Nation-State Hackers Caught Hiding Espionage Activities Behind Crypto Miners

A nation-state actor known for its cyber espionage campaigns since 2012 is now using coin miner techniques to stay under the radar and establish persistence on victim systems, according to new research. Attributing the shift to a threat actor tracked as Bismuth, Microsoft's Microsoft 365 Defender...

Digitally Signed Bandook Trojan Reemerges in Global Spy Campaign

A wave of targeted cyberattack campaigns bent on espionage is cresting around the globe, using a strain of a 13-year old backdoor trojan named Bandook. According to Check Point Research, Bandook was last spotted being used in 2015 and 2017/2018, in the “Operation Manul” and “Dark Caracal”...

Digitally Signed Bandook Malware Once Again Targets Multiple Sectors

A cyberespionage group with suspected ties to the Kazakh and Lebanese governments has unleashed a new wave of attacks against a multitude of industries with a retooled version of a 13-year-old backdoor Trojan. Check Point Research called out hackers affiliated with a group named Dark Caracal in a...

Election Cyber Threats in the Asia-Pacific Region

In democratic societies, elections are the mechanism for choosing heads of state and policymakers. There are strong incentives for adversary nations to understand the intentions and preferences of the people and parties that will shape a country's future path and to reduce uncertainty about likel...

Symantec Reports on Cicada APT Attacks against Japan

Symantec is reporting on an APT group linked to China, named Cicada. They have been attacking organizations in Japan and elsewhere. Cicada has historically been known to target Japan-linked organizations, and has also targeted MSPs in the past. The group is using living-off-the-land tools as well...

Chinese APT Hackers Target Southeast Asian Government Institutions

Cybersecurity researchers today unveiled a complex and targeted espionage attack on potential government sector victims in South East Asia that they believe was carried out by a sophisticated Chinese APT group at least since 2018. "The attack has a complex and complete arsenal of droppers,...

Trojanized Security Software Hits South Korea Users in Supply-Chain Attack

Cybersecurity researchers took the wraps off a novel supply chain attack in South Korea that abuses legitimate security software and stolen digital certificates to distribute remote administration tools RATs on target systems. Attributing the operation to the Lazarus Group, also known as Hidden...

Uncovered: APT 'Hackers For Hire' Target Financial, Entertainment Firms

A hackers-for-hire operation has been discovered using a strain of previously undocumented malware to target South Asian financial institutions and global entertainment companies. Dubbed "CostaRicto" by Blackberry researchers, the campaign appears to be the handiwork of APT mercenaries who posses...

Worried About SaaS Misconfigurations? Check These 5 Settings Everybody Misses

Enterprises depend on SaaS applications for countless functions, like collaboration, marketing, file sharing, and more. But problematically, they often lack the resources to configure those apps to prevent cyberattacks, data exfiltration, and other risks. Catastrophic and costly data breaches...

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...

Operation North Star: Summary Of Our Latest Analysis | McAfee Blogs

Operation North Star: Summary Of Our Latest Analysis By Trellix · NOV 05, 2020 McAfee’s Advanced Threat Research ATR today released research that uncovers previously undiscovered information on how Operation North Star evaluated its prospective victims and launched attacks on organizations in...

Operation North Star: Summary Of Our Latest Analysis | McAfee Blogs

Operation North Star: Summary Of Our Latest Analysis By Trellix · NOV 05, 2020 McAfee’s Advanced Threat Research ATR today released research that uncovers previously undiscovered information on how Operation North Star evaluated its prospective victims and launched attacks on organizations in...

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...