups aren’t always the ones breaking the door open. Researchers have uncovered ToyMaker, an initial access broker selling network entry to ransomware groups. Using a custom malware strain called LAGTOY, ToyMaker establishes reverse shells and executes commands on compromised systems. New vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, collectively dubbed AirBorne, expose billions of devices to remote code execution without user interaction. Sharp and TX stealers are back, donning a new cloak - named Hannibal Stealer. It is going after credentials from browsers, crypto wallets, FTP clients, and VPN apps. It even captures Discord tokens and Steam sessions.

Apr 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 21–25, 2025

AI security finally has a global playbook. ETSI has released TS 104 223, a first-of-its-kind technical specification outlining how to secure AI systems across their entire lifecycle - from design to decommissioning. MITRE’s latest update is catching up with the cloud. ATT&CK v17 expands the framework to include ESXi and adds more than 140 defensive analytics. Platform-specific data collection advice, improved mitigation mapping, and deeper coverage of mobile threats like SIM swaps round out the upgrade. An APT group with deep roots in Southeast Asia is quietly siphoning data through everyday cloud platforms. Earth Kurma has been active since late 2020, targeting government and telecom entities across the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Signal and WhatsApp are the new frontline for cloud compromise. Russian actors are running OAuth phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365 users tied to Ukraine and human rights work. A forged email that passes every security check - that’s the new phishing trick. Attackers are using DKIM replay tactics to forward legitimate Google security alerts to unsuspecting victims. It starts with a fake sales order and ends with FormBook silently stealing your data. A recent phishing campaign has been abusing a long-patched Microsoft flaw to deliver a fileless variant of the malware. Docker containers aren’t always what they seem. A new threat named TenoBot is targeting systems running outdated Teneo Web3 node software, deploying malicious containers to hijack environments. A stealthy new RAT is slipping through Ivanti Connect Secure devices in Japan. Dubbed DslogdRAT, the malware exploits a zero-day flaw to execute commands via web shell and quietly exfiltrate data using encoded C2 traffic.

Apr 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 14–18, 2025

The U.S. is drawing a hard line on data outflows. The DOJ’s new Data Security Program aims to block foreign adversaries, specifically nations like China and Russia, from acquiring sensitive American data through commercial channels. SSL certificates are about to expire a lot faster. In a move to tighten digital trust, the CA/Browser Forum has approved a gradual reduction in certificate lifespans - from the current 398 days to just 47 by 2029. One email, three stages, and no files to catch. Agent Tesla is being deployed through spam campaigns that use archive attachments with embedded JavaScript. They look like browser helpers, but they act like spyware. A set of 57 Chrome extensions have been found snooping on users. XorDDoS is now compromising Docker servers and deploying new features tied to a “VIP” variant. Most of the recent activity is hitting U.S. infrastructure. UNC5174 is keeping a low profile, but its targets aren’t. Active since late 2024, the Chinese state-linked group has been compromising Linux systems using a malicious bash script that drops SNOWLIGHT malware and a fileless VShell RAT. A wine-tasting invite with a side of malware. APT29, the Russian state-aligned group, is targeting European diplomatic networks with phishing lures disguised as event announcements.

Apr 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 07–11, 2025

The U.K. government rolled out a Cyber Governance Code of Practice aimed at directors and board members, not just CISOs. Backed by the NCSC and other national bodies, the code includes practical actions, modular training, and a board-level toolkit. Startups building the future of cyber defense are getting serious backing. The British Business Bank has committed most of a £50 million fund to Osney Capital, which will invest in early-stage cybersecurity companies across the U.K. A torrent download might be doing more than delivering cracked software. A campaign has been distributing ViperSoftX to Korean users, likely run by Arabic-speaking threat actors. Invasive spyware campaigns are zeroing in on high-risk communities. MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR are being deployed through trojanized mobile apps to surveil Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese individuals, as well as civil society groups. Search for QuickBooks during tax season, and you might land on a trap. Threat actors are placing deceptive Google Ads that link to phishing pages almost identical to the real QuickBooks login portal. It starts with a PDF search and ends with malware on your machine. A new campaign is using fake CAPTCHAs and Cloudflare Turnstile to lure users into downloading LegionLoader. Seed phrases aren’t supposed to come from strangers. The PoisonSeed campaign is targeting crypto holders and enterprise users by compromising bulk email services. Victims are lured with fake wallet setup instructions that embed attacker-controlled recovery phrases - giving threat actors full access once the wallets are used. A Chinese-linked threat group, ToddyCat, has been exploiting a security vulnerability in ESET's software to deliver a new malware, TCESB, in Asia.