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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 31–04

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - May 31–04 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing Jun 4, 2021

The Good

Ransomware has become a scourge that is not going away anytime soon. As many organizations are not prepared to respond to such threats, the active involvement of law enforcement authorities can be a major help. Along similar lines, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken steps to prioritize ransomware-related investigations. Public schools are having a hard time with ransomware threats too. Now, IBM has announced a grant to aid K-12 schools in bolstering their defenses.

  • The U.S. DOJ seized two C&C and malware distribution domains that were used as part of a recent phishing attack against the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

  • IBM announced a $3 million grant to U.S. public K-12 schools to help school officials bolster their defenses while proactively responding to cyberattacks, especially by ransomware operators.

  • Under its Operation HAECHI-I, Interpol claimed to intercept $83 million in funds from being transferred from victims' accounts to the attackers behind various financial cybercrimes.

  • The U.S. Department of Justice announced to elevate investigations of ransomware attacks to a similar priority as terrorism in the wake of the recent attacks on critical infrastructure and government agencies.

  • Microsoft brought together 15 policy makers across seven Asia Pacific markets, including South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, to enable threat intelligence sharing amongst their respective public sectors.

The Bad

Cyberattacks are bad. Period. But, attacks on food supply chains are the worst! The FBI finally found the Sodinokibi gang responsible for the deleterious attack on JBS Foods. After the Scripps Health attack, another hospital network fell victim to a ransomware attack and had to resort to pen and paper. A notable scam—Walmart phishing campaign—has been observed that aims to steal credentials for identity theft.

  • An unprotected Elasticsearch database caused AMT Games to accidentally leak profiles of nearly six million players associated with the “Battle for the Galaxy” game. The database contained 1.5TB of data.

  • A misconfigured database, containing names, IP addresses, and payment information of the customers, belonging to DDoS-Guard was put on sale on a cybercrime forum. The entire set is being auctioned off at a starting price of $350,000.

  • The FBI held the Sodinokibi ransomware group responsible for the attacks on JBS Foods. The attack impacted production plants located in the U.S., Australia, and Canada.

  • Google ads are being infected with malicious packages of AnyDesk, Dropbox, and Telegram apps to distribute Redline, Taurus, Tesla, and Amadey trojans.

  • The Swedish Public Health Agency shut down SmiNet after being the target of several hacking attempts. No evidence of unauthorized parties accessing sensitive information has been found so far; investigation ensues.

  • A subscribe-unsubscribe spam campaign is making the rounds, attempting to confirm valid email accounts that can used in future phishing and spam campaigns. These emails ask the recipients to subscribe or unsubscribe from an unnamed service.

  • A Walmart phishing campaign is underway that attempts to steal users’ personal information. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to collect information to conduct identity theft attacks.

  • The U.K’s largest independent furniture retailer, Furniture Village, confirmed being hit by a cyberattack. Backend systems, including delivery, phones, and payments systems, still suffer outage.

  • The Steamship Authority, Massachussets’ largest ferry service, was hit by a ransomware attack, disrupting some operations.

  • UF Health Central Florida witnessed a blow to its IT network caused due to a ransomware attack. UF Health The Village Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital are incapable of accessing their computer systems and email because of the attack.

New Threats

While last week we witnessed Nobelium’s attempts to create headlines with new attacks, this week the group went a step further by using a poisoned update installer. Antivirus solutions now have a new enemy in the form of two new attack techniques - Cut-and-Mouse and Ghost Control. Let’s end this section by informing you of two emerging ransomware, called Prometheus and Grief. These two groups have already made their name in the cybercrime world with numerous attacks in recent months.

  • An ongoing spear-phishing campaign associated with a China-based APT group has been uncovered by researchers. The campaign is targeting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a Southeast Asian nation using an unknown backdoor named SharpPanda.
  • The Necro Python botnet got its functionalities updated with new exploits and mining abilities. It targets Linux-based and Windows operating systems.
  • TheNobelium threat actor group is using a new poisoned update installer in its latest wave of attacks.
  • A new attack technique dubbed Cut-and-Mouse and Ghost Control can be used to bypass ransomware defense in antivirus solutions. Researchers demonstrated that these twin attacks leverage security weaknesses in popular software applications and can enable attackers to takeover applications.
  • Prometheus and Grief are two emerging ransomware groups to have joined the data extortion game. While the former has ensnared data of 27 organizations, including that of some Mexican government agencies, the latter has affected five firms.
  • A new campaign is propagating TeaBot and FluBot banking trojans on Android phones. The trojans can perform various keylogging activities, steal Google Authentication codes, intercept messaging, and even take control of devices.
  • A new backdoor dubbed Facefish can allow attackers to take over Linux systems and steal sensitive data. It targets Linux x64 systems and can drop multiple rootkits at different times.
  • A new ransomware named Epsilon Red, similar to the REvil ransomware, targeted a U.S. company in the hospitality sector. Written in Golang, the ransomware is distributed via unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers.

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.