Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - September 06–10

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - September 06–10 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • September 10, 2021

The Good

Remember the HSE attack earlier this year? The Gardai confiscated all infrastructure related to the attackers. We have quite a new guidance issued by the CISA for organizations in the private and government sectors. The alert aims to reinforce cybersecurity resilience. In other news, researchers claim that training ML models on the visual representation of website code can improve the detection process of phishing websites.

  • Kaspersky released a safety guide for Android users detailing how alternative downloading or installation of apps from stores other than Google Play jeopardize their data and money.
  • A paper published by security researchers from the University of Plymouth and the University of Portsmouth found a way to speed up the detection of phishing websites. According to the paper, ML models trained on the visual representation of website codes can enhance the accuracy and speed of the process.
  • The Biden Administration released multiple documents that serve as guidelines for agencies to implement cybersecurity architectures by the end of fiscal 2024. The documents will be out for public comment from October 01.
  • The Irish Gardai confiscated the cyberinfrastructure of the group involved in the HSE cyberattack earlier this year. Officials seized domains via which hackers made 753 attempts via ICT systems worldwide.
  • A Ukrainian individual has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for brute-forcing computer login credentials and then selling them in underground marketplaces.
  • The CISA published new guidelines for both private and government organizations to follow while outsourcing to managed service providers. This guidance is aimed at boards of directors and senior executives, network and system administrators, and procurement professionals.

The Bad

There’s no good way to say this, so here it goes - REvil is back. Two months back, the group suddenly disappeared and now its sudden reemergence is sparking concerns amongst the security community. Israel witnessed two unfortunate cyber incidents. In one of these incidents, cybercriminals stole the personal information of seven million Israelis. Talking about data theft, a hospital in Bangkok lost the personal and medical records of hundreds of thousands of patients.

A hacker allegedly stole the personal data of about seven million Israelis via a website used by different municipalities in the country. The data was stolen by hacking a website handled by municipalities. In another unfortunate cyber incident in Israel, Darkrypt actors leaked about 20TB of data containing personal details of students and lecturers at Bar Ilan University after the institution refused to pay $2.5 million in ransom.

  • A cybercriminal, allegedly from the Groove ransomware gang, dumped approximately 500,000 Fortinet VPN login credentials on a hacker forum and a telegram channel for free.
  • Personal and medical records of over 40,000 patients at Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital, Bangkok, were stolen by a cybercriminal. A similar incident impacted Phetchabun Hospital last Sunday.
  • An unidentified hacker group hijacked a Russian government website and launched Bitcoin giveaway scams, wherein they asked users to install an application to qualify for schemes.
  • A massive DDoS attack hobbled Australia and New Zealand Banking Group’s New Zealand site and NZ Post due to an issue at one of its third-party providers.
  • Researchers noted that the leak site and other sites connected to the REvil ransomware group are back online, suggesting the group’s resurgence after it disappeared following the Kaseya attack.
  • Days after eHAC’s leak in Indonesia, another COVID-19 tracking app in the country named PeduliLindungi exposed personal data and vaccination information of residents, including that of the President.
  • A security misconfiguration in the storage servers of Texas Right to Life laid bare the personal data of at least 300 job applicants, via their resumes.
  • The visa website of the French government experienced a foreign intrusion that led to the exposure of personal data of about 8,700 users. Authorities denied the leak of any sensitive details.
  • The United Nations admitted to having suffered a data breach in April. Intruders accessed its networks, leading to further intrusions.

New Threats

The week witnessed another new, massive-humongous-huge DDoS attack against Yandex, conducted by the M?ris botnet. As threat actors are evolving, so are their tactics. Ragnar Locker came up with one such extortion tactic in which they claimed to publish stolen data if victims contact law enforcement. However, we are yet to see them coming through. Coming to the topic of ransomware actors, a lot of them are paying for initial access, increasing the prevalence of initial access brokers.

  • CoomingProject, a new hacker group, claimed responsibility for breaching the networks of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and stealing mostly space science research-related work.
  • Internet service provider Yandex is experiencing one of the biggest DDoS attacks, that began last week, in the history of RuNet. The attack was launched by a new DDoS botnet named M?ris that gains its power from more than 250,000 compromised devices.
  • AT&T Alien Labs uncovered a new Chimaera campaign by the TeamTNT hacker group that targets multiple operating systems. The infection impacted thousands of devices globally.
  • A team of academics discovered a new side-channel technique in CPUs named Spook.js that can exploit the site isolation feature in Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers to steal data.
  • The recently disclosed flaw in the Atlassian Confluence service was exploited in an attack to install a cryptocurrency miner. The flaw is tracked as CVE-2021-26084 and is related to an OGNL injection issue.
  • Microsoft warned of a new zero-day flaw affecting Internet Explorer. The flaw can be abused by leveraging a specially crafted Microsoft Office Doc.
  • ESET researchers stumbled across a mobile espionage campaign—active since March 2020—aimed at the Kurdish ethnic group. The campaign is conducted by the BlackHawk attackers who use Facebook and fake Android apps to trick users.
  • Ragnar Locker operators have adopted a new tactic to extort their victims. They have announced that they will leak the stolen data if the victims contact law enforcement agencies, negotiators, and data recovery experts.
  • Research reveals that ransomware operators are heavily relying on dark web marketplaces to purchase the network access of large companies. One of the posts was linked to BlackMatter ransomware operators who were willing to spend between $3,000 and $100,000 to buy network access.

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Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

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May 16, 2025

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May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

Another blow to DDoS-for-hire networks. Europol has shut down six services used to launch global cyberattacks, arresting suspects in Poland and seizing domains in the U.S. The UN has launched a new framework to help policymakers make sense of cyber intrusions. Called UNIDIR Intrusion Path, it complements models like MITRE ATT&CK but simplifies the technical details. It breaks down attacker activity into three layers, making it easier to evaluate threats in a policy context. Old routers are becoming cybercrime goldmines. The FBI has warned that end-of-life routers are being hijacked with malware like TheMoon and sold on proxy networks such as 5Socks and Anyproxy. These compromised devices are used for crypto theft, cybercrime-as-a-service, and even espionage. Crypto users on Discord are the latest targets of a phishing campaign tied to Inferno Drainer. Attackers were found impersonating the Collab.Land bot to trick users into signing malicious transactions. The Play ransomware group has joined the list of actors exploiting CVE-2025-29824. This Windows zero-day in the CLFS driver enables privilege escalation via a race condition during file operations. Linked to the Balloonfly group, the attacks targeted a U.S. organization and included deployment of the Grixba infostealer. COLDRIVER’s latest malware, LOSTKEYS, is now in play. The Russian state-backed group is deploying this tool to steal files and system data from advisors, journalists, NGOs, and individuals linked to Ukraine. Agenda’s playbook just got upgraded. The ransomware group has added two new tools: SmokeLoader and a stealthy .NET-based loader called NETXLOADER. The latter leverages techniques like JIT hooking and AES decryption to deploy ransomware. Corporate HR teams are the latest target in a spear-phishing spree by Venom Spider. Disguised as job applications, these emails deliver More_eggs backdoor, now upgraded with advanced features.

May 2, 2025

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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.