QakBot-Linked BC Malware Adds Enhanced Remote Access and Data Gathering Features

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new BackConnect BC malware that has been developed by threat actors linked to the infamous QakBot loader. "BackConnect is a common feature or module utilized by threat actors to maintain persistence and perform tasks," Walmart's Cyber...

Black Basta Ransomware: What You Need to Know

Overview Black Basta is a ransomware group operating as ransomware-as-a-service RaaS, first spotted in April 2022. It is known to use double extortion techniques where the group demands payment for the decryption and non-release of stolen data. Earlier versions of Black Basta share many...

DarkGate Malware Exploits Samba File Shares in Short-Lived Campaign

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a short-lived DarkGate malware campaign that leveraged Samba file shares to initiate the infections. Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 said the activity spanned the months of March and April 2024, with the infection chains using servers running public-facing...

Authorities Ramp Up Efforts to Capture the Mastermind Behind Emotet

Law enforcement authorities behind Operation Endgame are seeking information related to an individual who goes by the name Odd and is allegedly the mastermind behind the Emotet malware. Odd is also said to go by the nicknames Aron, C700, Cbd748, Ivanov Odd, Mors, Morse, and Veron over the past fe...

Latrodectus Malware Loader Emerges as IcedID's Successor in Phishing Campaigns

Cybersecurity researchers have observed a spike in email phishing campaigns starting early March 2024 that delivers Latrodectus, a nascent malware loader believed to be the successor to the IcedID malware. "These campaigns typically involve a recognizable infection chain involving oversized...

Cybercriminals Exploiting Microsoft's Quick Assist Feature in Ransomware Attacks

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence team said it has observed a threat actor it tracks under the name Storm-1811 abusing the client management tool Quick Assist to target users in social engineering attacks. "Storm-1811 is a financially motivated cybercriminal group known to deploy Black Basta...

QakBot attacks with Windows zero-day (CVE-2024-30051)

In early April 2024, we decided to take a closer look at the Windows DWM Core Library Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability CVE-2023-36033, which was previously discovered as a zero-day exploited in the wild. While searching for samples related to this exploit and attacks that used it, we found a...

PT-2024-3342

Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions Windows DWM Core Library affected versions not specified Description The issue is related to an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows DWM Core Library. This vulnerability allows attackers to affect the system. It has been linked ...

Black Basta Ransomware Strikes 500+ Entities Across North America, Europe, and Australia

The Black Basta ransomware-as-a-service RaaS operation has targeted more than 500 private industry and critical infrastructure entities in North America, Europe, and Australia since its emergence in April 2022. In a joint advisory published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency...

PikaBot malware on the rise: What organizations need to know

A new type of malware is being used by ransomware gangs in their attacks, and its name is PikaBot. A relatively new trojan that emerged in early 2023, PikaBot is the apparent successor to the infamous QakBot QBot trojan that was shut down in August 2023. QBot was used by many ransomware gangs in...

QakBot Malware Resurfaces with New Tactics, Targeting the Hospitality Industry

A new wave of phishing messages distributing the QakBot malware has been observed, more than three months after a law enforcement effort saw its infrastructure dismantled by infiltrating its command-and-control C2 network. Microsoft, which made the discovery, described it as a low-volume campaign...

PikaBot distributed via malicious search ads

During this past year, we have seen an increase in the use of malicious ads malvertising and specifically those via search engines, to drop malware targeting businesses. In fact, browser-based attacks overall have been a lot more common if we include social engineering campaigns. Criminals have...

Microsoft Warns of Malvertising Scheme Spreading CACTUS Ransomware

Microsoft has warned of a new wave of CACTUS ransomware attacks that leverage malvertising lures to deploy DanaBot as an initial access vector. The DanaBot infections led to "hands-on-keyboard activity by ransomware operator Storm-0216 Twisted Spider, UNC2198, culminating in the deployment of...

Qakbot Takedown Aftermath: Mitigations and Protecting Against Future Threats

The U.S. Department of Justice DOJ and the FBI recently collaborated in a multinational operation to dismantle the notorious Qakbot malware and botnet. While the operation was successful in disrupting this long-running threat, concerns have arisen as it appears that Qakbot may still pose a danger...

DarkGate and PikaBot Malware Resurrect QakBot's Tactics in New Phishing Attacks

Phishing campaigns delivering malware families such as DarkGate and PikaBot are following the same tactics previously used in attacks leveraging the now-defunct QakBot trojan. "These include hijacked email threads as the initial infection, URLs with unique patterns that limit user access, and an...

QakBot Resurges Latest Strikes with Ransom Knight and Remcos RAT

Threat Level Attack Report For a detailed threat advisory, download the pdf file here Summary The QakBot malware has been associated with a persistent phishing campaign since the beginning of August 2023, leading to the deployment of both the Ransom Knight ransomware and the Remcos RAT. To receiv...

QakBot Threat Actors Still in Action, Using Ransom Knight and Remcos RAT in Latest Attacks

Despite the disruption to its infrastructure, the threat actors behind the QakBot malware have been linked to an ongoing phishing campaign since early August 2023 that led to the delivery of Ransom Knight aka Cyclops ransomware and Remcos RAT. This indicates that "the law enforcement operation ma...

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...

Cybercriminals Combine Phishing and EV Certificates to Deliver Ransomware Payloads

The threat actors behind RedLine and Vidar information stealers have been observed pivoting to ransomware through phishing campaigns that spread initial payloads signed with Extended Validation EV code signing certificates. "This suggests that the threat actors are streamlining operations by maki...

How Cisco Talos IR helped a healthcare company quickly resolve a Qakbot attack

Partnership and proactive measures reduce resolution time from weeks to mere hours. Healthcare is one of the most popular targets for threat actors, as evidenced by the fact that it was the most-targeted sector in each of Cisco Talos Incident Responses past two Quarterly Trends Reports. But if...