Kimsuky Group’s Intriguing Exploits with AppleSeed Malware

Summary: The Kimsuky group has been actively utilizing weaponized LNK files to deploy the AppleSeed malware. While the group typically relies on spear-phishing attacks for initial access, their recent campaigns have prominently featured the use of shortcut-type malware in LNK file format. AppleSe...

UAC-0099 Using WinRAR Exploit to Target Ukrainian Firms with LONEPAGE Malware

The threat actor known as UAC-0099 has been linked to continued attacks aimed at Ukraine, some of which leverage a high-severity flaw in the WinRAR software to deliver a malware strain called LONEPAGE. "The threat actor targets Ukrainian employees working for companies outside of Ukraine,"...

Battling a new DarkGate malware campaign with Malwarebytes MDR

First publicly reported in 2018, DarkGate is a Windows-based malware with a wide-range of capabilities including credential stealing and remote access to victim endpoints. Until recently, it was only seen being delivered through traditional email malspam campaigns. In late August 2023, however,...

Qakbot-affiliated actors distribute Ransom Knight malware despite infrastructure takedown

The threat actors behind the Qakbot malware have been conducting a campaign since early August 2023 in which they have been distributing Ransom Knight ransomware and the Remcos backdoor via phishing emails. Notably, this activity appeared to begin before the FBI seized Qakbot infrastructure in la...

Operation Rusty Flag: Azerbaijan Targeted in New Rust-Based Malware Campaign

Targets located in Azerbaijan have been singled out as part of a new campaign that's designed to deploy Rust-based malware on compromised systems. Cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct is tracking the operation under the name Operation Rusty Flag. It has not been associated with any known threat actor...

Microsoft Teams used to deliver DarkGate Loader malware

Researchers have found a new method by which cybercriminals are spreading the DarkGate Loader malware. Until now, DarkGate was typically distributed via phishing emails. The malspam campaign used stolen email threads to lure victims into clicking a hyperlink, which downloaded the malware. But...

Cybercriminals Using PowerShell to Steal NTLMv2 Hashes from Compromised Windows

A new cyber attack campaign is leveraging the PowerShell script associated with a legitimate red teaming tool to plunder NTLMv2 hashes from compromised Windows systems primarily located in Australia, Poland, and Belgium. The activity has been codenamed Steal-It by Zscaler ThreatLabz. "In this...

New SuperBear Trojan Emerges in Targeted Phishing Attack on South Korean Activists

A new phishing attack likely targeting civil society groups in South Korea has led to the discovery of a novel remote access trojan called SuperBear. The intrusion singled out an unnamed activist, who was contacted in late August 2023 and received a malicious LNK file from an address impersonatin...

Velociraptor 0.7.0 Release: Dig Deeper With Enhanced Client Search, Server Improvements and Expanded VQL Library

Carlos Canto contributed to this article. Rapid7 is thrilled to announce version 0.7.0 of Velociraptor is now LIVE and available for download. The focus of this release was on improving user efficiency while also expanding and strengthening the library of VQL plug-ins and artifacts. Let’s take a...

New Attack Alert: Freeze[.]rs Injector Weaponized for XWorm Malware Attacks

Malicious actors are using a legitimate Rust-based injector called Freeze.rs to deploy a commodity malware called XWorm in victim environments. The novel attack chain, detected by Fortinet FortiGuard Labs on July 13, 2023, is initiated via a phishing email containing a booby-trapped PDF file. It...

Charming Kitten’s Latest Malware Arsenal and Targeting Strategies

Threat Level Attack Report For a detailed threat advisory, download the pdf file here Summary Charming Kitten, an adaptable threat actor, has shifted to new malware tactics and targets by employing LNK infection chains and utilizing cloud hosting providers. This evolution in their approach poses ...

Iranian Hackers Using POWERSTAR Backdoor in Targeted Espionage Attacks

Charming Kitten, the nation-state actor affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC, has been attributed to a bespoke spear-phishing campaign that delivers an updated version of a fully-featured PowerShell backdoor called POWERSTAR. "There have been improved operational security...

N. Korean ScarCruft Hackers Exploit LNK Files to Spread RokRAT

Cybersecurity researchers have offered a closer look at the RokRAT remote access trojan that's employed by the North Korean state-sponsored actor known as ScarCruft. "RokRAT is a sophisticated remote access trojan RAT that has been observed as a critical component within the attack chain, enablin...

N. Korean ScarCruft Hackers Exploit LNK Files to Spread RokRAT

Cybersecurity researchers have offered a closer look at the RokRAT remote access trojan that's employed by the North Korean state-sponsored actor known as ScarCruft. "RokRAT is a sophisticated remote access trojan RAT that has been observed as a critical component within the attack chain, enablin...

North Korea's ScarCruft Deploys RokRAT Malware via LNK File Infection Chains

The North Korean threat actor known as ScarCruft started experimenting with oversized LNK files as a delivery route for RokRAT malware as early as July 2022, the same month Microsoft began blocking macros across Office documents by default. "RokRAT has not changed significantly over the years, bu...

Threat actors strive to cause Tax Day headaches

Threat actors often take advantage of current events and major news headlines to align attacks and leverage social engineering when people could be more likely to be distracted or misled. Tax season is particularly appealing to threat actors because not only are people busy and under stress, but ...

Pakistan-Origin SideCopy Linked to New Cyberattack on India's Ministry of Defence

An advanced persistent threat APT group that has a track record of targeting India and Afghanistan has been linked to a new phishing campaign that delivers Action RAT. According to Cyble, which attributed the operation to SideCopy , the activity cluster is designed to target the Defence Research...

Researchers Uncover Chinese Nation State Hackers' Deceptive Attack Strategies

A recent campaign undertaken by Earth Preta indicates that nation-state groups aligned with China are getting increasingly proficient at bypassing security solutions. The threat actor, active since at least 2012, is tracked by the broader cybersecurity community under Bronze President, HoneyMyte,...

Researchers Uncover Chinese Nation State Hackers' Deceptive Attack Strategies

A recent campaign undertaken by Earth Preta indicates that nation-state groups aligned with China are getting increasingly proficient at bypassing security solutions. The threat actor, active since at least 2012, is tracked by the broader cybersecurity community under Bronze President, HoneyMyte,...

ScarCruft's Evolving Arsenal: Researchers Reveal New Malware Distribution Techniques

The North Korean advanced persistent threat APT actor dubbed ScarCruft is using weaponized Microsoft Compiled HTML Help CHM files to download additional malware onto targeted machines. According to multiple reports from AhnLab Security Emergency response Center ASEC, SEKOIA.IO, and Zscaler, the...