Operation North Star: Behind The Scenes | McAfee Blogs

ARCHIVED STORY Operation North Star: Behind The Scenes Christiaan Beek · NOV 05, 2020 Executive Summary It is rare to be provided an inside view on how major cyber espionage campaigns are conducted within the digital realm. The only transparency afforded is a limited view of victims, a malware...

Operation North Star: Behind The Scenes | McAfee Blogs

ARCHIVED STORY Operation North Star: Behind The Scenes Christiaan Beek · NOV 05, 2020 Executive Summary It is rare to be provided an inside view on how major cyber espionage campaigns are conducted within the digital realm. The only transparency afforded is a limited view of victims, a malware...

New Kimsuky Module Makes North Korean Spyware More Powerful

A week after the US government issued an advisory about a "global intelligence gathering mission" operated by North Korean state-sponsored hackers, new findings have emerged about the threat group's spyware capabilities. The APT — dubbed "Kimsuky" aka Black Banshee or Thallium and believed to be...

This Week in Security News: Trend Micro Researcher Uncover Two Espionage Backdoors Associated with Operation Earth Kitsune and Trickbot and Ransomware Attackers Plan Big Hit on U.S. Hospitals

Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days. This week, learn about how Trend Micro researchers uncovered two new espionage backdoors associated with the ‘Operation Earth Kitsune’ campaign. Also, read...

Browser Bugs Exploited to Install 2 New Backdoors on Targeted Computers

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details about a new watering hole attack targeting the Korean diaspora that exploits vulnerabilities in web browsers such as Google Chrome and Internet Explorer to deploy malware for espionage purposes. Dubbed "Operation Earth Kitsune" by Trend Micro, the...

Browser Bugs Exploited to Install 2 New Backdoors on Targeted Computers

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details about a new watering hole attack targeting the Korean diaspora that exploits vulnerabilities in web browsers such as Google Chrome and Internet Explorer to deploy malware for espionage purposes. Dubbed "Operation Earth Kitsune" by Trend Micro, the...

Russian Espionage Group Updates Custom Malware Suite

The advanced persistent threat APT known as Turla is targeting government organizations using custom malware, including an updated trio of implants that give the group persistence through overlapping backdoor access. Russia-tied Turla a.k.a. Ouroboros, Snake, Venomous Bear or Waterbug is a...

COVID-19 Vaccine-Maker Hit with Cyberattack, Data Breach

COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has shut down its plants in Brazil, India, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. following a cyberattack, according to reports. The Indian company is the contractor for Russia’s “Sputinik V” COVID-19 vaccine, which is about to enter Phase 2 human...

Windows GravityRAT Malware Now Also Targets macOS and Android Devices

A Windows-based remote access Trojan believed to be designed by Pakistani hacker groups to infiltrate computers and steal users' data has resurfaced after a two-year span with retooled capabilities to target Android and macOS devices. According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, the malware — dubbe...

Brute force attacks increase due to more open RDP ports

While leaving your back door open while you are working from home may be something you do without giving it a second thought, having unnecessary ports open on your computer is a security risk that is sometimes underestimated. Thats because an open port can be subject to brute force attacks. What...

MontysThree APT Takes Unusual Aim at Industrial Targets

SAS@Home 2020 – A series of highly targeted attacks by an APT group called MontysThree against industrial targets has been uncovered, with evidence that the campaign dates back to 2018. That’s according to researchers from Kaspersky, who noted that the group uses a variety of techniques to evade...

MontysThree: Industrial espionage with steganography and a Russian accent on both sides

In summer 2020 we uncovered a previously unknown multi-module C++ toolset used in highly targeted industrial espionage attacks dating back to 2018. Initially the reason for our interest in this malware was its rarity, the obviously targeted nature of the campaign and the fact that there are no...

PoetRAT Resurfaces in Attacks in Azerbaijan Amid Escalating Conflict

A new iteration of the PoetRAT spyware, sporting improvements to operational security, code efficiency and obfuscation, is making the rounds in Azerbaijan, targeting the public sector and other key organizations as the country’s conflict with Armenia over disputed territory intensifies. Threat...

COVID-19 Clinical Trials Slowed After Ransomware Attack

A ransomware attack has hit eResearchTechnology, a medical software company that supplies pharma companies with tools for conducting clinical trials – including trials for COVID-19 vaccines. The attackers could be financially motivated — or could be backed by a nation-state looking to gain...

New 'MosaicRegressor' UEFI Bootkit Malware Found Active in the Wild

Cybersecurity researchers have spotted a rare kind of potentially dangerous malware that targets a machine's booting process to drop persistent malware. The campaign involved the use of a compromised UEFI or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface containing a malicious implant, making it the secon...

Chinese APT Group Targets Media, Finance, and Electronics Sectors

Cybersecurity researchers on Tuesday uncovered a new espionage campaign targeting media, construction, engineering, electronics, and finance sectors in Japan, Taiwan, the U.S., and China. Linking the attacks to Palmerworm aka BlackTech — likely a China-based advanced persistent threat APT —...

Chinese APT Group Targets Media, Finance, and Electronics Sectors

Cybersecurity researchers on Tuesday uncovered a new espionage campaign targeting media, construction, engineering, electronics, and finance sectors in Japan, Taiwan, the U.S., and China. Linking the attacks to Palmerworm aka BlackTech — likely a China-based advanced persistent threat APT —...

Researchers Uncover Cyber Espionage Operation Aimed At Indian Army

Cybersecurity researchers uncovered fresh evidence of an ongoing cyberespionage campaign against Indian defense units and armed forces personnel at least since 2019 with an aim to steal sensitive information. Dubbed "Operation SideCopy " by Indian cybersecurity firm Quick Heal, the attacks have...

FinSpy Spyware for Mac and Linux OS Targets Egyptian Organisations

Amnesty International today exposed details of a new surveillance campaign that targeted Egyptian civil society organizations with previously undisclosed versions of FinSpy spyware designed to target Linux and macOS systems. Developed by a German company, FinSpy is extremely powerful spying...

Feds Hit with Successful Cyberattack, Data Stolen

A federal agency has suffered a successful espionage-related cyberattack that led to a backdoor and multistage malware being dropped on its network. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA issued an alert on Thursday, not naming the agency but providing technical details of...