Fake Update Utilizes New IDAT Loader To Execute StealC and Lumma Infostealers

Technical Analysis by: Thomas Elkins, Natalie Zargarov Contributions: Evan McCann, Tyler McGraw Recently, Rapid7 observed the Fake Browser Update lure tricking users into executing malicious binaries. While analyzing the dropped binaries, Rapid7 determined a new loader is utilized in order to...

North Korean Hackers Deploy New Malicious Python Packages in PyPI Repository

Three additional rogue Python packages have been discovered in the Package Index PyPI repository as part of an ongoing malicious software supply chain campaign called VMConnect, with signs pointing to the involvement of North Korean state-sponsored threat actors. The findings come from...

DarkGate Malware Activity Spikes as Developer Rents Out Malware to Affiliates

A new malspam campaign has been observed deploying an off-the-shelf malware called DarkGate. "The current spike in DarkGate malware activity is plausible given the fact that the developer of the malware has recently started to rent out the malware to a limited number of affiliates," Telekom...

LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Builder Leak Gives Rise to Hundreds of New Variants

The leak of the LockBit 3.0 ransomware builder last year has led to threat actors abusing the tool to spawn new variants. Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky said it detected a ransomware intrusion that deployed a version of LockBit but with a markedly different ransom demand procedure. "The...

New "Whiffy Recon" Malware Triangulates Infected Device Location via Wi-Fi Every Minute

The SmokeLoader malware is being used to deliver a new Wi-Fi scanning malware strain called Whiffy Recon on compromised Windows machines. "The new malware strain has only one operation. Every 60 seconds it triangulates the infected systems' positions by scanning nearby Wi-Fi access points as a da...

Several hospitals still counting the cost of widespread ransomware attack

The 16 hospitals struck down by ransomware last week are still dealing with the fallout from the attack. The healthcare facilities located in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, and California had the ransomware attack confirmed by the FBI. Issues started to emerge last Thursday with patient...

Researchers Shed Light on APT31's Advanced Backdoors and Data Exfiltration Tactics

The Chinese threat actor known as APT31 aka Bronze Vinewood, Judgement Panda, or Violet Typhoon has been linked to a set of advanced backdoors that are capable of exfiltrating harvested sensitive information to Dropbox. The malware is part of a broader collection of more than 15 implants that hav...

Exploring New Techniques of Fake Browser Updates Leading to NetSupport RAT

Exploring New Techniques of Fake Browser Updates Leading to NetSupport RAT By Jonell Baltazar and Antonio Ribeiro · August 10, 2023 Trellix detected an ongoing campaign using fake Chrome browser updates to lure victims to install a remote administration software tool called NetSupport Manager...

Malicious npm Packages Found Exfiltrating Sensitive Data from Developers

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new bunch of malicious packages on the npm package registry that are designed to exfiltrate sensitive developer information. Software supply chain firm Phylum, which first identified the "test" packages on July 31, 2023, said they "demonstrated increasi...

Researchers Uncover AWS SSM Agent Misuse as a Covert Remote Access Trojan

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new post-exploitation technique in Amazon Web Services AWS that allows the AWS Systems Manager Agent SSM Agent to be run as a remote access trojan on Windows and Linux environments "The SSM agent, a legitimate tool used by admins to manage their...

Iranian Company Cloudzy Accused of Aiding Cybercriminals and Nation-State Hackers

Services offered by an obscure Iranian company known as Cloudzy are being leveraged by multiple threat actors, including cybercrime groups and nation-state crews. "Although Cloudzy is incorporated in the United States, it almost certainly operates out of Tehran, Iran – in possible violation of U....

AVRecon Botnet Leveraging Compromised Routers to Fuel Illegal Proxy Service

More details have emerged about a botnet called AVRecon, which has been observed making use of compromised small office/home office SOHO routers as part of a multi-year campaign active since at least May 2021. AVRecon was first disclosed by Lumen Black Lotus Labs earlier this month as malware...

IcedID Malware Adapts and Expands Threat with Updated BackConnect Module

The threat actors linked to the malware loader known as IcedID have made updates to the BackConnect BC module that's used for post-compromise activity on hacked systems, new findings from Team Cymru reveal. IcedID, also called BokBot, is a strain of malware similar to Emotet and QakBot that start...

STARK#MULE Targets Koreans with U.S. Military-themed Document Lures

An ongoing cyber attack campaign has set its sights on Korean-speaking individuals by employing U.S. Military-themed document lures to trick them into running malware on compromised systems. Cybersecurity firm Securonix is tracking the activity under the name STARKMULE. The scale of the attacks i...

Decoy Dog: New Breed of Malware Posing Serious Threats to Enterprise Networks

A deeper analysis of a recently discovered malware called Decoy Dog has revealed that it's a significant upgrade over the Pupy RAT, an open-source remote access trojan it's modeled on. "Decoy Dog has a full suite of powerful, previously unknown capabilities – including the ability to move victims...

Who and What is Behind the Malware Proxy Service SocksEscort?

Researchers this month uncovered a two-year-old Linux-based remote access trojan dubbed AVrecon that enslaves Internet routers into botnet that bilks online advertisers and performs password-spraying attacks. Now new findings reveal that AVrecon is the malware engine behind a 12-year-old service...

Banking Sector Targeted in Open-Source Software Supply Chain Attacks

Cybersecurity researchers said they have discovered what they say is the first open-source software supply chain attacks specifically targeting the banking sector. "These attacks showcased advanced techniques, including targeting specific components in web assets of the victim bank by attaching...

Cybercriminals Exploit Microsoft Word Vulnerabilities to Deploy LokiBot Malware

Microsoft Word documents exploiting known remote code execution flaws are being used as phishing lures to drop malware called LokiBot on compromised systems. "LokiBot, also known as Loki PWS, has been a well-known information-stealing Trojan active since 2015," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researcher...

CERT-UA Uncovers Gamaredon's Rapid Data Exfiltration Tactics Following Initial Compromise

The Russia-linked threat actor known as Gamaredon has been observed conducting data exfiltration activities within an hour of the initial compromise. "As a vector of primary compromise, for the most part, emails and messages in messengers Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal are used, in most cases, using...

New SOHO Router Botnet AVrecon Spreads to 70,000 Devices Across 20 Countries

A new malware strain has been found covertly targeting small office/home office SOHO routers for more than two years, infiltrating over 70,000 devices and creating a botnet with 40,000 nodes spanning 20 countries. Lumen Black Lotus Labs has dubbed the malware AVrecon, making it the third such...