27-February-2024
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: 982
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 (SSP) this past week:
Group-IB uncovers the first iOS Trojan harvesting facial recognition data used for unauthorized access to bank accounts. GroupIB
GoldDigger - Malpedia |
The Kamran spyware, discovered through a possible watering-hole attack on the Hunza News website, specifically targets Urdu-speaking users in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Operating as a malicious Android app, Kamran displays legitimate content from the news website while incorporating custom spyware code. PCrisk
Kamran - ESET |
The hacker collective called GhostSec has unveiled an innovative Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) framework called GhostLocker. They provide comprehensive assistance to customers interested in acquiring this service through a dedicated Telegram channel. Presently, GhostSec is focusing its attacks on Israel. This move represents a surprising departure from their past activities and stated agenda. Uptycs
Since October 2022 and continuing into January 2023, Proofpoint has observed a cluster of evolving financially motivated activity which we are referring to as "Screentime". The attack chain starts with an email containing a malicious attachment or URL and leads to malware that Proofpoint dubbed WasabiSeed and Screenshotter. In some cases, Proofpoint observed post-exploitation activity involving AHK Bot and Rhadamanthys Stealer.
Proofpoint is tracking this activity under threat actor designation TA866. Proofpoint assesses that TA866 is an organized actor able to perform well thought-out attacks at scale based on their availability of custom tools; ability and connections to purchase tools and services from other vendors; and increasing activity volumes. Proofpoint
TA866 - Malpedia
The following detections were updated this past week with changes to kill chain phase(s) or MITRE ATT&CK tactic(s)/technique(s):
Magic Hound is an Iranian-sponsored threat group that conducts long term, resource-intensive cyber espionage operations, likely on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They have targeted U.S. and Middle Eastern government and military personnel, academics, journalists, and organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), via complex social engineering campaigns since at least 2014. MITRE
APT38 is a financially-motivated threat group that is backed by the North Korean regime. The group mainly targets banks and financial institutions and has targeted more than 16 organizations in at least 13 countries since at least 2014.
North Korean group definitions are known to have significant overlap, and the name Lazarus Group is known to encompass a broad range of activity. Some organizations use the name Lazarus Group to refer to any activity attributed to North Korea. Some organizations track North Korean clusters or groups such as Bluenoroff, APT37, and APT38 separately, while other organizations may track some activity associated with those group names by the name Lazarus Group. MITRE
A remote access tool (RAT) is a piece of software that allows a remote user to control a system as if they had physical access to that system. An adversary may utilize existing RATs, modify existing RATs, or create their own RAT. MITRE
A botnet is a number of Internet-connected devices, each of which is running one or more bots. Botnets can be used to perform Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, steal data, send spam, and allows the attacker to access the device and its connection. The owner can control the botnet using command and control (C&C) software. The word "botnet" is a portmanteau of the words "robot" and "network". The term is usually used with a negative or malicious connotation.
BunnyLoader is the name of malware available for purchase (for $250) by cybercriminals across multiple online forums. It is presented as a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) and provides a range of features, such as downloading and executing a second-stage payload and harvesting browser credentials and system information. PCrisk
Adversaries may communicate using a custom command and control protocol instead of encapsulating commands/data in an existing Standard Application Layer Protocol. Implementations include mimicking well-known protocols or developing custom protocols (including raw sockets) on top of fundamental protocols provided by TCP/IP/another standard network stack.
Attackers are utilizing hacked web sites that promote fake browser updates to infect targets with banking trojans. In some cases, post exploitation toolkits are later executed to encrypt the compromised network with ransomware.
Between May and September 2019, FireEye has conducted multiple incident response cases where enterprise customers were infected with malware through fake browser updates.
Hacked sites would display these "fakeupdates" through JavaScript alerts that state the user is using an old version of a web browser and that they should download an offered "update" to keep the browser running "smoothly and securely".
Coinminer is an unwanted malicious software which uses the victim's computational power (CPU and RAM mostly) to mine for coins (for example Monero or Zcash). The malware achieves persistence by adding one of the opensource miners on startup without the victim's consensus. Most sophisticated coin miners use timer settings or cap the CPU usage in order to remain stealthy. Malpedia
Cyber criminals violated the law TDS (Traffic Direction System) platform Keitaro and used it to redirect them users in exploit kits RIG and Fallout in order to infect them with malicious software.
TDS platforms are designed for redirection of users in particular sites. Legitimate TDS platforms, such as Keitaro, are mainly used by individuals and companies that want to advertise services or their products. Platforms drive users to the pages that companies want, targeting specific customers and promoting an ad campaign. techbizweb
Lumma is an information stealer written in C, sold as a Malware-as-a-Service by LummaC on Russian-speaking underground forums and Telegram since at least August 2022. Lumma's capabilities are those of a classic stealer, with a focus on cryptocurrency wallets, and file grabber capabilities. Malpedia
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/)
Silent Librarian is a group that has targeted research and proprietary data at universities, government agencies, and private sector companies worldwide since at least 2013. Members of Silent Librarian are known to have been affiliated with the Iran-based Mabna Institute which has conducted cyber intrusions at the behest of the government of Iran, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).[ MITRE
It leverages compromised websites and performs some of the most creative fingerprinting checks we’ve seen, before delivering its payload (NetSupport RAT). Malwarebytes
An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy computer network threat actor, typically a nation state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.
Such threat actors' motivations are typically political or economic. To date, every major business sector has recorded instances of attacks by advanced actors with specific goals seeking to steal, spy or disrupt. These include government, defense, financial services, legal services, industrial, telecoms, consumer goods, and many more. Some groups utilize traditional espionage vectors, including social engineering, human intelligence and infiltration to gain access to a physical location to enable network attacks. The purpose of these attacks is to place custom malicious code on one or multiple computers for specific tasks.
Source: Wikipedia
An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy computer network threat actor, typically a nation state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.
Such threat actors' motivations are typically political or economic. To date, every major business sector has recorded instances of attacks by advanced actors with specific goals seeking to steal, spy or disrupt. These include government, defense, financial services, legal services, industrial, telecoms, consumer goods, and many more. Some groups utilize traditional espionage vectors, including social engineering, human intelligence and infiltration to gain access to a physical location to enable network attacks. The purpose of these attacks is to place custom malicious code on one or multiple computers for specific tasks.
Source: Wikipedia
Turla is a Russian-based threat group that has infected victims in over 45 countries, spanning a range of industries including government, embassies, military, education, research and pharmaceutical companies since 2004. Heightened activity was seen in mid-2015. Turla is known for conducting watering hole and spearphishing campaigns and leveraging in-house tools and malware. Turla’s espionage platform is mainly used against Windows machines, but has also been seen used against macOS and Linux machines. MITRE
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 | ||
| APT35 | 1 | delivery | http | 557 | command and control, delivery | dns, ftp, http, tcp, tls, udp | 2024-02-22 |
| APT38 | 23 | command and control | http, dns, tls | 271 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| AsyncRAT | 1 | command and control | http | 435 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2024-02-24 |
| Botnet Generic | 4 | command and control | http, dns, tls | 6 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| BunnyLoader | 1 | delivery | http | 18 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | http | 2024-02-22 |
| Command and Control | 67 | command and control | http, dns, tls | 414 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2024-02-23 |
| Fake Browser | 24 | exploitation | dns, tls, http | 319 | delivery, exploitation | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-23 |
| Generic Coinminer | 1 | command and control | http | 20 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| Ghostlocker | 2 | command and control | http | 2 | command and control | http | 2024-02-22 |
| GoldDigger | 18 | command and control | dns, tls, http | 18 | command and control | dns, tls, http | 2024-02-22 |
| Kamran | 3 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 3 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| Keitaro | 6 | exploitation | dns, tls, http | 308 | command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-24 |
| Lumma | 45 | command and control | dns, tls, http | 431 | actions on objectives, command and control, installation | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| Screenshotter | 1 | command and control | http | 4 | actions on objectives, command and control | http | 2024-02-22 |
| Silent Librarian | 13 | command and control | dns, tls, http | 46 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-24 |
| SocGholish | 6 | command and control | dns, tls, http | 905 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, reconnaissance | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2024-02-22 |
| TA4903 | 3 | delivery | dns, tls, http | 669 | delivery | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-23 |
| TA582 | 3 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 47 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2024-02-20 |
| TA866 | 1 | delivery | http | 2 | delivery | http | 2024-02-24 |
| Turla | 19 | command and control | http, dns, tls | 73 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2024-02-22 |
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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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