24-January-2023
Welcome to the weekly threat detection update report from Stamus Networks. Each week, you will receive this email with a summary of the updates.
Current Stamus Threat Intelligence (STI) release version: 650
This week, in addition to daily ruleset and IOC updates, we provided Stamus Security Platform customers with the following improved defense(s):
Note: a "method" as referenced below, is a discrete detection vector for a given threat.
The following detections were added to your Stamus Security Platform this past week:
A C2 framework and RAT written in Go. There are two components: client.exe: The actual RAT / beacon / agent / implant server.exe: C2 server Github
Some vendor refers to this event / actor as Alibaba2044 according to the name of a GitHub account used as one of the drop-points in the infection chain. Cluster25
Alibaba2044 - abuse.ch |
Drokbk is written in .NET and is made up of a dropper and a payload. The malware has limited built-in functionality and primarily executes additional commands or code from the command and control (C2) server. Early signs of its use in the wild appeared in a February 2022 intrusion at a U.S. local government network. Secureworks
Drokbk - malpedia | Drokbk - microsoft |
Remote Access Trojans are programs that provide the capability to allow covert surveillance or the ability to gain unauthorized access to a victim PC. Remote Access Trojans often mimic similar behaviors of keylogger applications by allowing the automated collection of keystrokes, usernames, passwords, screenshots, browser history, emails, chat lots, etc. Remote Access Trojans differ from keyloggers in that they provide the capability for an attacker to gain unauthorized remote access to the victim machine via specially configured communication protocols which are set up upon initial infection of the victim computer. This backdoor into the victim machine can allow an attacker unfettered access, including the ability to monitor user behavior, change computer settings, browse and copy files, utilize the bandwidth (Internet connection) for possible criminal activity, access connected systems, and more. Malwarebytes
Firebird - microsoft | Firebird - malpedia | ViperSoftX - partidge.tech | ViperSoftX - malpedia |
This multi-stage stealer exhibits interesting hiding capabilities, concealed as small PowerShell scripts on a single line in the middle of otherwise innocent-looking large log files, among others. ViperSoftX focuses on stealing cryptocurrencies, clipboard swapping, fingerprinting the infected machine, as well as downloading and executing arbitrary additional payloads, or executing commands. Avast
Linux.Backdoor.WordPressExploit.1 is a trojan application for 32-bit and 64-bit Linux operating systems that targets x86-compatible devices. The backdoor is written in the Go (Golang) programming language and executes attackers’ commands. Its main functionality is to attack websites based on the WordPress CMS by exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated versions of plugins and themes for this platform. If an attack is successful, the webpages of such sites are injected with a malicious JavaScript that redirects website visitors to other sites. DrWeb
The following detections were updated this past week with changes to kill chain phase(s) or MITRE ATT&CK tactic(s)/technique(s):
Backdoors are designed to give malicious users remote control over an infected computer. In terms of functionality, Backdoors are similar to many administration systems designed and distributed by software developers.
These types of malicious programs make it possible to do anything the author wants on the infected computer: send and receive files, launch files or delete them, display messages, delete data, reboot the computer, etc.
The programs in this category are often used in order to unite a group of victim computers and form a botnet or zombie network. This gives malicious users centralized control over an army of infected computers which can then be used for criminal purposes.
There is also a group of Backdoors which are capable of spreading via networks and infecting other computers as Net-Worms do. The difference is that such Backdoors do not spread automatically (as Net-Worms do), but only upon a special “command” from the malicious user that controls them. Kaspersky
The term info stealer is self-explanatory. This type of malware resides in an infected computer and gathers data in order to send it to the attacker. Typical targets are credentials used in online banking services, social media sites, emails, or FTP accounts.
Info stealers may use many methods of data acquisition. The most common are:
hooking browsers (and sometimes other applications) and stealing credentials that are typed by the user using web injection scripts that are adding extra fields to web forms and submitting information from them to a server owned by the attacker form grabbing (finding specific opened windows and stealing their content) keylogging stealing passwords saved in the system and cookies Modern info stealers are usually parts of botnets. Sometimes the target of attack and related events are configured remotely by the command sent from the Command and Control server (C&C). Malwarebytes
Loaders, for the most part, have one job: grab malicious executables or payloads from an attacker-controlled server. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more happening under the hood of some, such as a user-friendly UI, self-healing capabilities, or the equivalent of a retail shop where a botmaster can sell his bots to potential clients.
Loaders are essentially basic remote access Trojans that give an attacker the ability to remotely interact with and control a compromised computer, or bot. While traditionally lightweight (smaller than 50 KB in size) in order to bypass detection by antivirus and other security monitoring technology, loaders evolve, and their viability to cybercriminals remains. Flashpoint
Cobalt Strike is a commercial, full-featured, penetration testing tool which bills itself as “adversary simulation software designed to execute targeted attacks and emulate the post-exploitation actions of advanced threat actors”. Cobalt Strike’s interactive post-exploit capabilities cover the full range of ATT&CK tactics, all executed within a single, integrated system.
In addition to its own capabilities, Cobalt Strike leverages the capabilities of other well-known tools such as Metasploit and Mimikatz. MITRE
DarkCrystal, also known as dcRAT, is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Malware of this type is designed to enable remote access and control over an infected device. RATs can manipulate machines in various ways and can have likewise varied functionalities. DarkCrystal is a dangerous piece of software, which poses a significant threat to device and user safety. DcRat
In the world of cybersecurity, a backdoor refers to any method by which authorized and unauthorized users are able to get around normal security measures and gain high level user access (aka root access) on a computer system, network, or software application. Once they're in, cybercriminals can use a backdoor to steal personal and financial data, install additional malware, and hijack devices. [Malwarebytes] (https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor/)
Emotet is a modular malware variant which is primarily used as a downloader for other malware variants such as TrickBot and IcedID. Emotet first emerged in June 2014 and has been primarily used to target the banking sector. MITRE
The IcedID banking Trojan was discovered by IBM X-Force researchers in 2017. At that time, it targeted banks, payment card providers, mobile services providers, payroll, webmail and e-commerce sites, mainly in the U.S. IcedID has since continued to evolve, and while one of its more recent versions became active in late-2019, X-Force researchers have identified a new major version release that emerged in 2020 with some substantial changes. securityintelligence.com
Kimsuky is a North Korean-based threat group that has been active since at least September 2013. The group initially focused on targeting Korean think tanks and DPRK/nuclear-related targets, expanding recently to the United States, Russia, and Europe. The group was attributed as the actor behind the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. compromise. MITRE
FIN6(Magecart) is a cyber crime group that has stolen payment card data and sold it for profit on underground marketplaces. This group has aggressively targeted and compromised point of sale (PoS) systems in the hospitality and retail sectors. MITRE
The term info stealer is self-explanatory. This type of malware resides in an infected computer and gathers data in order to send it to the attacker. Typical targets are credentials used in online banking services, social media sites, emails, or FTP accounts.
Info stealers may use many methods of data acquisition. The most common are:
hooking browsers (and sometimes other applications) and stealing credentials that are typed by the user using web injection scripts that are adding extra fields to web forms and submitting information from them to a server owned by the attacker form grabbing (finding specific opened windows and stealing their content) keylogging stealing passwords saved in the system and cookies Modern info stealers are usually parts of botnets. Sometimes the target of attack and related events are configured remotely by the command sent from the Command and Control server (C&C). Malwarebytes
Mirai (Japanese: 未来, lit. 'future') is a malware that turns networked devices running Linux into remotely controlled bots that can be used as part of a botnet in large-scale network attacks. It primarily targets online consumer devices such as IP cameras and home routers. The Mirai botnet was first found in August 2016 by MalwareMustDie, a white hat malware research group, and has been used in some of the largest and most disruptive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, including an attack on 20 September 2016 on computer security journalist Brian Krebs' web site, an attack on French web host OVH, and the October 2016 Dyn cyberattack. According to a chat log between Anna-senpai and Robert Coelho, Mirai was named after the 2011 TV anime series Mirai Nikki.
Source: Wikipedia
Molerats is a politically-motivated threat group that has been operating since 2012. The group's victims have primarily been in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. MITRE
Neshta is malicious software that infects executable (.exe) system files and uses them to collect system information. It might also target removable storage devices and network shares. Neshta sends the information to a web server controlled by cyber criminals. Research shows that this malware is mainly used to attack companies that specialize in finance, consumer goods, and energy. It is also used to attack the manufacturing industry. In any case, Neshta should be removed from operating systems immediately. pcrisk
QAKBOT or QBOT is a malware that is capable of monitoring the browsing activities of the infected computer and logs all information related to finance-related websites.
Trendmicro
Remcos is a closed-source tool that is marketed as a remote control and surveillance software by a company called Breaking Security.
Remcos has been observed being used in malware campaigns.
Adversaries may delete, alter, or send SMS messages without user authorization. This could be used to hide C2 SMS messages, spread malware, or various external effects. This can be accomplished by requesting the RECEIVE_SMS or SEND_SMS permissions depending on what the malware is attempting to do. If the app is set as the default SMS handler on the device, the SMS_DELIVER broadcast intent can be registered, which allows the app to write to the SMS content provider. The content provider directly modifies the messaging database on the device, which could allow malicious applications with this ability to insert, modify, or delete arbitrary messages on the device. MITRE
It leverages compromised websites and performs some of the most creative fingerprinting checks we’ve seen, before delivering its payload (NetSupport RAT). Malwarebytes
The term info stealer is self-explanatory. This type of malware resides in an infected computer and gathers data in order to send it to the attacker. Typical targets are credentials used in online banking services, social media sites, emails, or FTP accounts.
Info stealers may use many methods of data acquisition. The most common are:
hooking browsers (and sometimes other applications) and stealing credentials that are typed by the user using web injection scripts that are adding extra fields to web forms and submitting information from them to a server owned by the attacker form grabbing (finding specific opened windows and stealing their content) keylogging stealing passwords saved in the system and cookies Modern info stealers are usually parts of botnets. Sometimes the target of attack and related events are configured remotely by the command sent from the Command and Control server (C&C). Malwarebytes
StrongPity is an information stealing malware used by PROMETHIUM. MITRE
Proofpoint researchers have identified a years-long social engineering and targeted malware campaign by the Iranian-state aligned threat actor TA456. Using the social media persona “Marcella Flores,” TA456 built a relationship across corporate and personal communication platforms with an employee of a small subsidiary of an aerospace defense contractor. In early June 2021, the threat actor attempted to capitalize on this relationship by sending the target malware via an ongoing email communication chain. Designed to conduct reconnaissance on the target’s machine, the macro-laden document contained personalized content and demonstrated the importance TA456 placed on the target. Once the malware, which is an updated version of Liderc that Proofpoint has dubbed LEMPO, establishes persistence, it can perform reconnaissance on the infected machine, save the reconnaissance details to the host, exfiltrate sensitive information to an actor-controlled email account via SMTPS, and then cover its tracks by deleting that day’s host artifacts. PFPT
Malicious programs of this family secretly send information to the criminal from the user’s infected Android mobile device. Kaspersky
The following threat detection(s) were improved this past week with new or updated threat methods.
| Name of threat | New coverage | Total coverage | Last updated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Detection methods | Kill chain phases | Protocols involved | Detection methods | Kill chain phases | Protocols involved | ||
| Alibaba2044 | 3 | command and control | dns | 3 | command and control | dns | 2023-01-17 |
| Antinum | 2 | command and control | http | 2 | command and control | http | 2023-01-17 |
| Backdoor | 2 | command and control | dns | 376 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation | dns, ftp, http, icmp, smtp, tcp, tls, udp | 2023-01-21 |
| Banker Stealer | 6 | command and control | dns | 228 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, smtp, tcp, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| BatLoader | 18 | command and control | dns, tls | 33 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-20 |
| Cobalt Strike | 1 | command and control | http | 398 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http, smb, tcp, tls, udp | 2023-01-21 |
| DCRAT | 2 | command and control | http | 41 | actions on objectives, command and control | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| DOUBLEBACK | 2 | command and control | dns, tls | 4 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| Drokbk | 1 | command and control | http | 1 | command and control | http | 2023-01-17 |
| Emotet | 1 | command and control | http | 60 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http, smb, tls | 2023-01-18 |
| Firebird | 2 | command and control | tcp | 2 | command and control | tcp | 2023-01-17 |
| IcedID | 38 | command and control | dns | 391 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| Kimsuky | 2 | command and control | http, dns | 104 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, ftp, ftp-data, http, tls | 2023-01-20 |
| Linux.Backdoor.WordPressExploit | 21 | command and control, delivery, actions on objectives | dns, tls, http | 21 | command and control, delivery, actions on objectives | dns, tls, http | 2023-01-17 |
| MageCart | 1 | command and control | dns | 182 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-18 |
| MetaStealer | 5 | command and control | http | 8 | command and control | http | 2023-01-19 |
| Mirai | 1 | command and control | dns | 203 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, reconnaissance | dns, http, tcp | 2023-01-18 |
| Molerats | 1 | command and control | dns | 65 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-19 |
| Neshta | 1 | command and control | http | 26 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp | 2023-01-21 |
| QakBot | 1 | command and control | http | 34 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | ftp, http, tcp, tls | 2023-01-19 |
| Remcos | 3 | command and control | tcp | 879 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt | 2023-01-20 |
| SmsThief | 1 | command and control | dns | 140 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls, udp | 2023-01-21 |
| SocGholish | 1 | command and control | dns | 230 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, reconnaissance | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| Stealer and Exfiltration | 2 | command and control, actions on objectives | http | 234 | actions on objectives, command and control, exploitation, installation | dns, ftp, http, smtp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| StrongPity | 2 | command and control | dns | 97 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-17 |
| TA456 | 1 | delivery | dns | 16 | command and control, delivery | dns, http | 2023-01-20 |
| TrojanSpy-Android | 3 | command and control | dns | 444 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2023-01-21 |
| ViperSoftX | 55 | command and control | http, dns | 56 | command and control | http, dns | 2023-01-17 |
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Stamus Networks believes in a world where defenders are heroes, and a future where those they protect remain safe. As organizations face threats from well-funded adversaries, we relentlessly pursue solutions that make the defender’s job easier and more impactful. The global leader in Suricata-based network security solutions, Stamus Networks helps enterprise security teams know more, respond sooner and mitigate their risk with insights gathered from cloud and on-premise network activity. Our Stamus Security Platform combines the best of intrusion detection (IDS), network security monitoring (NSM), and network detection and response (NDR) systems into a single solution that exposes serious and imminent threats to critical assets and empowers rapid response.
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