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Don't give this WebMonitor RAT your cheese
Symantec Security Response has observed a recent malspam campaign that targeted several organizations in the UK and US. The malicious email has the following characteristics:
Email subject: RE: OVERDUE INVOICE
Attachment: JANUARY OVERDUE INVOICE.arj
Inner file name: JANUARY OVERDUE INVOICE.pdf.exe
The payload is WebMonitor Remote Admin Tool (RAT) which allows the attacker to perform various activities on the compromised machine. These activities include logging keystrokes, starting and terminating processes and services, and taking screenshots via commands from a Command and Control server.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Scr.Malcode!gdn30
Heur.AdvML.C
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Don't let Mustang Panda's new #backdoor drive away with your data
Mustang Panda (MQTTang) is a Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) group that has been active since 2017. The group primarily targets Southeast Asian countries and focuses on stealing sensitive information from government agencies, defense contractors, and telecommunications companies. MQTTang's attack techniques include social engineering, spear-phishing emails, and malware attacks. A new custom backdoor that is not based on existing publicly available malware has been attributed to the group. The backdoor uses a simple remote shell but does show that Mustang Panda is still actively using and testing new techniques. Victims aren't confirmed but are similar to campaigns targeting European political entities.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634 |
Don't let the Panda in - it's Sharp
SharpPanda is a new cyber espionage weapon developed by a China-based APT group.
The attackers use a spear-phishing campaign with a weaponized document customized to appear genuine to the recipient organization. Opening the document sets off a chain of events through which attackers attempt to collect data from the victim. If the victim machine is determined to be of interest, the next phase of events continues, resulting in the execution of a loader that communicates with a C2 server and executes the backdoor.
The backdoor grants the ability to:
Capture screenshots
Gather victim machine information (i.e. computer/user name, process and service info, Win Version, registry keys etc...)
Control shutdown
Run read/write commands via cmd
Control file capability and attributes
Process creation/termination control
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Infostealer
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspTempRun2
Network-based
URL reputation: Browser navigation to known bad URL |
DoNex Ransomware
A new ransomware actor who has labeled themselves "DoNex" has been observed in the wild. They've recently claimed a couple of companies as victims on their Onion website, including companies in the US and Europe. This group performs the double-extortion tactic, which classically involves file encryption (appended with a .VictimID extension) and data exfiltration.
Companies that have been compromised are left with a ransom note (Readme.VictimID.txt) advising them to contact the group via Tox messenger. At this time, their modus operandi for compromising companies is unclear, and further monitoring and investigations are underway.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Ransom.Darkrace
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Do not hire Formbook as IT manager!
Formbook is not a new malware and we often post about its activities. Used by multiple groups and individuals, Symantec observes campaigns of various sizes and targets on a regular basis. Actors continue to favor malicious emails as the primary vector of infection and use countless tricks in their attack chain. Most leverage generic quotes, SWIFT and shipping social engineering tactics but here and there we come across one that stands out.
An example of this is a recent variant where an actor has been attempting to lure victims by posing as an IT manager applicant. Attached to the email is a ISO archive and within that the malicious binary disguised as a curriculum vitae. Job recruitment social engineering can be a powerful lure, especially nowadays as layoffs in the tech industry are fairly common.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn34
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
DOPLUGS - a customized PlugX malware variant
DOPLUGS is a customized PlugX malware variant leveraged in recent campaigns attributed to the Earth Preta (aka Mustang Panda) APT group. The attackers have been distributing the malware with help of spear-phishing campaign targeted at victims located in East and Southeast Asia. DOPLUGS downloader is used mainly to download the more common payload variants of the PlugX malware. In addition, a DOPLUGS variant with an integrated KillSomeOne module has also been observed in the wild. KillSomeOne is a USB worm used mainly for malware propagation, document theft and data collection.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Http!g2
ACM.Ps-Rd32!g1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
DoppelDridex, a variant of Dridex, abusing Slack and Discord CDNs
A modified variant named DoppleDridex, originally known as Dridex, has been seen in campaigns attempting to deliver malicious Microsoft Excel files using Slack and Discord's Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). Threat actors are likely to use these types of sites to stage the banking Trojan payloads due to their use in organizations as trusted sites and may be on allowed lists etc.
Leveraging sites that are trusted/allowed by organizations increases the chance of delivery and infection chain to spread not only the banking Trojan, but other secondary payloads that can lead to ransomware in the victim's environment.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan Horse
W97M.Downloader |
DoppelPaymer Ransomware
DoppelPaymer, a variation of BitPaymer, first seen in 2019, has been targeting multiple industries throughout 2020 and early 2021. Late last year, actors behind this Ransomware have used malicious emails as initial vector along with a combination of malware (Emotet and Dridex) and post-exploitation tools (Cobalt Strike, Mimikatz, etc.) to deploy DoppelPaymer. Not only would victims have their systems encrypted but also have their data stolen in the process.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Packed.Generic.553
Ransom.Bitpaymer
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2 |
DoppelPaymer rebranded as Grief Ransomware
After being inactive for quite some time, it appears DoppelPaymer has done some rebranding and now goes by the name Grief (a.k.a. Pay or Grief). Researchers managed to determine the overhaul strategy while analyzing a Grief ransomware sample. The investigation lead to the unravelling of a dropped ransomware note which was observed to point towards a known DoppelPaymer payment portal. It is widely believed that Grief is just the latest version of DoppelPaymer - consisting of minor code changes along with new feature and form - which suggests the original developers are still the ones operating this rebranded ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS).
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Ransom.Hermes!gen2
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.2 |
DotRunpeX injector leveraged for delivery of various malware families
DotRunpeX injector has been recently used in several campaigns delivering payloads belonging to various malware families. DotRunpeX is spread mostly via malicious attachments, Google Ads abuse or through websites masqueraded as download portals for miscellaneous applications. This .NET-based injector is protected by a custom version of the KoiVM virtualizer and it leverages a code injection technique known as Process Hollowing. Some of the payload malware families delivered with help of DotRunpeX in recent campaigns include: AgentTesla, Formbook, PrivateLoader, RecordBreaker, Redline Stealer, Vidar Stealer and many others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.ProcHijack!g51
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Dottless IPs mix it up in spam messages
Symantec has recently observed a campaign of spam messages utilizing dottless IP URLs to attempting to evade link detection and anti-spam technologies. While normal dotless IP URLs may contain one type of obfuscation (hex, octal, decimal) these recently observed links contain all three types. i.e. hxxp://0xFF.255.0337.0xFF/
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
DoubleFinger loader used in campaigns spreading crypto stealers
A loader malware dubbed DoubleFinger has been recently observed in campaigns spreading cryptocurrency infostealers. The loader is originally delivered via malspam messages containing malicious .pif attachments. Once the victims run the file, the initial attack stage is executed. The final payload of the campaign is a cryptocurrency-stealing malware called GreetingGhoul. Some related campaigns that leverage DoubleFinger have also been spotted to deliver a different payload - Remcos, a commercial Remote Access Trojan (RAT) used by various threat actors.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Download ads that deliver Zloader
Zloader (aka DELoader or Terdot) is a typical banking trojan attacking users of financial institutions all over the world harvesting account information. However in a recent campaign, activity shows focus primarily on users of Australian and German banking institutions.
In this latest campaign a different tactic is used other than social-engineering via spear-phishing emails. The malware is delivered via Google advertisements (Google AdWords) for various fake software download sites such as Java plugins, Discord, Microsoft’s TeamViewer and Zoom. The victim is tricked into downloading the fake software in a signed MSI format that is designed to install Zloader malware.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Web-based
Observed IPs/domains are covered under security categories |
Downloaders dropping Clop
Threat researchers have recently reported an increase in Clop ransomware being delivered via various downloaders (e.g. SDBot, FlawedAmmy, FlawedGrace) as a final payload.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-Based
Ransom.Ploc |
Dracarys Android Spyware
Fireworm (aka Bitter) is an APT group that's predominantly been active in South Asia for some years now and runs espionage campaigns. Recently, another of their campaigns has been brought to light as malicious Android applications disguised as well-known messaging apps have been spotted in look-alike phishing websites. If a victim would inadvertently be lured by these fake websites and apps, they'd end up installing a Spyware known as Dracarys.
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
Web-based
Observed IPs/domains are covered under security categories |
Dragon Breath APT group resort to double DLL sideloading technique
According to a recent report, a new campaign exploiting different variations of double DLL sideloading techniques were observed in the wild. Dragon Breath aka APT-27 group was reported as the Threat Actor behind the attacks targeting Chinese-speaking Windows users engaged in online gambling. The attack vector involves luring victims into downloading and installing trojanized versions of popular applications like Telegram, WhatsApp and LetsVPN to facilitate the second stage clean application DLL loading followed by malicious malware DLL sideloading, which results in the decryption of the final payload with the primary purposes of exfiltrating cryptocurrency assets from Chrome browsers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
DreamBus botnet leverages CVE-2023-33246 RocketMQ vulnerability
CVE-2023-33246 is a remote code execution vulnerability affecting Apache RocketMQ which is a distributed messaging and streaming platform. The vulnerability has been disclosed back in May and if exploited could allow remote attackers to perform arbitrary code execution. According to recent reports, modular botnet known as DreamBus has resurfaced in a newly observed campaign that leverages this RocketMQ vulnerability for initial access and malware distribution. DreamBus capabilities includes bash script execution as well as download and execution of additional modules and XMRig coinminer payloads.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Linux.Mirai
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
Web Attack: RocketMQ RCE CVE-2023-33246
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Dridex banking malware spread in attacks exploiting Log4j vulnerability
Dridex banking malware is yet another malicious payload spread in the campaigns exploiting the Apache Log4j vulnerability. Over the years Dridex has been known to function both as as banking malware and as a loader for additional payloads, ransomware among others. The recent campaigns spreading Dridex have also been reported to deliver Meterpreter to Linux devices.
Read more about the Apache Log4j vulnerability in our earlier bulletin: Threat Alert: Apache Log4j RCE (CVE-2021-44228) aka Log4Shell
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Meterpreter
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Maljava
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Dridex hides itself behind fake Amazon Gift's cards
There are reports of Dridex gangs banking on fake Amazon gift cards (social engineering) to lure victims in a series of malspam. This is a clever and deadly trick during the holiday period and when there is a growing trend for online shopping. Symantec continues to monitor Dridex activities and has the following protection in place:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Dridex slipstreams Squid Game's global success
As we previously wrote, the popularity of the TV series "Squid Game" is being leveraged by various groups and individual as another social engineering ruse to add to their arsenal. According to recent news, the infamous Dridex is now also slipstreaming this global trend, using it as their latest social engineering trick in malspam campaigns.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Module!gen3
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan horse
Packed.Generic.517
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Drinik spotted with new capabilities
Android malware known as Drinik has again been observed targeting Indian users via Tax related social engineering - this time masquerading as an app produced by India's Income tax department. According to reports, in this campaign the malware packs new capabilities such as the infamous overlay technique which allows the display of fake overlay windows to trick users into entering their sensitive credentials. It's also now able to block incoming calls via the CallScreeningService, and receive commands via FirebaseCloudMessaging.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk |
DroidJack, long of tooth, can still bite
DroidJack, a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which targets the Android platform has been around since at least 2013, and as of today we are still seeing detections. In its early years, it was one of the top Android threats around and in fact prompted an international law enforcement action in 2015, leading to multiple arrests.
Over the years, the malware has persisted in the wild as cracked versions were leaked on various underground forums and code hosting platforms as well as social media. Some of these leaks are still available on those platforms and often a new one gets posted.
Symantec protects against DroidJack as follows:
Mobile-based
Trojan:Sandorat
AppRisk:Generisk |
Dropper disguised as legitimate PuTTy Software
A threat actor has been reported purchasing an ad claiming to be the PuTTY homepage. This ad appeared at the top of the Google search results page, although it has since been removed. It appeared just before the official PuTTY website. This ad raised suspicion due to the domain name, which was unrelated to PuTTY. The PuTTY file advertised in the ad was actually malware, serving as a dropper written in the Go language. Upon execution, the dropper delivered the final payload, known as Rhadamanthys.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
DTrack malware still actively used by the Lazarus APT
DTrack is a relatively old backdoor malware still actively distributed by the infamous Lazarus APT group. The malware allows for data collection from the victims, keylogging, screenshot grabbing as well as download and execution of additional payloads on the infected endpoints. It has been reported that the most recent campaigns leveraging DTrack malware have been targeting users in Europe and Latin America.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.Trafic2.RGC!g16
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request 4
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
DuckLogs - infostealer and keylogger
DuckLogs is an infostealing malware sold in a form of MaaS (Malware-as-a-Service) offering. It collects and ex-filtrates various information from the infected machines including credentials, cookies, crypto wallets, browser data, and others. It is also comes advertised with additional functionality that allows it to monitor keystrokes, execute arbitrary files, block user input devices, or power manage the infected machine. DuckLogs executes with admin privileges and is able to bypass UAC (User Access Control).
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Ducktail Malware disguised as clothing brand targeting marketing professionals
Ducktail is a malware family that has been active since mid-2021. The malware is specifically designed to extract browser cookies and take advantage of social media sessions to steal sensitive information from the victim’s social media accounts with the aim of gaining control and conducting advertisements for their own financial gain.
In a recent campaign, the Ducktail malware has been observed disguising itself as a renowned Japanese clothing brand, targeting marketing professionals. The threat actors behind the infostealer focused on themes related to digital marketing projects, job descriptions, plans for various positions, and policy and salary information associated with the clothing company. The threat actor employs Telegram as their C2 channel, leveraging the Telegram Bot functionality to exfiltrate the stolen data.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen1
Trojan.Ducktail!gen1
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
WS.SecurityRisk.4
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Ducktail malware used in recent campaigns targeting HR and marketing sectors
Ducktail is an infostealing malware variant first observed in the threat landscape back in 2021. Ducktail is known to target various popular social media accounts such as LinkedIn or Facebook Business to either take control over them and/or steal victim's information, browser session cookies etc. The latest campaigns leveraging Ducktail have been targeted specifically at individuals from HR and marketing sectors. The threat actors behind those campaigns employ social engineering tactics to make victims download and execute malicious payloads often hosted on popular file-sharing platforms such as Dropbox or Google Drive. The sensitive information from the victims is extracted to attackers via Telegram bot APIs.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Duralock Ransomware
DuraLock is yet another actor that has entered the ransomware threat landscape. According to the dropped ransom note (HOW_TO_BACK_FILES.html), they employ a double-extortion tactic. They give victims 72 hours to pay, otherwise the price will increase and if the ransom is not paid, they threaten to leak or resell stolen data. Upon successful compromise, encrypted files will be appended with a .duralock05 extension.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspReg!gen47
SONAR.SuspReg!gen48
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B!100 |
During tax season beware of RATs
Researchers recently observed the return of threat actor TA576, who has been active since 2018 using email spam and other malware delivery techniques. In first few months of the year new attacks using tax-related threats have been seen targeting accounting and finance organizations in North America. The campaigns use email requests for tax preparation assistance to deliver remote access trojans (RATs). The attack chaina use existing scripts and services on a host to conduct malicious activities and chaining multiple PowerShell scripts together before executing the final payload.
Yearly tax related campaigns are common and similar campaigns are likely to be seen as this year's tax season progresses.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
DX31 Ransomware
Dx31 is one more new ransomware variant from the Phobos family that has been just recently observed in the wild. The malware encrypts user data and appends .dx31 extension to the files preceded by an alphanumerical victim ID and a developers' email address. Upon the finished encryption process a ransom note text file is dropped on the infected machine. The malware comes with the functionality to disable the firewall and delete the volume shadow copies on the endpoint.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-RgPst!g1
ACM.Ps-Wbadmin!g1
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
ACM.Vss-DlShcp!g1
ACM.Wbadmin-DlBckp!g1
ACM.Wmic-DlShcp!g1
File-based
Ransom.Phobos!gm1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
Attack: Ransom.Crysis Activity 3 |
Early stage indicators of possible Ryuk activity
We have been observing an ongoing attack campaign that is attempting to compromise organizations using tools and tactics that have previously been associated with ransomware attacks, most notably Ryuk. The campaign is leveraging malicious Excel documents, the non-malicious Certutil application, and BazarLoader and Cobalt Strike malware.
Symantec has not yet observed the attackers successful deploying a payload. However, the association of these TTPs with previous ransomware attacks suggests a strong possibility of early-stage ransomware activity.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Cobalt
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1
Web-based
Observed Domains and IP addresses are covered under security categories |
Earth Baku APT Group Seen Using New Loaders and Backdoor
New malware tools have surfaced as part of a campaign by Earth Baku, an advanced persistent threat (APT) group also known as APT41. The attacks were primarily against organizations in the Pacific region. The tools include StealthMutant and StealthVector which are both shellcode loaders as well as the backdoor ScrambleCross. All are designed to be more easily customized, and use more sophisticated evasion techniques than previously observed when infiltrating targeted networks.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Web-based
Observed IPs/Domains are covered under security categories |
Earth Grass Ransomware
Another ransomware actor has been observed making the rounds, posing their ransomware as Windows OneDrive installers and calling themselves 'Earth Grass.' If a user is tricked into downloading the fake installer and executing it, their files will be encrypted and appended with a .34r7hGr455 extension. It'll drop a ransom note (Read ME (Decryptor).txt) asking for $200 worth of XMR cryptocurrency. At this time, the nefarious double-extortion tactic is not employed, and they do not appear to move laterally within an environment to encrypt more machines.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen625
File-based
Ransom.Zombie
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security (DCS) default hardening policies provide 0-day protection against Earth Grass ransomware |
Earth Longzhi APT group continues to evolve its Attack Vector
Earth Longzhi APT group continues to remain active and constantly evolving its Attack Vector. In the recent campaign targeting organizations in Asia-Pacific countries, the actor is exploiting vulnerable Microsoft IIS and exchange servers to install popular web shell, Behinder, which is further used to deliver Cobalt Strike beacons (CroxLoader) and tools that can disable security software using DLL side-loading technique on compromised machines. DLL side-loading is a technique in which the actors take advantage of the insecure way Windows loads DLL files required by a legitimate application. For above campaign the actor is abusing Windows Defender executable to launch its malware DLL.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behaviour-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Earth Longzhi APT leverages custom loaders to deploy Cobalt Strike to enterprises
Earth Longzhi APT (known to be a subgroup of APT41) has been reported to leverage custom loader versions to deploy Cobalt Strike payloads. Since at least 2020 the group has been targeting enterprises in Ukraine, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines during the course of various campaigns. Depending on the running campaign, the attackers have been deploying different versions of the Cobalt Strike loader and some other customized hacking tools. A few of the discovered loaders are CroxLoader, Symatic Loader, BigpipeLoader and OutLoader.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g226
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Backdoor.Cobalt!gm1
Hacktool.Mimikatz
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Earth Preta (aka Mustang Panda) malspam campaigns continue
Recently another Mustang Panda (also known as Earth Preta) activity has been brought to light – a campaign in which actors have targeted various organizations including governments, as well as research and academic institutes. According to reports the campaign was spearheaded by emails with a URL redirecting users to a malicious archive stored on Google drive. Then within that archive, three malicious binaries known as TONEINS, TONESHELL, and PUBLOAD.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
East and Southeast Asia targeted by APT-C-59
Governments, think tanks, media, and medical industries in East and Southeast Asia have been the target of an APT group known as APT-C-59. Spanning multiple campaigns, this actor primarily leveraged spear phishing tactics as the initial vector, packed with an Internet Explorer vulnerability (CVE-2021-26411). According to recent reports, they have also gained access to a private cloud and used it in their attack chain to host payloads.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Exp.CVE-2021-26411
ISB.CVE-2021-26411!g1
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Web Attack: Internet Explorer RCE CVE-2021-26411
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Easy Stealer
Easy Stealer first came to light in mid-2023, and since then, there has been sporadic activity. It's being advertised on underground Russian forums as well as Telegram. Here and there, command-and-control panels are being observed in relation to both malicious activities and what appears to be testing. In a recent example, Symantec has observed a new C2, most likely associated with tests. This stealer, while functional, has nothing that would make it stand out from other more infamous stealers. It has generic capabilities, such as stealing sensitive data from web browsers and crypto wallets, files, and loading other malware.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Ecipekac loader used in the A41APT campaign
According to a recent report a multi-loader module dubbed as Ecipekac has been leveraged in a long-running malicious campaign targeting multiple industries. The campaign named A41APT has been associated with the APT10 group also known as Cicada. Ecipekac loader has being observed delivering various RAT payloads, among others: SodaMaster, P8RAT or QuasarRAT.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Hartip
Trojan Horse
To learn more about Cicada APT activities, read our earlier publication: Japan-Linked Organizations Targeted in Long-Running and Sophisticated Attack Campaign |
EdgeGuard Stealer
Another Stealer's code has recently been added to GitHub, and Symantec has observed testing activities. EdgeGuard stealer has run-of-the-mill capabilities and will very likely be leveraged by groups and individuals since it is available for free. However, it is not guaranteed to reach high prevalence as there are many other similar threats out there. Currently, the targets primarily include browser passwords, history and downloads, as well as cryptocurrency wallets such as Atomic, Exodus, and MetaMask.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Editbot Stealer
Editbot is a recently discovered Python-based infostealer distributed in a multi-staged campaign targeted at social media users. The infection chain involves distribution of .rar archives containing malicious .bat files and PowerShell scripts that in turn lead to delivery and execution of the final payload. Editbots' functionality includes theft of confidential data such as system information, credentials, web data, browser cookies related specifically to various social media platforms but also ex-filtration of user files and documents directly to a Telegram channel controlled by the attackers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1 |
Educated Manticore APT deploys a new variant of the PowerLess implant
Educated Manticore threat group has been observed mounting new attacks against targets in Israel. This APT actor is believed to have strong links to another APT group known as APT35 (aka Charming Kitten or Phosphorus). The attackers have been leveraging phishing messages with ISO files in the initial attack stages. The final payload in this latest campaign is an updated variant of the PowerLess implant. The same malware family has been previously seen in the attacks conducted by the APT35 group. PowerLess can act as keylogger or infostealer, collect data from system browsers or download additional malicious modules.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Hacktool.Gen
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE.C
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Egregor ransomware blocked
Egregor is one of the latest ransomware to enter the cyber crime world. This ransomware adds a random file extension to the files it encrypts, as opposed to most ransomware which add a predefined file extension. Egregor appears to be a variant of Sekhmet ransomware.
Symantec protects against this malware as follows:
File-based protection
Trojan.Gen.2 |
Egregor ransomware is on the hunt for companies worldwide
We have been aware of several recent reports about Egregor ransomware targeting high-profile organizations across the world. Egregor was discovered back in September 2020 and it is believed to be a separate variant of the earlier Sekhmet ransomware. The emergence of the Egregor ransomware coincided with the Maze gang shutting down their operations at around the same time, which possibly caused many of the Maze affiliates to move their activities to Egregor. Like many other groups in the wild, those behind Egregor make use of a public extortion website where details of their victims are published.
While we continue to monitor and enhance our protections against this ransomware family, we recommend regular backup procedures of any important files and applying the latest product definitions to protect against ransomware threats.
Symantec protections against this ransomware family:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Ransom.Egregor
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
Behavior-based
SONAR.Ransom!gen52
Network-based
[32436] Attack: Ransom.Gen Activity 29 |
Eight-month-long compromise of a Middle Eastern government carried out by Iran-linked Crambus group
The Symantec Threat Hunter Team, part of Broadcom, observed an eight-month-long intrusion against a government in the Middle East. The campaign has been attributed to the Iran-linked APT Crambus (aka OilRig, MuddyWater, APT34). The attack comprised of malware delivery, intelligence gathering, data theft in the form of files and credentials, and system modifications to allow for ease of propagation.
Read more in our blog: Crambus: New Campaign Targets Middle Eastern Government
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Backdoor.PowerExchange
Backdoor.Tokel
Backdoor.Trojan
Infostealer.Clipog
Spyware.Keylogger
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Dirps
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Eject Ransomware
There's a ransomware actor currently making the rounds in Turkey and Germany with a Phobos ransomware variant. Upon successful infection, it will add a ".id[random number].[actor's email].eject" extension to encrypted files and leave a ransom note on the victim's machine. The ransom note is written in Turkish, it contains no ransom amount, and advises victims to contact the actor via email along with the provided ID.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
ACM.Ps-RgPst!g1
ACM.Vss-DlShcp!g1
ACM.Wmic-DlShcp!g1
ACM.Ps-Wbadmin!g1
ACM.Wbadmin-DlBckp!g1
File-based
Ransom.Phobos!gm1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Eki-net phishing campaigns persist in hammering Japan's enterprise and consumer rail users
Eki-net, a Japanese rail ticket reservation and management system run by the Japan Railways Group (also known as JR Group), is extensively used by millions of daily JR train travelers. It offers a convenient and efficient online platform for planning rail trips, making reservations, and purchasing tickets. However, its popularity has made it a prime target for cybercriminals who seek to obtain sensitive financial information from both individuals and businesses.
Symantec has taken proactive measures to block these campaigns, identifying more than 30,000 emails related to one particular campaign in early May. The subject line reads: "【重要なお知らせ】「新幹線eチケットサービス」えきねっとアカウントの自動退会処理について" (Important Notice: Automatic Account Withdrawal Process for Shinkansen E-ticket Service). The fraudulent emails falsely claim to provide information about automatic withdrawals. If an unsuspecting victim falls prey to this scam and clicks on a URL provided in the email, they will be redirected to a fake Eki-net login page designed to steal their sensitive information.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Electronic Ransomware
Electronic ransomware observed in the wild appears to be a variant of BTC ransomware. It encrypts user data, renaming files in the format FileName.Extension.[Email].[ID].ELECTRONIC. Once encryption is complete, a ransom note named "README ELECTRONIC.txt" is dropped, providing instructions on how to contact the threat actors via a Telegram bot or email. The malware can stop various system processes and services as well as delete volume shadow copies.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Ransom.Gen
Ransom.Zombie
Trojan.Gen.MBT
W32.Neshuta
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.A!300 |
ElectroRAT targets cryptocurrency holders
Symantec Security Response is aware of reports of a previously undiscovered Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that targets cryptocurrency holders. The RAT is written in Golang and comes in Windows, Mac and Linux versions, which suggests the attackers are well determined to make a financial gain. In this attack, ElectroRAT was distributed through trojanized applications that are related to cryptocurrency activities such as trading and gambling.
ElectroRAT is capable of keylogging, downloading and uploading files, and executing commands on the compromised machine.
Symantec provides the following coverage for ElectroRAT:
Trojan Horse
Backdoor.Trojan
Infostealer
OSX.Trojan.Gen |
ELF binaries leveraged as loaders for the WSL environment
According to a latest report, new instances have been observed where the malicious attackers target the Windows WSL environment. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is a feature that allows users to run Linux command lines within the Windows operating system. The discovered malicious ELF binaries have been written in Python and act as loaders executing the payload either directly from within the sample or downloading it from a remote C2 server. Some of the observed malware samples contained payloads of the open-source tool Meterpreter.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Downloader
Meterpreter
Packed.Generic.347
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Elfin using FalseFont Backdoor
FalseFont is a new backdoor developed by Elfin the suspected Iranian-affiliated threat actor. Active since at least 2013 and targeting the aerospace and defense industries Elfin is known by many names including Curious Serpens, Peach Sandstorm, APT33, Holmium Magnalium and Refined Kitten. The FalseFont backdoor is disguised as a job recruitment application and uses a fake executable to install. It can be used to execute processes and commands on the infected machine, manipulate the file system, capture the screen and steal credentials from browsers. It can also receive commands from the threat actors in real time and in multiple ways.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Backdoor.Trojan
WS.Malware.2
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products
This attack is proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology |
Elibomi won't help with your taxes
Tax is and probably always will be a powerful social engineering lure, across all types of vectors and platforms. Mobile users in India have been the target of recurrent campaigns according to reports, delivering an Android threat known as Elibomi. In the most recent case, actors lured their victims with a malicious SMS message purporting to be from the Income Tax Department in India. If successfully tricked the victim would install the fake tax-filing app and unbeknownst to them, fill-in sensitive information that will end up in the actors' hands. On top of that, this threat is also capable of accessing other information such as contacts and SMS.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
AppRisk:Generisk |
Email landscape under siege from COVID-19
As the pandemic continues to rage around the globe, the email landscape is still seeing tens of thousands of spam emails piggybacking on COVID-19 in an attempt to lure victims. The combination of fear and curiosity are powerful tools that can entice even the wary, and we suspect COVID-19 social engineering scams and phishing-related attacks will be around for some time yet.
Over the past few months, we have observed a variety of subjects being used. Some are simple, others more complex, particularly when the author is attempting to convey a potential impact to the targeted business. Below are some of the subjects we have seen in the past week:
Joburg resumes full credit control measures as Covid-19 lockdown eases
[removed] เสนอแผนรองรับสถานการณ์ Covid-19
TÌNH HÌNH ỦNG HỘ, HỖ TRỢ CỦA DOANH NGHIỆP CHO CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG PHÒNG CHỐNG DỊCH COVID-19
[removed] Marseille - Vetting inspection during COVID-19 pandemic
Intrado coronavirus (COVID-19)
[removed] Information request about Covid-19 preventive measures implemented at your workplace.
[removed] - CoVID 19 - Mesures relatives à votre personnel présent sur chantier
Request for comments: Schedule of services to be phased in as per the COVID-19 risk adjusted strategy | South African Govern
OPERATING IN A POST COVID -19 ENVIRONMENT
Quarantine Disembarkation Protocol for Seamen in Relation to Covid-19 in Japan
TOMA DE TEST RÁPIDOS COVID-19 PARA TRABAJADORES DIRECTOS Y CONTRATISTAS
COVID 19 - USA TRAVEL POLICY (UPATADE)
Symantec protects against these COVID-19 campaigns as follows:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
File-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's Endpoint Protection security products.
Website-based
These attacks are proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology. |
Email theft: a constant threat to Brazilian organizations
Brazil continues to experience increasing cybercrime, with phishing ranking among the top threats. Symantec observes multiple campaigns on a daily basis targeting both Brazilian organizations and foreign companies with local branches. In a recent example, an actor has been on a crime spree attempting to steal email credentials through malicious emails. The subject line of these emails reads: "Aviso: Confirme sua conta de email para não ser suspensa!", with the actor aiming to deceive victims into believing that their email access is at risk of suspension. To avoid this, they are prompted to log into a phishing page. If successful, the attacker can sell the stolen access on the underground market, engage in identity theft, launch sophisticated spear phishing attacks, carry out Business Email Compromise (BEC), and even pilfer sensitive data from other systems.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Machine Learning-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Emergence of Mirai Nomi in the Threat Landscape
A new Mirai botnet variant, named Mirai Nomi, has emerged in the threat landscape. This variant features modified UPX packing, a time-dependent Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) for command and control, and multiple encryption and hashing algorithms. It includes capabilities such as file deletion, process termination, persistence and elimination of competing bots. Although not very active, its capabilities raise concerns about potential future threats.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Emergence of new Vultur banking trojan variant in mobile threat landscape
A newer version of the Vultur banking trojan for Android has been observed in the wild. This version features enhanced evasion techniques and advanced remote control capabilities. In the recent campaign, victims are lured into installing a trojanized version of a security app via a link sent through SMS, along with instructions provided via a phone call. However, this app is actually the Brunhilda dropper, which initiates the attack vector leading to the download and execution of the Vultur malware payload.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk
AdLibrary:Generisk
Other:Android.Reputation.1
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Emotet - persistent threat with no borders
Emotet, one of the most prevalent banking malware constantly active on the email threat landscape. These attacks have been observed targeting various countries, USA appearing as the prime target, using various social engineering techniques. The snapshot below shows the top countries which have seen these relentless attacks in September 2020.
Symantec has been monitoring Emotet activity over several years and whilst we have comprehensive coverage across various scanning technologies, we continue to track and enhance protection for constantly evolving threat variants.
File-based
Trojan.Emotet*
ISB.Downloader!gen*
Behavior-based
Sonar.Emotet*
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity*
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
* This means there are multiple detections such as Trojan.Emotet!g1, Trojan.Emotet!g2, etc... |
Emotet dabbles in hookup matchmaking
Symantec has recently observed Emotet spammers dabbling in the matchmaking scene. The Emotet emails have the subject "Easily get girlfriend for [censored]!". Since Emotet is a banking Trojan, victims will not only end up without the promised hookup, but possibly also without any money left in their bank account.
Symantec provides protection for Emotet and associated malicious attachments as follows:
File-based:
ISB.Downloader!gen411
W97M.Downloader
Trojan.Emotet*
Trojan.Dridex
Behavior-based:
Sonar.Emotet*
Network-based:
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity*
Email-based:
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products. Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology from Symantec provides an extra layer of protection.
* Multiple detections exist, such as Trojan.Emotet!g1, Trojan.Emotet!g2, etc. |
Emotet directly dropping Cobalt Strike stager
Emotet threat actors appear to have revamped one of their classic infection strategies and the noticeable change was the Cobalt Strike stager can now be installed directly, and the intermediate Trojan loaders like Trickbot or Qakbot are no longer needed (it now utilizes a DLL which RegSvr32 will load afterwards). Reducing the attack chain in this way allows the threat actors to rapidly move to the second stage of the attack, such as installing ransomware on the infected network.
Since Emotet now supports more commands, the attackers have more ways to drop and load Cobalt Strike and other threats on compromised machines.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.2
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Emotet finds new ruse to fool users
A recent Emotet malspam campaign has been observed abusing Windows App Installer packages in order to spread. The malspam contains either a link to a spoofed document sharing page or a malicious Office file prompting the user to install an fake Adobe reader PDF component to access the document.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen69
Scr.MalMacro!gen1
Trojan.Gen
VBA.Downloader.Gen
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Emotet is back and utilizing Trickbot
Although law enforcement took Emotet's Command and Control servers down in April 2021, experts have observed recent Trickbot activity which drops a DLL identified as Emotet. Emotet is known to use spam campaigns with malicious attachments as their main delivery mechanism, so using Trickbot as a download method is a new behavior and could be a sign that Emotet is moving towards an increase in activity.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
WS.Malware.2
Trojan.Gen.2
Website-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories. |
Emotet phishing emails with stolen attachments
It has come to our attention that Emotet has recently been updated with new capabilities. It is widely known that Emotet phishing emails leverage stolen email content with a malicious attachment. However since an attachment stealer module was added, Emotet has been observed using stolen attachment as well. With both a stolen message body and a stolen attachment, the phishing email has greater authenticity and is less likely to be flagged as suspicious.
Symantec has the following protections in place for these Emotet samples containing stolen attachments:
W97M.Downloader
ISB.Downloader!gen92
Trojan.Gen.NPE |
Emotet returns in a new spam campaign
Emotet botnet has been distributed in a new spam campaign observed on the 7th of March. This is the first Emotet activity seen in the last three months. The campaign is leveraging malspam emails with .zip file attachments containing .doc files. The .docs are appended with huge NULL bytes, inflating the file size to over 500MB each, while the .zip attachments themselves are only around 600KB in size. The .doc files are embedded with obfuscated VBA macros that download Emotet payloads from remote URLs. The download activity again results in .zip archives delivering inflated in size Emotet .dll binaries.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen433
Scr.Malcode!gen22
Trojan.Emotet
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Gen.NPE.C
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Emotet runs for President
Security Response has found a malicious document file "Debate Trump VS Biden October 22th.doc" in which the payload is the Emotet banking malware. The Emotet authors - apparently not native English speakers - of course want to take advantage of the upcoming Presidential debate scheduled for October 22nd in Nashville, Tennessee, and are prepared to use every trick in their playbook to get the email recipients to open the attachment and enable macros. According to our telemetry, the attacker spammed out the same file with different filenames to many organizations. As below, email subjects vary as well.
Email subjects:
EXPORT DOCUMENTS FROM EXCELLA TO [censored]
RE: Poids maximum par bagage
EXPORT DOCUMENTS FROM [censored]
Re: [Date] - Report on Case [censored] - [censored]
Re: Updated Draft Response of [censored] Case
Attachment names:
Form.doc
Information du oct. 2020.doc
Form - Oct 16, 2020.doc
PO# 10162020.doc
KQ3409013391FX.doc
Symantec detects the malicious attachments as follows:
ISB.Downloader!gen411
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Coverage is also in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Emotet starts 2021 with a (spam campaign) bang
Emotet is one of the most prevalent banking malware, constantly active on the email threat landscape. The group behind this malware has been targeting many countries via multiple campaigns since at least 2014 and Symantec has been monitoring Emotet activity for just as long.
As many have reported, in December (2020) there was a new Emotet spam campaign which is still raging. Symantec can confirm the following coverage is in place:
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen438
ISB.Downloader!gen439
W97M.Downloader
Trojan.Emotet
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Heur.AdvML.C
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Emotet targets Japan
Security vendors have been observing a large uptick in Emotet attacks recently and Symantec is no exception.
Here are some themes Emotet has been using against Japan.
Repair request, additional work
We've seen a lot of Emotet downloader spam with subjects like "repair request" or "additional work" targeting construction companies. It's notable that the subjects are often tailor-made to increase the chances of the victim opening the attachment. One example is a home-building company having received a repair and additional work request for a house they built, along with a customer name listed in the subject. This type of tactic is a little more convincing and just may be enough to prompt the recipient to open the attached document.
Last name, First name
We've observed Emotet spam with the subject "[Last name] [First name]". While not so remarkable in and of itself, given that it's customary in Japan to list names in reverse order - last name followed by first name - it does perhaps indicate that the attackers have done their homework. It's not known whether the names in the subject line are from an actual (and if so, probably stolen) employee list, but the emails do look more personal which doubtless increases the probability of the recipient opening the attachment.
Password for attachment
An email with a malicious attachment and the password written in the email body is not uncommon, however recent Emotet emails have been designed to look like a reply to a previous email which also had an attachment and password. The previous email that was replied to also looks legitimate as the attachment name is customized depending on the target. This suggests the Emotet authors have either re-used emails they previously harvested or the emails were entirely crafted.
Assessment of typhoon damage
Japan was recently hit with Typhoon 9 and 10 which left significant damage to houses and building infrastructure. Email subjects such as "Assessment of damage by Typhoon xx" can be an effective if unscrupulous lure in these situations.
These themes all have a degree of personalization intended to get your guard down. After recent setbacks (attributable to the security community) it's obvious the authors of Emotet are trying harder than ever to spread their poison. Be sure to keep up your guard, and apply the latest definitions to protect yourself from this and other threats.
Symantec protections
File-based:
Trojan.Emotet
Trojan.Emotet!gm
Trojan.Emotet!g1
Trojan.Emotet!g2
Trojan.Emotet!g3
Trojan.Emotet!g4
Trojan.Emotet!g5
Trojan.Emotet!g6
Trojan.Emotet!g7
Trojan.Emotet!g8
Trojan.Emotet!g9
ISB.Downloader!gen92
ISB.Downloader!gen411
Network-based:
System Infected: Emotet Activity 2
System Infected: W32.Emotet.B Activity
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 3
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 4
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 6
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 8
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 11
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 12
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 15
System Infected: Trojan.Emotet Activity 16
Web Attack: Emotet Download 2 |
Emotet tries to join the TimberTech Golf Championship
As the PGA Tour Champions TimberTech Championship (formerly called the Boca Raton Championship) draws near, Symantec is seeing more and more malicious activity around this Florida-based golfing event. One of them is an Emotet campaign that has been spammed out to companies affiliated with the golf industry. Malicious emails with tailored subjects such as "[Known person affiliated with the event] - Boca Raton Championship" attempt to entice unwary users into a situation where "FORE!" would take on a whole new meaning.
Symantec has been tracking Emotet activity spanning several years and while we are confident we have comprehensive coverage across our various scanning technologies, we continue to monitor and enhance our protections against this constantly evolving threat and its many variants.
File-based
Trojan.Emotet*
ISB.Downloader!gen11
WS.Malware.1
Behavior-based
Sonar.Emotet*
SONAR.Powershell!g20
SONAR.Powershell!gen5
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
* Multiple detections exist, such as Trojan.Emotet!g1, Trojan.Emotet!g2, etc. |
Empire Ransomware
Empire is a new ransomware variant observed in the wild. The malware encrypts user files and appends .emp extension to the them. Upon completed encryption a ransom note text file called "HOW-TO-DECRYPT.txt" is dropped with instructions on how to contact the threat actors using the Telegram bot or via email. The malware has the functionality to delete volume shadow copies and system backups on the infected machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Untrst-FlPst!g1
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
SONAR.Ransomware!g16
SONAR.SuspWrite!g6
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Endless wave of phishing attacks targeting popular services in Japan
It is not uncommon for certain countries to be targeted more frequently than others by phishing campaigns and Japan is one of these. There are several reasons why Japan may be targeted by phishing campaigns. One reason may be due to the country's high levels of Internet and technology usage which makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals. Additionally, Japan is home to a number of large, well-known companies and organizations that may be targeted by phishers as part of their attacks. Finally, it is possible that Japan is simply a victim of its own success and popularity, and as a result is receiving a larger share of the overall volume of phishing attacks that are occurring globally.
Many phishing attacks in Japan target popular services like Amazon, Rakuten, Aeon, Docomo and others in an attempt to obtain sensitive information and credit card details from Japanese users. Here are some examples of email subject lines that have been used in recent phishing campaigns targeting Japan:
【重なら】お客様のお支払い方法が承認されません。
【Amazon 重要なお知らせ】あなたのAmazonアカウントはセキュリティ環境上の理由で中断されました
Amazonのお支払いにご指定いただいたお客様のお支払い方法が承認されないため
ETC会員再確認のご知らせ
Rakutenお支払い方法のお知らせ【緊急の連絡 】イオンカード ご利用確認のお願い
【重要】AEONいご利用の会員IDとサービスについて
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
End of the year brings new Night Sky ransomware
A newly observed ransomware named Night Sky has been observed as of late December 2021. Night Sky performs standard file encryption and also includes pre-encryption data theft. The ransomware then uses a double-extortion tactic to motivate victims to pay the ransom for file decryption and to avoid having stolen data released.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Ransomware!g3
File-based
Ransom.Nightsky
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1 |
Energy Sector and its Suppliers are targeted by infostealer attacks
Large gas, oil, and electronics businesses, as well as their suppliers, have been targeted by recent infostealer attacks. Attacks on the suppliers indicates that they are looking for alternative ways to access systems and that this could be the beginning of a wider campaign.
The attack starts with spoofed emails sent from typosqatted domains that appear to be legit business emails. These messages have an attachment containing executable files in IMG, ISO or CAB file format. When the executable runs, an information stealer gathers private information, browser data, and installs a keylogger.
This attack has been seen utilizing several known malware threats including Formbook, Agent Tesla, Loki, Snake Keylogger and AZORult.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Enigma Stealer sets its eyes on the cryptocurrency industry
Enigma Stealer is an infostealing malware based on the older Stealerium infostealer. The recently observed attacks leveraging this malware have been targeting cryptocurrency industry with phishing emails containing fake interview or job offer lures. The attackers have also been using an older Intel driver vulnerability (CVE-2015-2291) to load a malicious driver on the victim's endpoints. Enigma Stealer collects user information, passwords and data stored in various browsers and several other applications such as Telegram, Signal or VPN programs.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn14
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
EPPlus libraries used to create malicious spreadsheets
New reports emerged about threat actors using some uncommon ways to create malicious Excel spreadsheets. In a potential attempt to evade detection or lower its effectiveness, the maldocs are created using EPPlus .net library instead of Microsoft Office Suite. EPPlus library is a spreadsheet management library used by many companies across the world, that offers both read and write functionality to the files in an Office Open XML (OOXML) format.
According to reports, documents generated using the EPPlus library are being spread via spam in an operation dubbed as Epic Manchego. Payloads delivered are using well known campaigns that belong to the following malware families like AgentTesla, Azorult, Formbook, Matiex, and njRat.
Symantec protections
File-based
Backdoor.Ratenjay
CL.Downloader!gen173
ISB.Downloader!gen48
ISB.Downloader!gen60
ISB.Downloader!gen68
ISB.Downloader!gen77
Trojan.Formbook
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
Network-based
IPS Sig ID [32059] System Infected: Infostealer Activity 12
IPS Sig ID [31375] System Infected: Infostealer.Rultazo Activity 4
IPS Sig ID [31318] System Infected: Trojan.Formbook Activity 3
IPS Sig ID [26892] System Infected: Backdoor.Ratenjay RAT Activity |
Epsilon Red (aka BlackCocaine) Ransomware
Epsilon Red (also known as BlackCocaine) is another Ransomware that's been spotted in-the-wild. According to reports the actors behind this variant have been exploiting ProxyLogon to gain initial access then living off the land, leveraging legitimate tools to spread laterally.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Ransom.Blackcocaine!g1
Ransom.Cryptolocker
Trojan.Malscript
Network-based
Attack: Microsoft Exchange Server CVE-2021-26855
Web Attack: Microsoft Exchange Server CVE-2021-26857 |
Erbium - a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) infostealer
Erbium is a relatively new infostealing malware offered for sale in a form of Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) package. The malware includes functionality to steal confidential user's data including passwords, credit card data, browser cookies and auto-complete data as well as a wide range of crypto wallets. The collected information is then ex-filtrated to the attacker's C2 servers via a built-in API system. Erbium may also establish connection to the Discord’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) and download additional arbitrary payloads. In the wild the malware has been observed to be distributed via drive-by downloads and various software cracks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Erbium Stealer preys on Fortnite cheaters
Erbium is a new infostealer (advertised on Russian-speaking hacking forums) that has recently been observed in the threat landscape. Actors are distributing this malware using drive-by-download techniques and posing as cracked software and game hacks. One of these recent campaigns targets Fortnite (a highly popular free-to-play Battle Royale game) players in the hope of luring gamers who are looking to gain an unfair or forbidden advantage over regular players, with the malicious binary hosted on MediaFire (a file hosting, file synchronization, and cloud storage service). Capability wise, it pretty much does the same as many other infostealers from passwords, to discord token and crypto wallet theft.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
Suspicious: content
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Ermac - another Android banking malware
Ermac is yet another banking malware variant targeting the Android platform. According to the latest reports the malware is suspected to be based on the infamous Cerberus banking trojan. In some recently discovered campaigns Ermac has been seen masquerading as various applications - antivirus, Google Chrome, banking or government apps among others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
Android.Reputation.2
AppRisk:Generisk
Web-based
Observed IPs are covered under security categories |
Ermac in Brazil – Allianz lure
Ermac has been around since at least 2021 and over the past 3 years, made headlines for its advanced capabilities and ability to steal sensitive information - in particular targeting bank and cryptocurrency credentials. As of today, this threat is still very much active and used by multiple groups and individuals, impacting both consumer and enterprise users.
Recently, Symantec observed an actor targeting mobile users in Brazil by posing their malicious binary as Allianz Brasil's Android mobile app (Allianz Brasil.apk). Allianz Brazil is the Brazilian branch of Allianz SE, one of the leading global insurance and financial services providers. We assume that these cybercriminals are targeting Allianz users having viewed them as attractive targets due to their potential for managing wealth and conducting financial transactions through multiple avenues.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.2 |
Espionage Campaign Targets Telecoms Organizations
Telecom organizations in Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Thailand and Laos were targeted in the campaign, which appears to have made no use of custom malware and instead relied on a mixture of legitimate tools, publicly available malware, and living-off-the-land tactics. While the identity of the attackers remains unconfirmed, there is some evidence to suggest a link to the Iranian Seedworm (aka MuddyWater) group. The targeting and tactics are consistent with Iranian-sponsored actors.
Read more in our blog: Espionage Campaign Targets Telecoms Organizations across Middle East and Asia
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Hacktool
Hacktool.Mimikatz
Infostealer
PUA.Gen.6
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
WS.SecurityRisk.1
WS.SecurityRisk.3 |
EtterSilent: Maldoc builder and provider
The threat landscape has always had an economy of its own with groups and individuals selling services to each other. One service in particular has been successful in recent years - providing weaponized Microsoft Office documents or "maldocs" to those with ill intent. Security Response has long observed threat actors creating tools to build malicious document files with the aim of providing those files for use in malspam campaigns and download payloads. EtterSilent is such a tool, currently being utilized by highly prevalent banking malware such as Qakbot, Trickbot and IcedID in ongoing malspam campaigns.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen460
ISB.Downloader!gen465
ISB.Downloader!gen466
ISB.Downloader!gen469
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader |
EverSpy RAT
The mobile threatscape is packed with countless remote access trojans, and many are sold to multiple groups and individuals. Others get cracked and distributed for free to even more threat actors. This bulletin covers one of these RATs known as EverSpy, which has been advertised on various platforms throughout 2023 and has also been cracked. Over the past year Symantec has seen an abundance of test activities related to this threat, but we have also observed actual malicious campaigns in the form of app masquerading and drive-by downloads. EverSpy has run-of-the-mill capabilities that most Android RATs possess. Below are some of its features:
Call Forwarding and History
Redirect and Send SMS
Collect Contacts
Lock Device
Delete App
Keylogging
Screen Capture
Collect Photos
Open Apps
Symantec detects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.1 |
EvilBamboo activities continue
Active since at least 2019, there have been reports of EvilBamboo continuing its activities against religious minorities in Asia and Taiwanese groups and individuals. In its most recent campaigns, this actor has been using various Android spyware (BADBAZAAR, BADSIGNAL, and BADSOLAR) to collect sensitive information, posing their malware as fake popular messaging apps, hosted on fake websites.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
AppRisk:Generisk |
Evil Corp (aka Dridex) impersonates PayloadBin (aka Babuk) gang to get the money
The Babuk gang has recently stated that they will be dropping their ransomware encryption activities to focus on data theft and extortion. By the end of May, they had refreshed their TOR Onion webpage, rebranding it as PayloadBin.
However, a new PayloadBin ransomware was recently found by researchers, bringing into question the Babuk gang's statement that they were dropping the ransomware side of their operations. After some analysis, researchers pointed out that the ransomware was in fact a rebranding of Evil Corp's ransomware operations. The most likely reason Evil Corp would do this is thought to be an attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against paying the ransomware actor.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
WS.Malware.1 |
EvilExtractor malware
EvilExtractor is a modular attack toolkit initially released back in 2022, currently sold online and targeted at Windows-based systems. EvilExtractor has been seen being spread in recent phishing campaigns under a disguise of PDF or Dropbox files. The malware's purpose is mainly to steal data/documents and log keystrokes on compromised machines. EvilExtractor has also a ransomware module (dubbed Kodex Ransomware) that abuses the 7-Zip application in order to create password protected archives containing the victim's file collected on the compromised endpoint.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.Powershell!g20
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Exbyte - new exfiltration tool leveraged by the BlackByte attackers
Symantec’s Threat Hunter Team has discovered that at least one affiliate of the BlackByte ransomware (Ransom.Blackbyte) operation has begun using a custom data exfiltration tool during their attacks. The Exbyte exfiltration tool is written in Go and designed to upload stolen files to the Mega.co.nz cloud storage service. BlackByte is a ransomware-as-a-service operation that is run by a cyber-crime group called Hecamede.
Read more in our blog: Exbyte: BlackByte Ransomware Attackers Deploy New Exfiltration Tool
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Infostealer.Exbyte
ISB.Heuristic!gen71
Ransom.Blackbyte
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Excel bill trap: IPFS phishing campaign targets industries in Turkey
IPFS phishing continues to be employed around the world, and Symantec recently observed a campaign in which an actor is targeting medium and large Turkish industries, as well as international companies that have local offices. Victimology data suggests that the actor behind these attacks focuses on companies in the insurance, energy, and manufacturing sectors (including cars, cloth, chemicals, etc.). The malicious emails (subject: Fatura ödeme kopyası) try to lure victims with a fake bill. Upon clicking the malicious URL, users are redirected to a phishing page hosted on IPFS cleverly disguised as an Excel file, which prompts them to enter their email password to gain full access. An IPFS-based phishing attack refers to a specific type of phishing attack that abuses the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to host and distribute deceptive landing pages.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Excel files posing as invoices contain a downloader macro disguised as an image.
There have been reports of malicious emails with xlsb attachments in the wild. The file includes an image that when clicked runs a Visual Basic macro. The macro then verifies Active Directory membership and begins the download. The URLs contacted by the attack have been taken down but were likely related to banking malware possibly Dridex.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
W97M.Downloader
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products |
Exela Stealer malware
Exela is a newly identified Python-based infostealing malware. Exela targets ex-filtration of user files, web browser stored data, cookies, credentials and other confidential information from the compromised hosts. The malware has been seen used in campaigns targeted at Discord users where the legitimate Discord client is being modified by the malware in order to allow for the infostealing functionality. The malware ex-filtrates the collected data with the help of Discord webhook URLs.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Infostealer
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!100
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C |
Exodus Stealer
Over the past few weeks Symantec has observed test activities linked to Exodus stealer. This infostealer has recently been shared on a well-known Internet hosting service for software development and version control. Exodus is quite similar to other recent infostealers, some of it's primary capabilities including:
Steal known web browser, VPN and FTP passwords
Grab files and screenshots
Clip cryptocurrency wallets
Collect system information
Keylogging
Steal Steam, Uplay, Battle.Net, Minecraft session information
Hijack Telegram and Discord accounts
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
Exploit code for unpatched Windows vulnerability made available
Symantec Security Response is aware that information and proof-of-concept code for an unpatched Windows vulnerability were made available by a security research group. While the vulnerability - a local privilege escalation - is assigned a new CVE number of 2020-17008, it turned out to be not new at all. The original CVE number was CVE-2020-0986, for which a patch that partially fixed the issue was released in June 2020 after the vulnerability was reportedly used in targeted attacks in May 2020. The research team found that the security hole could still be exploited with a minor adjustment to the attack code, and so the new CVE was allocated to the new method. The patch for CVE-2020-17008 is scheduled to be published on January 12th, 2021.
Symantec released the following detection based on the available proof-of-concept code (POC):
Exp.CVE-2020-17008 |
Exploit Kits - Still Alive and Kicking
Exploit Kit activity has been on the decline due to Internet Explorer usage being replaced by Chrome, Firefox and Edge. However, Exploit Kits have not completely vanished from the exploit domain. Symantec is aware of reports that several Exploit Kits like RIG, Magnitude, Bottle and PurpleFox have added the Internet Explorer (IE) CVE-2021-26411 vulnerability to their arsenal. Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), blocks the exploitation attempt at the network level, to prevent the further infection/damage to the system.
We have observed a 50% increase in Exploit Kit attacks in Japan over the last fortnight due to habitual usage of IE browser within this region. We have also observed Bottle Exploit Kit exploiting older versions of Internet Explorer via CVE-2020-1380 vulnerability.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Web Attack: Exploit Toolkit Website 108
Web Attack: Exploit Toolkit Website 112
Web Attack: Exploit Website 10
Web Attack: Internet Explorer RCE CVE-2021-26411
Web Attack: Microsoft Internet Explorer CVE-2020-1380 |
ExpressionCargo - Adload variant targeting MacOS
ExpressionCargo is a new adware/PUA variant belonging to the notorious AdLoad MacOS family. Its purpose is to display ads in the form of pop-ups or banners on visited websites or in the search engine that promote scams, malicious applications or even malware. ExpressionCargo is reported to be distributed in the form of software bundles where it gets installed alongside of various freeware apps on the system. The other known distribution method shared with other Adload variants is through fake Adobe Flash player update packages.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
OSX.AdLoad
OSX.Trojan.Gen
WS.Malware.1 |
EyeSpy via VPN installers
The EyeSpy malware has been discovered in trojanized installers of an Iranian VPN service called 20Speed. This infostealer is capable of stealing various types of information such as keystrokes, documents, and passwords from browsers and crypto wallets. The campaign was reported to have begun in May 2022 and escalated in late 2022. VPN software is often used to bypass internet censorship and access blocked content, making it a tool that is sought after by many people. This makes VPN software a good vector for delivering malware to a large number of potential victims.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Ezuri Golang-based crypter used by APT groups
New reports have emerged about the use of the publicly available Golang-based "Ezuri" crypter for packing of malicious Linux binaries in an attempt to evade antivirus detection. Among the reported APT groups leveraging this packer for their malware is the TeamTNT group, which has been known for targeting Docker instances for cryptomining and DDoS botnet installations.
Symantec provides the following coverage against this campaign:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Linux.Backdoor.Kaiten
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Gen.NPE.2
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2 |
F5 BIG-IP remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2023-46747
CVE-2023-46747 is a recently disclosed critical (CVSS score: 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability affecting F5 BIG-IP. If successfully exploited the vulnerability might allow unauthenticated attackers with BIG-IP system network access to execute arbitrary system commands. The application vendor F5 has already patched this vulnerability but also indicated it has been exploited in the wild by various threat actors who have also leveraged it in combination with another BIG-IP vulnerability CVE-2023-46748.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Attack: F5 BIG-IP RCE CVE-2023-46747 |
Facebook credentials still coveted by cybercriminals
For cybercriminals, Facebook accounts are still a very much coveted data. Facebook's users credentials could be used for petty cybercrime as well as a stepping stone to more complex attacks. Symantec continues to observe an abundance of malware and phishing websites tailored to snatch those credentials, these malicious activities affecting both computer and mobile users. In regards to the latter, there have been reports of Android malware that is designed to steal victims' Facebook login information. These are basic run-of-the-mill malicious applications that unsuspecting users would download from Google Play.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk |
Fake 1Password installer delivery via Trickbot
Researchers discovered a recent Trickbot infection delivered via a malspam campaign exploiting built-in Windows utilities such as net.exe, ipconfig.exe and nltest.exe, set to conduct an internal inspection of the victim's machine with the intention of advancing access to WDigest authentication.
The primary objective of the attack is to deploy a fake password manager installer called 1Password. The malware masquerading as a legitimate software installer will drop and execute a file designed to fetch a Cobalt Strike beacon. In addition, PowerShell scripts will run for the purpose of information gathering.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Trojan.Trickybot
WS.Malware.2 |
Fake Adobe Reader Installer delivering Infostealer
A recent report detailed how threat actors are distributing PDF files with a message that would prompt users to download and run an Adobe Reader installer in order to be able to view the PDF contents. In actuality, the victims will unknowingly be installing an infostealer instead.
Infostealers are designed to collect sensitive data and system information from the victim machine and relay it back to the attacker's C2 servers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Rd32!g1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Pidief
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
Fake annual promotion emails from Human Resources (HR) emerge as new phish run
Threat actors have now added a new theme to phishing emails and this time it's related to employee promotions. In a recent phishing run, emails containing phishing URLs and masqueraded as annual employee promotion notifications are sent to recipients. The email body content is kept short and mentions that Human Resource department has released a list of candidates eligible for promotion. In order to view the annual promotion list, the user is enticed to click on the phishing URL ready to steal credentials.
Email Headers:
Subject: Annual Promotion
From: HR Dept <redacted_email_address>
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Fake Anti Radar App: SpyNote RAT Targets French Drivers
Speed cameras are quite prevalent in France, and their numbers have increased significantly over the years as part of road safety measures. They are deployed in various locations, including highways, urban areas, and rural roads, to monitor and enforce speed limits. These cameras are often placed strategically in areas prone to speeding or high accident rates, such as near schools, construction zones, and dangerous curves.
Additionally, France also employs mobile speed cameras operated by law enforcement officers or automated systems in vehicles. These mobile cameras can be moved to different locations to target specific areas or events where speeding is a concern.
Following these increased measures of deterrence, numerous applications, social groups, and websites have sprung up to inform drivers of their locations. As we all know, cybercriminals keep an eye on topics that can easily be leveraged in the form of social engineering to target a large number of victims.
Symantec recently observed an actor who has been masquerading SpyNote (a remote access trojan) as an "anti radar" mobile application. The fake app likely claimed to be able to warn drivers about speed cameras and traffic enforcement zones.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk |
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