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ownCloud graphapi CVE-2023-49103 vulnerability under active exploitation
CVE-2023-49103 is a critical (CVSS score 10.0) information disclosure vulnerability affecting ownCloud Graph API extension. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability can reveal sensitive data, including administrative credentials. We are aware of reports which indicate an uptick in exploitation of this vulnerability in the wild. Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) blocks these vulnerability exploitation attempts to prevent further infection/damage to the system.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Attack: ownCloud graphapi Information Disclosure Vulnerability CVE-2023-49103
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security (DCS) hardening can reduce the attack surface and exposure in many different ways like locking down network exposure so the vulnerable devices cannot be exploited over the public internet |
P2PInfect malware
P2PInfect malware is developed in Rust language and is a cross-platform worm that uses various methods of propagation for infection across various architectures and platforms. This malware exploits Redis vulnerabilities and is able to perform peer-to-peer (P2P) communications without relying on C2 server.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security provides multi-layered protection for Windows and Linux Server
Symantec Data Center Security Hardening prevents malware from being dropped or executed on the system. DCS hardened Linux servers prevent execution of malware from temp or other writable locations, a technique used in this malware
Symantec Data Center Security hardening using a custom sandbox for Redis server provides protection against these types of malware.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Pakistan's NDMA spoofed in an Email phishing campaign
Phishing campaigns targeting Microsoft Email passwords are numerous and observed on a daily basis. Actors employ all kinds of social engineering techniques and phishing kits. Recently, an actor has been spoofing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan to lure victims with fake invoices and SWIFT transfers. If someone is successfully tricked by the malicious email, the HTML or PDF attachment and clicks on the URL, they will be redirected to a phishing page that requests them to log in using their Microsoft email credentials. In this campaign, the actor is mainly targeting financial and energy companies worldwide.
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 |
PAN-OS vulnerability CVE-2017-15944 still being exploited in the wild
PAN-OS is the operating system used by Palo Alto Networks' enterprise firewall. Over the last few weeks Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), has picked up scans based on threat landscape monitoring which indicate an uptick in exploitation of an older and already patched PAN-OS vulnerability. CVE-2017-15944 allows an attacker, via the management interface, to remotely execute code on PAN-OS as the highest privileged user. Exploiting the vulnerability involves exploiting three different vulnerabilities in conjunction. The first vulnerability allows an attacker to partially bypass authentication by injecting a value into the session file. The second vulnerability allows arbitrary directory creation by using XML injection via a crafted HTTP POST request. The third vulnerability allows for code to be executed with root-level permissions via command injection into a cron script.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Attack: PAN-OS RCE CVE-2017-15944 |
Panchan botnet targets Linux instances for cryptomining
A new peer-to-peer botnet dubbed Panchan has been recently discovered. Panchan is written in Golang and targets Linux servers for crypto-mining. The botnet inherits functions typical for SSH worms such as the ability to conduct dictionary attacks or to harvest SSH keys used for lateral movement. The malware deploys two distinct crypto miners - xmrig and nbhash that can be executed directly from the memory. Recent Panchan distribution campaigns have been reported to target mostly the educational sector.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1 |
Pandas are not just fuzzy bears
A new information stealer called Panda Stealer is reaching unsuspecting victims through spam emails posing as business quote requests which happen to contain a malicious excel attachment.
Unbeknownst to the victim, once installed, Panda Stealer will collect details such as transaction records, private keys, and digital currency wallets. It can steal credentials from various applications and is able to take screenshots of the infected machine along with exfiltrating data from browsers (cookies, passwords, credit card...).
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.B
Trojan Horse
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen3
SONAR.MSOffice!g7
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.
|
Pandora hVNC RAT continuous activities in the wild
Pandora hVNC, a remote access trojan (RAT) present in the threat landscape since 2021, enables attackers to remotely control infected machines. Beyond its primary function, the malware possesses infostealing features such as keylogging, downloading and executing arbitrary payloads, and remote command execution. Advertised and sold on cybercrime forums, new variants of Pandora hVNC frequently emerge in the wild.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen6
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen633
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C |
PaperCut RCE vulnerability (CVE-2023-27350) exploited in the wild
A critical vulnerability in popular PaperCut print management software has been reported as being exploited in the wild by a number of threat actors. The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2023-27350. If exploited, the vulnerability might allow unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication on unpatched systems and lead to arbitrary code execution.
While the vendor has already released a patch to address this vulnerability, Symantec is observing attackers currently exploiting the vulnerability to drop various malicious payloads including coinminers and reverse shells. Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), has been providing proactive coverage for the exploitation attempts and reverse shell connections observed during the attacks leveraging the PaperCut vulnerability.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g286
File-based
Downloader.Trojan
ISB.Downloader!gen205
Miner.XMRig!gen9
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Web.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Upload 2
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Upload 19
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Policy-based
DCS provides 0 day protection for PaperCut RCE vulnerability CVE-2023-27350. The default hardening policy for Windows application servers prevents PaperCut service from launching arbitrary cmd and powershell processes to execute post-exploitation techniques reported in public exploitation of this vulnerability.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Paradies clips cryptocurrency wallets
Crypto clippers are threats whose main purpose is to swap victims' cryptocurrency wallet addresses with the ones owned by the malware actor. Despite the current turmoil in the crypto market there is no decreased activity and Symantec continues to observe this type of malware. More recently, a clipper known as Paradies has been observed in the threat landscape posing as cracked software and hack tools such as Spotify checkers. As of now, it's primarily targeting consumers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Paradise Ransomware source code released on hacking forums
The source code of the ransomware variant known as Paradise has been leaked on hacking forums. Paradise has been around since 2017 and was initially distributed as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) offering. Back in March 2020 threat actors behind Paradise have been leveraging IQY files to spread the ransomware in a novel campaign, but otherwise the in-the-wild activities of this malware have been relatively rare in the last year. Public release of the Paradise source code might lead to a surge of popularity of this ransomware variant in due course.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.C
Ransom.Paradise
Trojan.Gen
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan Horse |
Paraguayan Government Agency Impersonated in Formbook Campaign
Government agencies are as frequently spoofed as businesses, and in some instances this can be a powerful social engineering tactic. In a recent example, Symantec has observed a Formbook actor posing as the Paraguayan Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES). The emails (subject: statement sept 22 ocean ltd) contained a malicious RAR archive (Statement20233010.rar) with the Formbook binary disguised as a fake statement (Statement20233010.exe). This campaign does not appear to target a specific country or industry, but has been observed in multiple countries including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, South Africa, Australia, etc.
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!gdn32
Scr.Malcode!gdn14
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Parallax RAT Targets Cryptocurrency Companies
Malspam and phishing campaigns have been spreading Parallax RAT since 2019 when it first appeared. A new report shows that cryptocurrency companies are threat actors' target of choice recently.
The malware is capable of reading login credentials, accessing files, keylogging, remote desktop control, and remote control of compromised machines. Parallax also has a capability called process-hollowing where attackers will inject code into a legitimate application to hide its malicious behavior in order to avoid detection during the attack.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.ProcHijack!g45
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
ParaSiteSnatcher leverages Chrome extensions for banking data compromise
ParaSiteSnatcher is a newly identified framework leveraging Google Chrome extensions for data ex-filtration from compromised endpoints. The threat actors have been using ParaSiteSnatcher in recent campaigns targeting users from Latin America and ex-filtrating user banking information related to Banco do Brasil- and Caixa Econômica Federal (Caixa) banks. The malware has capabilities for manipulating PIX (payment system in Brazil) transactions as well as Boleto Bancario (another payment system). ParaSiteSnatcher is spread via VBS downloaders hosted on public cloud repositories.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
ISB.Houdini!gen7
Scr.Malcode!gen114
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE.C
Trojan.Malscript
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Parrot TDS - a persistent threat
Traffic Direction System (TDS) known as Parrot TDS has been an active and persistent threat since at least 2019. The attackers behind this TDS have been targeting web servers of poorly secured content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress or Joomla with JavaScript code redirecting victims to malicious locations. Two script components are involved in the attacks - a landing script responsible for profiling the targets and a payload script used to redirect the victims to malicious content. Parrot TDS campaigns has been observed to target various industries across the entire globe. The threat actors responsible have also been known to leverage known vulnerabilities in their attacks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
JS.Cryxos!inf
JS.Malscript!g1
JS.Redirector
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Malscript
Web.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.2
Network-based
Web Attack: Mass Injection Website 90
Web Attack: Mass Injection Website 95
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Password Protected Word Documents Found Distributing KPOT Infostealer
The KPOT Infostealer, which collects information from browsers, cryptocurrency wallets and other network software, has been seen distributed via a new method using password protected Microsoft Word files. The Word file is shared via a spear-phishing email that includes the password in the body of the message. If the macro in the file is allowed to execute, the KPOT Infostealer is downloaded and run.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
W97M.Downloader
Email-based
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products. |
PatchWorkApt Ransomware
PatchWorkApt is the latest Chaos ransomware variant found in the wild. The threat appends random extensions to files, following the encryption process of user data. The ransom note is dropped in the form of a "look_this.txt" text file where the attackers ask the victims to contact them for instructions on how to recover the locked files. The malware has the functionality to delete volume shadow copies on the infected machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Untrst-RLsass!g1
SONAR.SuspDrop!gen1
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g22
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g266
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Patriot Stealer
Patriot Stealer is another run-of-the-mill infostealer that has been reported being sold. This threat is capable of stealing various passwords, cookies, bookmarks, history, autofill data, telegram sessions and crypto wallets. Upon successful infection, it uses Discord webhooks to report back to the operators. Recent activities indicate that actors are using drive-by-download as a vector of infection. In one instance, they've disguised the Patriot stealer binary as a fake Eve online installer – a popular multiplayer online role-playing game.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Infostealer |
Pawn Storm and simple RATs
Pawn Storm (aka APT28, Swallowtail and Fancy Bear) has been active since at least January 2007, but received significant public attention during 2016 when it was implicated in a series of cyber attacks in the run up to the U.S. presidential election. Over the years, they have been using various sophisticated malware and exploits but according to reports have recently used simple Remote Access Trojans (RATs) to target government agencies and the military.
Symantec continues to monitor this group's activities and has the following protection in place for these RATs:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Gen.2
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Pay2Key ransomware activities linked to a known APT group Fox Kitten
Symantec is aware of reports linking the recently emerged Pay2Key ransomware to a known APT group dubbed Fox Kitten. According to those reports there have been multiple attacks targeted at Israeli organizations within the last 2 months. In some instances the compromised targets were not only encrypted but their data has also been ex-filtrated. Pay2Key actors are known to exploit exposed vulnerabilities in their attacks. It's also believed that RDP attacks as well as SQL injections might be additional attack vectors being leveraged.
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 the recently reported attacks and generally against Pay2Key ransomware family include:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.C
PUA.Gen.2
Ransom.Cryptolocker
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE |
Pay2Key ransomware enters the stage
We have been aware of reports about a new ransomware variant dubbed Pay2Key. The ransomware is reported to target multiple companies in Israel and is believed to be initiated via RDP brute-force compromise.
While Symantec further investigates this new ransomware strain, we recommend regular backup procedures of any important files and applying the latest product definitions to protect against ransomware threats.
Symantec Protection against this attack is as follows:
File-based Protection:
Ransom.Cryptolocker |
PayMe100USD ransomware
PayMe100USD is another run-of-the-mill ransomware variant discovered just last month. The malware is written in Python, exhibits standard ransomware behaviour and carries out typical functions. It avoids encrypting certain file formats and it will append .PayMe100USD extension to the encrypted files. The attackers threaten to release the victims' ex-filtrated data to the public if payment of 100 USD worth of Bitcoin is not made within 48 hours.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
Payment sent with AgentTesla
Symantec Security Response has observed malicious emails with the following characteristics being sent to more than 2,000 organizations.
Subject: RE: Payment Sent
Attachment: Payment_Notification-000019392001.gz
Internal file name within the attachment: Payment_Notification-000019392001.exe
The executable file is actually AgentTesla, a .Net-based Remote Access Tool (RAT) that steals information from the infected machine and connects to a remote server for further instructions.
Symantec provides the following coverage for this threat:
File-based
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. |
PayPal phishing campaign targeting organizations in Israel
PayPal phishing campaigns have been around for almost as long as PayPal itself and continue to be observed on a daily basis. These phishing attacks typically take the form of websites, fraudulent emails or SMS designed to appear as if they are coming from PayPal. The goal of PayPal phishing is to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and other financial data.
While most of these target consumers, enterprise users aren't exempt. In a recent example, companies in Israel are currently being targeted by a PayPal phishing email campaign with the subject: עליך לבצע פעולה בחשבון ה-PayPal שלך (מספר סימוכין - PP-L-426690024033). If users are successfully deceived by this fake account action notice, clicking on a shortened URL will redirect them to a fake PayPal login website.
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. |
Payuranson/Payuransom - latest Skynet ransomware variants
Payuranson/Payuransom is the newest variant of the Skynet ransomware family. The malware encrypts user files, adding either .payuranson or .payuransom extensions. A ransom note, typically named SkynetData.txt or ReadMeForDecrypt.txt, is dropped on the compromised machines. Payment is demanded in Bitcoin, with contact details provided in the form of an email address and Telegram handle. The ransomware has the functionality to delete Volume Shadow Copies from the infected endpoint.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Untrst-RLsass!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.Dropper
SONAR.SuspDrop!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
PeepingTitle backdoor deployed in Operation Magalenha
Operation Magalenha is a malicious campaign targeting customers of various well-known Portuguese banks and financial institutions. The threat actors are distributing a Delphi-based backdoor dubbed PeepingTitle that belongs to the Maxtrilha banking malware family. The attack chain of Operation Magalenha involves malware distribution via various channels including phishing, social engineering and malicious installers hosted on compromised websites. The deployed backdoors have functionality allowing the attackers remote control of the infected machines, credentials theft, data ex-filtration and deployment of additional arbitrary payloads.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen60
ISB.Downloader!gen68
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.SecurityRisk.4
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Pegasus Spyware in extortion scam attack
Attackers capitalizing on Pegasus Spyware were seen running a continuous malspam campaign employing fear-mongering tactics in an attempt to terrorize its victims into coughing up extortion payments. The aforementioned campaign claims that Pegasus is a "zero-click" type of attack on mobiles which do not require any action from the phone’s user in order for the spyware to gain control over the device (this part is true). One BTC was demanded in exchange for the attackers to delete any illicitly obtained user information and promising the data will not be posted publicly (whether this part is true or not is highly debatable).
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products |
Pegasus Spyware in the spotlight again
Pegasus is a highly sophisticated and elusive mobile spyware that has been around for some years now. According to the company behind Pegasus, it is sold to Nation states and law enforcement to help the fight against crime and terrorism, and to maintain public safety. Despite this, potential misuse of the software has been flagged over the years, and Symantec has had long standing detection of it. Recent reports have claimed to provide additional proof of abuse, where individuals such as politicians, activists, journalists, and business executives have reportedly been the victims of this spyware.
Actors can deploy Pegasus onto their target's mobile phone via vulnerabilities or by luring them into clicking a link.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk
Android.Reputation.1
Android.Reputation.2
Trojan:Cegasoar
Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile is able to also analyze links contained within SMS messages. It shields users from SMS phishing attempts by checking URLs found in text messages against the threat intelligence in Symantec WebPulse, part of the Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN), and alerting users when the links are suspect.
SEP Mobile provides protection against network content threats, filtering and blocking communication to known C&C servers used in Pegasus' campaigns. It can also identify and protect vulnerable iOS & Android devices. |
PennyWise lures victims from YouTube rather than the gutter
Yet another infostealer has been observed in the threat landscape. This one dubbed PennyWise, it has run-of-the-mill infostealing capabilities which means it can steal browsers and cryptocurrency-related application data. In a recent campaign, actors have leveraged YouTube to distribute the malware, luring victims with YouTube videos (for example, about crypto mining) with a download link in the description that leads to PennyWise.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
PGminer exploits PostgreSQL
There has been a report of a cryptocurrency miner botnet which has been abusing a disputed PostgreSQL vulnerability to compromise systems. Symantec has the following coverage in place:
File-based
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE |
Philippines's Land Transportation Office spoofed to target industries
Symantec recently observed a malspam campaign in which actors are spoofing the Republic of Philippines Land Transportation Office to target multiple industries, including finance, IT equipment, automotive, and food and drink in several countries (the US, the UK, Japan, and the Netherlands). The malicious emails (subject: "ORDER FOR HITEK OCEANIC") contain a .zip archive attachment. If users are lured by the malicious .bat file within the archive, they will end up getting Remcos, a well-known remote access trojan.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.dropper
SONAR.heur.dropper
SONAR.suspbeh!gen25
SONAR.suspbeh!gen633
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Phish emails impersonate Banco Bradesco's loyalty points redemption system
Banco Bradesco is one of the largest privately operated financial institutions in Latin America. It was founded on March 10, 1943 and is headquartered in Osasco, Brazil. Lately, Symantec has observed persistent phish runs that impersonate Banco Bradesco's loyalty point redemption system to steal credentials. These phish emails are typically masqueraded as notification messages and make an attempt to lure users to open and click on phish URLs.
Email Subject: Bradesco informa: Mais de 359.180 mil pontos para resgate
Translated Email Subject: Bradesco informs: More than 293,000 points for redemption
Upon clicking on the phish URLs presented in the email content, the victims are served with credential harvesting webpages.
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 |
Phishing actors impersonate Salesforce to steal credentials
In a recent phishing run, Symantec observed phish URLs impersonating legit salesforce URLs to spread phishing web pages through emails. As shown in Figure 1, a phishing email purporting to be from Salesforce is sent to the recipient. The email content is kept short with a title requesting action from the recipient. The email asks the recipient to confirm the email address in order to keep the user account active. For this, the recipient needs to click on the hyperlinked text. A simple hover can reveal that the threat actors have made use of a spoofed domain resembling that of legitimate salesforce.com. The URL also reveals that the root domain is different in reality and that the “salesforce” keyword in the URL is added in order to make it appear legitimate. Once clicked, the embedded URL opens a credential stealing phish web page prompting the user into entering credentials.
Figure 1: Phishing email masqueraded as a Salesforce notification email with the use of “salesforce” keyword in the embedded URL.
Protection
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. |
Phishing and Smishing: PayPay users hit by more campaigns
PayPay is a popular mobile payment service in Japan. Launched in October 2018 as a joint venture between SoftBank Corp. and Yahoo Japan Corporation, it aims to provide a convenient and secure way for users to make cashless transactions using their smartphones.
This service allows users to link their bank accounts, credit cards, or other payment methods to the app. They can then make payments by scanning QR codes displayed at participating merchants or by entering a merchant's phone number. The app also offers a "PayPay Point" system where users can earn and redeem points for future purchases.
Over the years, this service has gained significant popularity in Japan, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals. In recent months there has been an increase in PayPay phishing campaigns, with actors sending out multiple emails to Japanese consumers and enterprises. If users are successfully lured, they will be redirected to fake PayPay websites crafted to snatch their credentials.
Examples of recent email subjects,
【重要】PayPay銀行からのお知らせ
PayPayお客様のアカウント認証に関するお知らせ
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
Mobile-based
Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile is able to also analyze links contained within SMS messages. It shields users from SMS phishing attempts by checking URLs found in text messages against the threat intelligence in Symantec WebPulse, part of the Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN), and alerting users when the links are suspect.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Phishing attack targeting GMO Aozora Net Bank users in Japan
Recently, Symantec has observed a phishing campaign that is targeting GMO Aozora Net Bank users with the aim of stealing their financial credentials. GMO Aozora Net Bank, a subsidiary of the GMO Financial Group, is an online-only bank in Japan that provides a range of banking services, including savings accounts, loans, and credit cards, primarily to its customers in Japan. The actors behind this campaign have sent emails with the subject line "【GMOあおぞらネット銀行】から重要なお知らせ" to both businesses and retail customers.
If the users are lured by these fake "important notices", the URL within the email would redirect them to a login page that mimics the GMO Aozora Net Bank website. The attackers also use the classic typo-squatting technique to enhance their trap. Typo-squatting, also known as URL hijacking or domain spoofing, involves registering a domain name that is similar to a legitimate website but with a slightly different spelling or a slight change in the domain name (such as using a different top-level domain).
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 |
Phishing Campaign Leverages ConnectWise ScreenConnect
ConnectWise ScreenConnect is a legitimate remote support tool. Recently, threat actors were seen leveraging this software's functionality in order to gain unauthorized access to targeted systems. The targets are reported to be the healthcare sector, along with cryptocurrency users.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
PUA.Gen.2
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Phishing campaign now impersonates Netflix payment notifications
Symantec has observed a new Netflix phishing campaign that involves the use of carefully crafted emails to lure recipients into revealing their Netflix account login details and their payment card information. As shown in Figure 1, these phishing emails masquerade as notification messages from Netflix informing about issues with the user’s billing or payment details.
Figure 1: Phishing email masqueraded as Netflix payment notification message.
As shown in Figure 2, upon clicking the hyperlinked text “RETRY PAYMENT”, a fake Netflix login page appears ready to steal user credentials.
Figure 2: The embedded URL in hyperlinked text redirects the user to a fake Netflix credentials stealing webpage.
Protection
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. |
Phishing Email Impersonating Quasi-governmental Organization being distributed in latest campaign
A new phishing campaign has been observed which uses a webpage disguised as the login page of GobizKOREA. GobizKOREA is serviced by Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME). The phishing emails targeted users within the trading industry. The email tells the recipient that a new enquiry from a buyer was registered. By clicking the hyperlinks in the email the user is redirected to a webpage disguised as GobizKOREA’s login page. Once the user enters the password and logs in, their account credentials are leaked to the attacker’s C2 server, which can later be sold and abused.
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 |
Phishing emails use fake Australia Post website to steal credit card details
Symantec has observed a new wave of phishing attacks that use emails purporting to originate from Australia Post services. The fraudulent emails are circulated in a few variations as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 with subject lines implying package delivery or payment confirmation required, such as "Your package is waiting for payment confirmation". The emails entice users to click on the links disguised either as a "confirm payment" button or a fake tracking number link.
Figure 1 and 2. Examples of Australia Post phishing emails
Upon clicking the link contained in the email, the user is served with a fake Australia Post webpage hosted on either a compromised domain or a recently registered one. The actors behind those phishing attacks are going after the financial information of the victims, as the scam page asks for payment details in form of credit card information.
Figure 3. Fake Australia post website.
Protection
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products |
Phishing run aims to steal credentials by abusing object storage service
Symantec has observed threat actors abusing Oracle’s object storage service in a recent phishing campaign. As shown in Figure 1, emails disguised as notifications are sent to recipients asking them to review some supposedly important messages held in email quarantine and take action accordingly. Recipients are lured to click on the hyperlinked text embedded with region specific Oracle object storage URL.
Figure 1: Phishing email disguised as a notification message with a phish URL embedded within the email content.
Clicking on the hyperlinked text redirects user to the fake login page designed to steal the user's login credentials as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: The embedded phish URL when clicked verifies the recipient with CAPTCHA and redirects to a fake login page.
Protection:
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. |
Phishing Theme: "American Rescue Plan"
Recently, threat actors jumped at utilizing both the current tax season and the U.S. Govt stimulus package signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11 to launch a malware attack. The attackers are making use of the term American Rescue Plan (also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package) to lure in victims into downloading a macro-enabled IRS form from Dropbox to get more information about the claim, not suspecting that it will actually result in a Dridex payload.
File-based
Packed.Generic.517
Heur.AdvML.B
WS.SecurityRisk.4
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. |
Phish runs abuse cloud computing service to steal credentials
Services offered by Cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services (AWS) have been abused in a recent phish run to steal credentials. As shown in the Figure 1, emails disguised as notification messages are sent to recipients luring them into opening a shared file. This specific phish run leverages the current COVID-19 pandemic situation to grab recipient’s attention. In order to view the shared file, the recipient needs to click on the hyperlinked text – “show preview” - beneath which an embedded AWS URL is present.
Figure 1: Phishing email disguised as a notification message with AWS URL embedded within the email content.
As shown in Figure 2, upon clicking the embedded URL, the user gets redirected to a fake login webpage designed to steal credentials.
Figure 2: Fake login webpage designed to steal credentials.
Protection
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. |
Phish runs now abuse integrated workplace application services to steal credentials
As observed in a recent phish run, threat actors have been abusing Notion workplace application services to steal credentials. In this run, emails masqueraded as fax notification messages are sent to the recipient as shown in Figure 1. The content of the email is kept short providing notification about the new fax received.
One of the key points observed in this run is that part of the URL contains phrases like ‘You-have-received-a-new-fax-message’ or ‘Direct-Deposit’ and a combination of similar phrases.
Figure 1: Email masquerading as fax notification message.
The recipient is lured to click on the hyperlinked text in order to view the faxed document as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Embedded URL in the email redirects the user to an online preview page with phishing URL embedded in content.
Upon clicking the hyperlinked text provided in the online preview, the user is redirected to a credential stealing webpage as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Embedded URL present in the online preview redirects the user to a credential stealing webpage.
Protection
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. |
Phobos ransomware continues to be distributed through the exploitation of RDP services
Phobos is an older ransomware family that first emerged around 2018 and continues to be found on the threat landscape to this day. Most recently observed campaigns have been reported to still exploit vulnerable RDP connections in order to spread this ransomware variant. Phobos encrypts user files and appends random extensions to them. The ransom note is dropped in the form of text files such as “info.txt” or “info.hta” that advise the victims to contact the attackers via the provided email address for further instructions on how to decrypt the locked files. The malware has the functionality to delete volume shadow copiers on the infected endpoint.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspDataRun
File-based
Downloader
Ransom.Phobos
Ransom.Phobos!gm1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
Attack: Ransom.Crysis Activity 3 |
Phobos ransomware is just like the rest
A new variant of the Phobos ransomware was recently observed. There's nothing unique about this particular variant; it arrives in an email with a document attachment that runs a malicious macro to download the payload. The payload is responsible for persistence, file encryption, and ensuring that a system can't be easily recovered, thereby attempting to force a ransom payment.
Subjects and attachment names leveraging this malicious document for delivery have included the following:
documents
information
you have missed
The attachment is typically named in the format of Doc_XXXX.doc where XXXX is a random four digit number.
Symantec provides the following protection for the known associated indicators.
File-based
Trojan Horse
W97M.Downloader
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. |
Phobos ransomware still in circulation
Phobos is an older ransomware family that first emerged in the threat landscape around 2018 and exhibits several similarities to the even older Dharma (Crysis) ransomware. Despite being already a few years in circulation, some new and updated strains of this ransomware still show up in the wild to this day. The latest Phobos variants observed just this month encrypt user's files and append extensions such as:
.duck
.eight
.elbie
.elbow
.faust
.steel
.win
Historically Phobos ransomware has been known to use a multitude of various extensions on the encrypted files and the recently observed variants are no different in this regard.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspDataRun
File-based
Downloader
Ransom.Phobos
Ransom.Phobos!gm1
WS.SecurityRisk.4
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
Attack: Ransom.Crysis Activity 3 |
Phoenix keylogger in the wild
Late last year, there was news around a keylogger called Phoenix which was advertised on underground forums in a Malware-as-a-Service (yes, it's a thing) business model. At that time, some believed this malware had the potential for widespread use, being easy to use. Looking back over the threat landscape this year, Symantec did in fact observe some Phoenix activity but overall not as widespread as other keyloggers & infostealers like AzorUlt, Agent Tesla, Lokibot, PredatorThief, etc. Then, after someone managed to crack the malware and leaked it for free earlier this year, we saw an increase of in-the-wild activity and it will likely increase even further as more groups and individuals access it. After all, who doesn't like free.
Symantec continues to monitor this threat activity and has the following coverage in place:
File-based
Packed.Generic.548
AUT.Heuristic!gen5
AUT.Heuristic!gen7
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Website-based
This activity is proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology |
Phorpiex Botnet is back with a new malware called 'Twizt'
Phorpiex botnet was first discovered back in 2016 and it rapidly spread, infecting over a million devices. Recently, Phorpiex relaunched, just months after the announcement that their operation was shutting down. It was seen distributing a new malware variant called "Twizt". A few noticeable changes were made and it now operates without a centralized C2 server, and the campaign theme shifted from sextortion to cryptocurrency.
The new features included in the Twizt variant include:
A peer-to-peer operation mode (no C2)
A data integrity verification system
A custom binary protocol (TCP or UDP) with two layers of RC4 encryption
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.IRC.Bot
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Wortrik
WS.Malware.1
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Phorpiex malware campaign targets finance sector in Europe and North America
A malware campaign distributing Phorpiex botnet has been observed targeting entities in the finance sector across Europe and North America. As part of the attack, shortcut files with embedded malicious macros are used to infect user systems and download additional malware payloads. Phorpiex can work without an active C2 server and is mainly used to steal cryptocurrency using the crypto-clipping technique.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Http!g2
ACM.Ps-CPE!g2
ACM.Ps-RgPst!g1
ACM.Untrst-RgPst!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen6
SONAR.SuspProfileRun
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen205
ISB.Downloader!gen221
Trojan Horse
Web.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Photo of you???
Symantec Security Response has recently observed a peculiar type of malicious spam. The email has the subject "Photo of you???", which sounds like the sort of email subject ancient mass-mailers such as Mydoom, Netsky and Beagle used to use. Opening the attachment will display a photo of a topless man who appears to be knocked out cold on the floor. The head is blurred out.
In the meantime, a piece of malware is downloaded in the background which attempts to join the infected machine to the Trik (a.k.a. Phorpiex) botnet.
Symantec provides the following coverage against this spam campaign:
File-based
Downloader.Trojan
Trojan Horse
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. |
PingPull and Sword2033 malware targeting Linux systems
A new activity attributed to the APT group known as Alloy Taurus (aka GALLIUM) has been observed in the wild. The group is known to target telecommunications, governmental and financial sector across many countries in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. In this latest campaign the attackers have been leveraging a new variant of the PingPull malware as well as another backdoor dubbed Sword2033. PingPull malware functionality includes read/write/delete operations to files and folders, running commands and more, while the Sword2033 is a relatively basic backdoor variant allowing file upload/download and command execution.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
PingPull RAT leveraged by the Gallium APT
A new Remote Access Trojan (RAT) dubbed as PingPull has been leveraged in attacks carried out by the Gallium APT group. The attackers have been targeting telecommunication sector, financial institutions and governmental entities in Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa. PingPull enables the remote actor access to the reverse shell on the compromised machines and provides the ability to execute arbitrary commands. Depending on the variant, the PingPull RAT might use different protocols for C2 server communication - these include TCP, HTTPS and ICMP.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 674
Web-based
Observed IPs/domains are covered under security categories |
Pings Ransomware
In 2024, ransomware continues to pose a substantial and evolving threat in the cybersecurity landscape. The emergence of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) has introduced a cybercrime business model, allowing affiliates to pay for ransomware software to launch attacks without any technical expertise, often being spread through social engineering and phishing techniques.
A recent report highlights a new ransomware created in this manner, called 'Pings.' This malware encrypts files, adding the '.pings' extension, and leaves a 'FILE RECOVERY.txt' document in each directory containing encrypted files. Attackers demand Bitcoin payment and instruct victims to contact them via email, providing a Victim ID for ransom negotiation and decryption procedures.
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!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
PinkBot Botnet
Recently, light has been shed on a large botnet known as Pinkbot which has been around since at least 2019. Mainly targeting optical network terminals, its main features allow actors to launch DDoS attacks and inject Ads into HTTP webpages.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Linux.Mirai |
Pioneer Kitten - initial access brokers selling access to corporate networks on hacking forums
According to recent reports, a group of initial access brokers dubbed Pioneer Kitten has started to sell access to compromised corporate networks on underground cyber-crime forums. The group specializes in breaking into corporate networks by exploiting a number of known vulnerabilities in VPN and networking software, among others:
Citrix Application Delivery Controller and Citrix Gateway (CVE-2019-19781)
F5 Networks BIG-IP Load Balancers (CVE-2020-5902)
Fortinet VPNs (CVE-2018-13379)
Pulse Secure VPNs (CVE-2019-11510)
In the past, the same group has been known to sell the obtained access directly to other APT groups. Selling on hacking forums is a relatively new activity from them and was first observed around July 2020.
Symantec network protections
Attack: F5 BIGIP CVE-2020-5902
Attack: F5 BIGIP CVE-2020-5902 2
Web Attack: Citrix ADC RCE CVE-2019-19781
Web Attack: Fortinet FortiOS Directory Traversal CVE-2018-13379
Web Attack: Pulse Secure SSL VPN File Disclosure CVE-2019-11510 |
Pirated software leads to Ryuk ransomware
Security Response is aware of a public report describing Ryuk ransomware encrypting important data at a European research institute. In this particular incident, the ransomware was delivered through unauthorized access in which the attacker used the information collected by an infostealer malware hidden in pirated software.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
AV-based
Ransom.Ryuk
Ransom.Ryuk!gen1
Ransom.Ryuk!gen2
Ransom.Ryuk!gen3
Ransom.Ryuk!gen5
Ransom.Ryuk!gen6
Ransom.Ryuk!gen7
Ransom.Ryuk!gen8
Ransom.Ryuk!gen9
Ransom.Ryuk!gm
Network-based
Attack: Ransom.Ryuk Activity 3
Attack: Ransom.Ryuk Activity 4
Audit: Ransom.Ryuk Activity
Audit: Ransom.Ryuk Activity 2 |
Pirated software leveraged for distribution of proxy macOS malware
A new campaign distributing proxy malware for macOS platform has been observed in the wild. The attackers are disguising the malware binaries as .pkg installation packages for cracked/pirated applications such as 4K Video Downloader, Aiseesoft Mac Video Converter, MacX Video Converter Pro, Sketch Wondershare UniConverter and others. Once on the infected machines, the dropped trojan will connect to C&C servers belonging to the attackers and await for further commands. The used C&C server has been known to be used by some other malicious samples for Android and Windows platform suggesting the scope of this campaign might not be limited to only macOS devices.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Android.Malapp
OSX.Trojan.Gen
OSX.Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Pirated software used to infect macOS with cryptominers
A new malware distribution campaign infecting macOS machines with XMRig cryptominers has been discovered in the wild. The attackers have been leveraging pirated versions of the popular macOS video editing software Final Cut Pro to spread the malware. The same threat actor has been found spreading cryptominers under the disguise of applications such as Logic Pro X or Adobe Photoshop since at least 2019. Over time additional evasion and persistence techniques have been added to the deployed malware variants. In order to hide its C2 communication, the malware leverages i2p (Invisible Internet Project) encrypted network layer.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
OSX.Coinminer
OSX.Trojan.Gen
OSX.Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1 |
PirateStealer and variants prey on Discord users
Discord is a successful VOIP platform which is used by many people including gamers and streamers around the globe. Over the years it's success has been attracting cybercrime, and we have seen plenty of phishing attempts and new infostealers aimed at snatching Discord's user credentials. In recent months, yet another has surfaced on websites, social media and a popular platform for software development and version control. Dubbed 'PirateStealer', this open-source malware is tuned for stealing Discord user information and taking over accounts. Being publicly available, this threat is already being used by different groups and individuals.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Suspicious.Epi.3
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Pirasteal
Ws.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.Advml.B
Heur.Advml.C |
Pirat Ransomware
A group named "Pirat" has been observed targeting the individual machines of enterprises and consumers with a Chaos ransomware variant. While it has been identified in various countries, its prevalence does not match that of other more nefarious ransomware actors who engage in multiple encryption, lateral movement, and double extortion.
Upon successful compromise, the ransomware will encrypt files and append them with a random 4-character extension. It drops a ransom note that begins with "HACKED BY PIRAT HACKER GROUP," informing users that the ransom is valued at 300 US dollars worth of bitcoin. They also provide a cryptocurrency wallet address and an email.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Untrst-RLsass!g1
ACM.Ps-RgPst!g1
ACM.Untrst-RgPst!g1
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g266
SONAR.Dropper
SONAR.SuspDrop!gen1
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g22
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen676
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen625
SONAR.Susp
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B!100 |
Pirrit - Adware variant for macOS
Pirrit is a popular adware variant for the macOS platform that has been present on the threat landscape since at least 2016. Pirrit is used by attackers not only for displaying ads but also for data collection or re-directions to malicious websites. The most recently observed campaign spreading Pirrit has been leveraging a website masqueraded as a download portal for music creation or creativity software for the macOS platform. User-initiated click on the download of the selected software installer would trigger a re-direction to a Vexfile file hosting platform from where a malicious .dmg package would get downloaded and installed on the victim's machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
OSX.Bundlore!g1
OSX.Trojan.Gen
WS.Malware.1
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
PivNoxy and Chinoxy malware targeting telecommunications sector in South Asia
According to a recent report, a malicious campaign targeting the telecommunications sector in South Asia has been delivering new variants of the Chinoxy and PivNoxy malware. The attackers have been leveraging spear-phishing emails with .doc attachments in the initial stages of the attack. The malicious documents have been generated using an exploit builder tool known as Royal Road. The attack exploits older Microsoft Office Memory Corruption vulnerabilities from 2017 and 2018. Once on the infected machines, the droppers might lead to further compromise with additional payloads - in some instances PoisonIvy RAT has been reported as one of them.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Bloodhound.RTF.12
Bloodhound.RTF.20
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Mdropper
Trojan.Shannel
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
PixBankBot mobile banking trojan
PixBankBot is another mobile banking trojan targeting users of Brazilian banks with capabilities to abuse the PIX instant payment platform. The malware leverages the Automated Transfer System (ATS) framework, allowing the threat actors to perform automated fraudulent operation execution without any need for manual or remote interaction from the operator's side. Once on the compromised device, PixBankBot will prompt the victim to enable Accessibility Service, which once accessed allows for the ATS functionality implementation as well as additional keylogging capabilities.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
Android.Malapp
Android.Reputation.2 |
PixPirate, another ATS Android banking malware
Multiple Android banking malware have been discovered in Brazil over the past few years, and more recently, another one called PixPirate has come to light. According to reports, this malware is able to perform ATS (Automatic Transfer System) attacks in order to snatch victims' financial credentials. An ATS attack allows an actor to input data in fields of legitimate mobile banking apps and cryptocurrency wallets, abusing the Accessibility Service. Distribution wise, it's been posing as known Android applications.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
AppRisk:Generisk |
PixPirate mobile banking trojan - a hidden threat
PixPirate is a banking malware with RAT capabilities targeted at exfiltration of credentials and banking details from compromised mobile devices. The malware can access and manipulate applications installed on the device, edit or delete SMS messages, access contact lists, install additional arbitrary apps and allow for keylogging, among other features. Latest variants of PixPirate come in the form of two components - a downloader and a payload APK. The malware implements new techniques to hide the launcher icon of the malicious APK from the victims. PixPirate is known to be spread via malicious SMS or WhatsApp messages.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.2
AppRisk:Generisk |
PIX targeted by Android malwares
Brazil continues to be under siege by banking malware of all sorts across various platforms. Recently, two Android malware have been under the spotlight for targeting PIX, an instant payment solution created and managed by the monetary authority of Brazil, the Central Bank of Brazil.
Known as PixStealer and MalRhino, both abuse Android's accessibility service in order to allow attackers to steal a victim's cash. PixStealer would do that while overlaying a fake screen as soon as the official PIX application is opened. MalRhino has more capabilities and is able to hijack PIX as well as other banking applications.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk |
Planet Stealer malware
Planet Stealer is a recently identified infostealing malware variant. This Go-based malware has been advertised for sale on underground forums. Planet Stealer targets theft of miscellaneous data from the infected endpoints, including user credentials, browser cookies, cryptowallets, session data, configuration files from various communicator apps and software launchers, etc. The collected data is exfiltrated via Telegram webhooks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.Stealer!gen1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Play Ransomware - latest attacks against enterprises
Symantec Security Response is aware of the recent CISA, FBI and ASD's ACSC alert regarding a number of recent targeted activities observed for the Play (aka PlayCrypt) ransomware. Play ransomware has been discovered back in June 2022, and since that time it has been used in multiple high-profile attacks. The threat group behind this ransomware, tracked by Symantec as Balloonfly, has been reported to affect a wide range of businesses and critical infrastructure in North America, South America, and Europe in the recent activities. The threat actors continue to utilize the custom-developed .NET tool Infostealer.Grixba as well as a wide range of other tools including Cobalt Strike, SystemBC, GMER, IOBit, PowerTool, Mimikatz and others. Similarly to other ransomware groups, the threat actors behind Play carry out double-extortion attacks by also exfiltrating data from victim networks before encrypting them.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.RansomGen!gen3
SONAR.RansomPlay!gen1
SONAR.RansomPlay!gen2
SONAR.RansomPlay!gen3
SONAR.Ransomware!g1
SONAR.Ransomware!g7
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Backdoor.SystemBC
Downloader
Infostealer.Grixba
Ransom.PlayCrypt
Ransom.PlayCrypt!g1
Ransom.PlayCrypt!g2
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 568
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Play Ransomware activity continues in Europe and Asia
Over the past few weeks more organizations in Europe and Asia have been targeted by this relatively new ransomware group. Actors behind Play ransomware employ the nefarious double-extortion tactic used by many other groups to pressure victims into paying the ransom. Post encryption files are usually appended with a .Play extension.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Ransomware!g1
SONAR.Ransomware!g3
SONAR.Ransomware!g7
SONAR.Ransomware!g20
File-based
Downloader
Ransom.PlayCrypt
Trojan.Gen.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Play ransomware now also targets Europe
Play is a relatively new ransomware variant that has been initially deployed in malicious campaigns targeting Latin America. Latest reports have confirmed Play attacks also targeting organizations in Europe. The malware is using similar tactics to those known from other ransomware variants. Attackers behind Play leverage a set of tools like Cobalt Strike, Coroxy/SystemBC, GMER or Nekto that have also been used in Hive or Nokoyawa ransomware distribution campaigns. Play is spread via exploitation of compromised RDP accounts or through various vulnerabilities. The ransomware appends .play extension to the encrypted files and performs data ex-filtration as part of the employed double extortion techniques.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.RansomGen!gen3
SONAR.Ransomware!g1
SONAR.Ransomware!g3
SONAR.Ransomware!g7
SONAR.Ransomware!g20
File-based
Backdoor.Cobalt
Backdoor.Cobalt!gm1
Backdoor.SystemBC
Downloader
Hacktool.ProcHack!g1
Ransom.PlayCrypt
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web-based
Observed IPs/domains are covered under security categories |
PLEAD backdoor still around, targeting Linux systems
Symantec Security Response is aware of a recent report of PLEAD malware that targets Linux systems. The malware has been in use by a particular cyber adversary for years along with other malware such as TSCookie and KIVARS. PLEAD is a backdoor Trojan that awaits commands from its C&C server and comes in two versions: Linux and Windows.
Symantec detects the recent Linux version of PLEAD as the following:
File-based
Trojan.Plead |
PlugX distributed by Bronze President APT in latest campaigns
Bronze President APT group has been reported to target government officials in a series of recent campaigns distributing PlugX malware. The attackers have been spreading the malware with the help of politically-themed phishing emails containing .rar archives with embedded malicious .lnk files. PlugX is a modular RAT variant that has been used in various malicious attacks dating back to 2008. The malware is believed to be used for the purpose of information gathering but due to it's modular architecture it's capabilities can be changed depending on the set of instructions received from the attacker's command and control servers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
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 |
PlutoCrypt ransomware hits Turkey via malicious emails
PlutoCrypt is a ransomware that has recently targeted businesses in Turkey while posing as a Turkish state-owned bank and a renowned international hotel chain. According to reports, the attack chain starts with emails containing a malicious URL that leads to an archive containing a malicious .HTA file. From there, the other stages unfold if users are successfully tricked into executing this .HTA file, with the final payload being PlutoCrypt – a CryptoJoker ransomware Variant.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.Ransomgen!gen3
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Poland targeted by vGriefferS ransomware
Security Response recently came across a vGriefferS ransomware that appears to target the Polish populace. The ransom message is in Polish and the ransomware asks the victim to send an email to a Gmail address in order to purchase a decryption key.
Symantec detects VGriefferS ransomware as the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT |
Polazert a.k.a. Jupyter leverages SEO-poisoning to spread
According to recent reports, Polazert Trojan known also as SolarMarker or Jupyter is being distributed by ongoing campaigns leveraging Search Engine Optimization Poisoning (SEO-Poisoning). The attackers use .pdf documents full of specific keywords and designed in a way that ranks them very high in search engine results. The .pdf file once opened prompts the victim to download another document - which through a series of redirections via multiple websites leads to the Polazert trojan final payload. Polazert is designed to steal browser data but it might be also used to deliver additional payloads and further compromise infected environments.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Infostealer
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 501 |
Pony aka Fareit stealer
Pony malware, also known as Siplog or Fareit, is a loader and stealer that is used as a botnet. It is readily available for purchase, and has been used in targeted attacks against users in Europe and America. It employs tactics such as phishing campaigns, exploit kits, and counterfeit programs to lure victims. Once a victims machine is infected it pilfers sensitive data including browser data, FTP credentials, and email client information. This malware employs anti-sandbox and anti-VM techniques to evade detection while injecting itself into legitimate processes to execute its malicious code. Additionally it generates extra files to secure its presence and enable self-removal, thus improving its ability to stay hidden and endure on the compromised system.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen650
SONAR.SuspStart!gen14
SONAR.TCP!gen1
Trojan.Fareit!gm
File-based
Downloader.Ponik
Downloader.Ponik!gm
Infostealer!im
Scr.Malcode!gdn20
SMG.Heur!gen
Packed.Generic.459
Web.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.1
WS.SecurityRisk.3
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request (29565)
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
PortDoor backdoor used in phishing campaigns leveraging malicious RTF documents
According to the latest report, a new backdoor dubbed as PortDoor has been used in spear-phishing campaigns leveraging malicious RTF documents created with the help of the RoyalRoad exploit builder. RoyalRoad has been used by various threat groups in the past and the weaponized RTF documents generated by it have been seen to exploit a series of Microsoft's Equation Editor vulnerabilities from 2017 and 2018. The new dropped backdoor PortDoor has various functionalities including reconnaissance, privilege escalation and additional payload download.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Mdropper
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
Attack: Microsoft Office CVE-2018-0802
Web Attack: Microsoft Office CVE-2017-11882 2
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Poseidon Linux malware by APT36
Poseidon is a recently discovered Linux variant attributed to the APT36 threat group (also known as Transparent Tribe). Poseidon is a Golang-based multi-functional backdoor with infostealing capabilities. It allows the attackers to hijack the infected host, remotely manage the system, upload arbitrary files and record keystrokes, among others. The malware has been spread via malicious websites masqueraded as legitimate Indian government sites. Poseidon is distributed as a second-stage payload, with the backdoored Kavach tool being used in the initial stages of the attacks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1 |
Possible pre-ransomware activity on Microsoft Exchange servers
Symantec has observed what appears to be pre-ransomware activity targeting Microsoft Exchange Servers. Threat actors are attempting to install and deploy multiple instances of legitimate remote control software, Cobalt Strike, network and domain discovery tools, and credential theft tools on targeted networks in the United States. In at least one case, the threat actors attempted to deploy Rclone and a script in order to exfiltrate data from a target. While the final payload of this campaign remains unknown, the observed pre-encryption attack chain and tools are consistent with public reports of recent Conti ransomware activity.
A number of organizations in the United States have been targeted including those in the following sectors
Energy
Healthcare
Medical Equipment
Natural Resource Development
Potentially Abused Tools
Adfind
Atera
Cobalt Strike Beacon
Mega cloud storage service
Mimikatz
Netscan
Rclone
ScreenConnect
Splashtop
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Cobalt
Trojan.gen.2
Trojan.Gen.9
WS.SecurityRisk.4
Web-based
Observed IPs/Domains are covered under security categories |
Potential pre-ransomware activity recently observed
In a review of recent telemetry, we have observed an unknown actor using tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that have previously been associated with pre-ransomware activity. Targets were observed in the United States, Germany, and India.
Attacks begin with a malicious MSI package, masquerading as a Zoom or TeamViewer installer. The installer calls PowerShell to download several layers of additional downloader scripts resulting in the execution of Zloader DLLs. Further activity may include download of additional modules, privilege escalation and disabling of system defenses.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Downloader.Trojan
Hacktool
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Web-based
Observed Domains are covered under security categories |
Poverty Stealer
Poverty is another stealer that has been recently observed in the threatscape. It is delivered via malicious emails and drive-by downloads, with the latter being the most prevalent vector of infection. This is a run-of-the-mill stealer as it does not contain anything that would make it stand out compared to other more active stealers. Some of its capabilities include:
Collecting system information (OS, VideoAdapter, HWIDCPU, System & Keyboard layouts, ScreenSize)
Grabbing files from %APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA% and %DESKTOP%
Stealing cryptocurrency wallets, Telegram session, 2FA codes, cookies, etc
Taking screenshots
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g5
SONAR.Trafic2.RGC!g10
File-based
Infostealer
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
PowerDash backdoor
PowerDash is a recently discovered PowerShell backdoor spread via malspam messages containing malicious .doc attachments. The attached documents attempt to exploit a relatively old Microsoft Office/WordPad RCE vulnerability CVE-2017-0199 for propagation. Once exploited, a .hta script is downloaded that in turn executes a PowerShell stager responsible for persistence purposes and the download of the final backdoor payload. PowerDash has the functionality to collect information about the compromised system, forward it to the attackers' controlled C2 servers and await for further commands.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Downloader
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE.C
WS.Malware.2
Network-based
Attack: Malicious RTF File CVE-2017-0199
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Powershell malware hosted on Github used in the latest Seedworm campaign
There have been reports about a new malware variant attributed to the Seedworm (aka Muddywater) APT group. The malware is being delivered via spam emails containing Word documents with embedded malicious macros. Once executed it will download a Powershell script from Github, that in turn downloads a .PNG file from Imgur. The picture file while itself benign, is used to calculate the next stage payload (Cobalt Strike) with the means of steganography.
Symantec provides the coverage against the recent Seedworm campaigns as:
File-based:
CL.Downloader!gen4
ISB.Downloader!gen77
ISB.Downloader!gen92
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1
To learn more about previous Seedworm APT activities, read our earlier publication: Seedworm: Iran-Linked Group Continues to Target Organizations in the Middle East |
Power Stealer
Power Stealer (aka NTstealer) is a typical infostealer that has been advertised on various platforms and seen in the threat landscape over the last few months. It's not used by a single actor but by multiple groups and individuals who have mostly been conducting drive-by-download attacks against mainly consumers but also some enterprises.
Capability-wise, it's able to steal the below data (among other things) which will be be zipped and uploaded to the Gofile account specified in the configuration.
Steal system information (hostname, user info, IP address, etc.)
Tokens and backup codes from Discord
Autofills, bookmarks, cookies, credit cards, history and passwords from various browsers
Sensitive files and info from the following APPs: Steam, Roblox, Telegram, ICQ and Instagram
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Infostealer |
Prestige ransomware attacks attributed to the Iridium APT group
Prestige is a ransomware variant leveraged last month in a series of attacks against organizations from the transport and logistics sectors in Ukraine and Poland. According to the latest report, the attacks with the use of Prestige ransomware have now been attributed to the Iridium APT group (also known as Sandworm). Prestige ransomware appends .enc extension to the encrypted files. The malware also has the capability to delete backups and volume shadow copies on the infected endpoint.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Ransomware!g1
SONAR.RansomGen!gen3
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Ransom.Gen
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Prilex Point-of-Sale malware back with new capabilites
A new version of Prilex PoS malware has been observed recently. A key feature for this new version is the capability to generate new EMV cryptograms after capturing the transaction which allows them to perform ghost or reply transactions bypassing anti-fraud security measures like CHIP and PIN. To infect the PoS, the threat actors pose as technicians from the PoS vendor in a call or email pretending that a software update is needed for the PoS. The bad actors then follow up by sending a "technician" to the premises to make the install or guide the target to install AnyDesk to make a remote installation.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
W32.Cambot
WS.Malware.*
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.* |
PrintNightmare - Critical Windows Print Spooler Vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-1675 & CVE-2021-34527)
Microsoft released an advisory on an LPE (Local Privilege Escalation) and RCE (Remote Code Execution) vulnerability (CVE-2021-1675). The flaw (aka PrintNightmare) impacts the Windows Print Spooler service and could be exploited to compromise Windows systems. Vulnerabilities like this are most likely to be used in targeted attacks. Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday released on June 8th addressed the vulnerability. Security researchers publicly disclosed information regarding successful exploitation of the vulnerability. Different researchers publicized further details and posted proof of concept code. which was removed shortly thereafter.
UPDATE: Following the earlier reveal of CVE-2021-1675, another related Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) has been now disclosed by Microsoft. As of now, there is no official patch available and the recommended workaround is to disable the Print Spooler service.
UPDATE #2: Microsoft published a security update for CVE-2021-34527 on July 6th. It is recommended that updates be applied at the earliest convenience.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Exp.CVE-2021-34527
Exp.CVE-2021-34527!g1
Network-based
Audit: MSRPC Windows Print Spooler RpcAddPrinterDriverEx Attempt
Audit: MSRPC Windows Print Spooler RpcAddPrinterDriverEx Attempt 2
Audit: SMB Windows Print Spooler RpcAddPrinterDriverEx Attempt
Audit: Windows Print Spooler RCE CVE-2021-34527
OS Attack: Windows Print Spooler RCE CVE-2021-34527
Policy-based
Zero day protection against the Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution vulnerability on Domain Controllers and Servers is available with default hardening policies. |
PRISM backdoor keeps itself updated for years
PRISM, an open-source backdoor, has been observed being used in multiple malware campaigns over the past three and a half years. During those past years the malware has had multiple updates developed for the individual campaigns, known as Waterdrop including v7, v9, and v12 and PRISM v1, v2.2, and v3.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Linux.Trojan
Meterpreter
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request |
PrivateLoader has a new customer, RisePro stealer
PrivateLoader is a pay-per-install malware service that allows an operator to purchase the delivery of malicious payloads to targeted individuals. It has been used to distribute various types of malware, such as GCleaner, Raccoon, Redline, Smokeloader, and Vidar. More recently it has been observed delivering an infostealer called RisePro which is capable of stealing sensitive data from web browsers, such as cookies, saved passwords, and credit card information, as well as cryptocurrency wallets. PrivateLoader typically spreads through search engine optimization (SEO) poisoning, which tricks victims into downloading and running the loader malware.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request 4
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
Progress Software warns of maximum severity WS_FTP Server bug
Progress Software, the maker of the MOVEit Transfer file-sharing platform recently exploited in widespread data theft attacks, is warning customers about a maximum severity vulnerability in its WS_FTP Server software.
Progress disclosed multiple vulnerabilities impacting the software's manager interface and Ad hoc Transfer Module. Two of the flaws are rated critical, with one (CVE-2023-40044) receiving the maximum 10/10 severity rating. CVE-2023-40044 allows unauthenticated attackers to execute remote commands after successful exploitation of a .NET deserialization vulnerability in the Ad Hoc Transfer module. The additional critical vulnerability (CVE-2023-42657) is a directory traversal flaw that enables attackers to perform file operations outside the authorized WS_FTP folder path.
By using both vulnerabilities, a malicious actor could escape the context of the WS_FTP Server file structure and perform and perform file operations on the underlying operating system. Both vulnerabilities can be exploited in low-complexity attacks that do not require any user interaction.
Progress said it recommends full upgrade to the latest version to remediate the issue.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Web Attack: WS FTP RCE CVE-2023-40044
Policy-based
Data Center Security (DCS) default hardening policy for Windows servers provides 0-day protection against threats exploiting RCE and file traversal vulnerabilities such as CVE-2023-40044 and CVE-2023-42657 in WS_FTP Server. The sym_win_hardened_sbp hardening rules prevent arbitrary command execution on servers and tampering of critical OS files and folders. |
Progress Telerik UI vulnerability CVE-2019-18935 exploited in attacks targeting governmental institutions
According to the latest CISA advisory, multiple threat groups have exploited a four-year-old Telerik UI RCE vulnerability (CVE-2019-18935) in recent attacks targeting governmental institutions. Some activities have been attributed to a threat group known as XE Group. This threat actor has been leveraging malicious DLL files masqueraded as PNG files and abusing legitimate processes such as w3wp.exe (IIS Worker Process) to execute those DLLs on the compromised IIS servers. The installed malware might enumerate system files and directories, connect to the attackers' controlled C2 servers and download additional payloads. In some instances, the attackers have also been dropping ASPX webshells on the infected systems. The webshells can be used as an interface for enumeration, directory browsing, file download and command execution on the infected server.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen4
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Hacktool.Webshell
SMG.Heur!gen
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Malscript
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web Attack: Telerik UI CVE-2019-18935
Web Attack: Telerik UI CVE-2019-18935 2
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
ProLock ransomware emerges as successor to PwndLocker
Information has recently been published relating to ProLock ransomware, which has been identified as the successor to the PwndLocker ransomware. Because of its particularly vicious nature, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a flash report in mid-2020 that provides more insight into this new ransomware. According to the report, healthcare organizations, government agencies, financial institutions, and retailers are among those ProLock ransomware targeted. The ProLock actors reportedly asked the victims to pay the ransom within several days or else they would leak the victim's data to the public.
ProLocker's known attack vectors are phishing emails, improperly managed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) servers, and are believed to have a connection with Qakbot malware.
Symantec provides the following detections for Prolock ransomware:
Ransom.Prolock
Trojan Horse
ISB.Heuristic!gen21 |
Prometei cryptomining botnet continues its' activities into 2023
Prometei is a Monero cryptomining botnet active on the threat landscape for the last several years. With time the operators have updated the botnet capabilities alongside the leveraged infrastructure and currently the latest v3 version of the Prometei botnet is in circulation. Some of the changes worth mentioning include self-updating mechanisms, new C2 domain generating algorithms (DGAs) and inclusion of a bundled Apache Webserver version containing PHP-based web shell that can be delivered to the infected hosts. According to a recent report, the botnet size is estimated to around 10000 infected systems around the world.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Hacktool.Mimikatz
Infostealer!im
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.SecurityRisk.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation File SMB Request
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 335
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Prometei exploits MS Exchange vulnerabilities for cryptomining
Prometei is a Monero cryptomining botnet that emerged in the wild around July 2020. Prometei employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to infiltrate networks and maintain foothold. According to multiple reports, the botnet has now started to exploit recently patched Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-27065 and CVE-2021-26858) to gain access to networks and perform its nefarious activities. Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), blocks the threat at the network level, thereby preventing further infection/damage to the system. It also blocks associated malicious cryptomining activity thereby protecting from system performance degradation.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request
System Infected: Coinminer Activity 2
System Infected: Miner.Bitcoinminer Activity 7
System Infected: Miner.Bitcoinminer Activity 8
System Infected: Miner.BitcoinMiner Activity 9
System Infected: Miner.Bitcoinminer Activity 16
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 335
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request |
Prometheus group leverages Thanos Ransomware to attack organizations
According to a latest report, Thanos ransomware has been leveraged by the Prometheus group in recent attacks. This ransomware variant is heavily obfuscated and comes with functionality to stop several system processes and backup services on the compromised machine. Thanos appends custom and unique extensions to the encrypted files and drops the ransom notes in both .txt and .hta formats.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Ransom.HiddenTear!g1
Ransom.Cryptolocker
Ransom.Thanos
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
Behavior-based
SONAR.Cryptlck!g153
SONAR.Powershell!g53 |
Protection Highlight: Advertorial Scam/Spam Network
Over the past week, two "advertorial" spam/scam campaigns have sent tens of thousands of emails with URLs that redirect to scam websites which look like consumer research blogs recommending products for sale. They offer free worldwide shipping and steep discounts. Clicking through to the checkout page reveals an "offer ends" countdown clock to pressure a sale.
These spam/scam campaigns have been detected on September 22 and 26, and are likely related due to the timing and type of content.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories. Newly observed URLs are detected and categorized using known spam/scam patterns.
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.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's cloud-based Web Security Service (WebPulse).
Click here to learn more about Symantec's Cloud Email Security Service. |
Protection Highlight: Agent Tesla goes CHM and PDF
Agent Tesla has been among the top infostealers since 2014 and shows no signs of letting up. This prevalent threat with infostealing and remote access capabilities is used by multiple groups and individuals for both eCrimes and targeted attacks. Typically Agent Telsa spreads via .DOC, .XLS and .PPT files, but recently CHM and PDF files appear to have been added to the attacker's infection vector list during one or more of its many campaigns.
The CHM file comes via a downloaded PowerShell script which drops a loader DLL file that in turn loads Agent Tesla into a legitimate Windows process called 'RegAsm.exe'. The PDF file uses two different methods to deliver the Agent Tesla malware. First, opening the PDF file will trigger a PowerShell command to load Agent Tesla. Second, a fake pop-up notification will be displayed saying "Error: Failed to load PDF document". If the user clicks on the "Reload" button, a PPAM file (a PowerPoint add-on) will be downloaded, and this file is responsible for executing the PowerShell commands that will subsequently download Agent Tesla.
Subject lines observed:
Qatar Energy Business Offer
Urgent Order
Urgent Po
Gzip attachment filename:
PO-9596996.gz
Example email:
Symantec has 0-day protection in place, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Scr.Malcode!gen
Scr.Malcode!gen45
Trojan.Gen.NPE.C
Web.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.1
W97M.Downloader
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.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's Endpoint Security Service.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's Cloud Email Security Service.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's cloud-based Web Security Service (WebPulse). |
Protection Highlight: Agent Tesla OneNote Campaign
We've posted about Agent Tesla numerous times due to it being such a prevalent infostealer and thus deserving of wary attention. Still predominantly distributed via malicious emails, usually with a run-of-the-mill social engineering theme with subjects involving Bills, Quotes, Shipping, SWIFT, etc., and still attempting to steal confidential information from victim machines including passwords stored in browsers, email and VPN clients. As previously reported it also contains remote access capabilities and compromise can lead to additional payloads being dropped on the infected hosts.
This latest campaign uses several themes including "Deutsche Bank...", "Payment advice...", "Order..." and employs the following attack chain, this time using OneNote files as the malicious attachment:
Email --> .onepkg --> OneNote --> PowerShell --> Agent Tesla
Symantec has 0-day protection in place, identified by the following:
File-based
ISB.MalOneNote!gen1
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.
To learn more about Symantec's Endpoint Security Service, click here.
To learn more about Symantec's Cloud Email Security Service, click here. |
Protection Highlight: Airdrop Deception - Malicious Domains Exploit Crypto Buzzword
During our constant monitoring of the threat landscape amid the steady increase of e-crime related to cryptocurrency, Symantec discovered a large set of suspicious domains (800+) that are using "airdrop" in their name. Airdrop is a word that is commonly associated with the broader cryptocurrency space, often referring to the distribution of free tokens or coins to a large number of wallet addresses. This distribution can be done for various reasons, such as promoting a new project, rewarding existing token holders, or encouraging user adoption. Airdrops are often used as a marketing strategy to create awareness and attract a larger user base.
Unfortunately, those with ill intent are also aware of these buzzwords and are using the term "airdrop" (including slight variations) in their domain names or schemes to take advantage of the popularity and familiarity of the term within the crypto community. Over the past 6 months more than 2700 shady domains have been created using this buzzword.
The association with cryptocurrency and airdrops creates the illusion of legitimacy and attracts individuals interested in receiving free tokens or coins. In fact, domain databases currently indicate more than 5800 domains contain the words "airdrop-", "-airdrop" or "aiirdrop". Symantec has reviewed them and appropriately categorized them, flagging those that are malicious or suspicious.
Of the recently observed suspicious domains which currently resolve, most are hosted on Cloudflare or DDoS-Guard Ltd (Russian) IPs, and a few have been spread across popular social media platforms. Some examples include domains that are mimicking known blockchain platforms such as Manta Network and crypto-exchange services like Binance and Coinbase. While some are active, many aren't at this time but may later be associated with phishing, scams, or malware drive-by downloads.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products.
Symantec Endpoint Protection Browser Extension
If the browser extension detects that a URL is malicious, the client redirects users to a default Symantec landing page indicating the block has occurred, as per our Jan 2023 browser extension bulletin (note the web extension is now also available for the Microsoft Edge browser).
Click here to learn more about Symantec's cloud-based Web Security Engine (WebPulse).
Click here to learn more about the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) browser extension. |
Protection Highlight: Akira Ransomware
Our monitoring systems recently alerted us to what appears to be a new ransomware variant calling itself "Akira" (so named by the attackers themselves). Not entirely original however, their strain looks to be based on the Conti ransomware source code.
When a machine is successfully compromised, data is uploaded to the attackers servers to be used as leverage against the victim before the files are encrypted and appended with a .akira extension. This is followed by a rather lengthy ransom note instructing the victim to install the TOR browser in order to get access to the Akira chat room where they can start negotiations with the attackers.
The group behind Akira also maintain a leak website where they have posted the names of multiple victims from a range of industries including finance, construction and real estate, among others.
The attackers are reportedly demanding anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars from victims, presumably depending on the group's perceived ability of the victim to pay.
Symantec has 0-day protection in place, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Ransomware!g*
SONAR.Ransom!gen98
SONAR.Ransomconti!g1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security (DCS) default hardening policies provide 0-day protection against Akira ransomware
* This indicates multiple similarly named detections exist such as SONAR.Ransomware!g1, SONAR.Ransomware!g2, etc.
To learn more about how Symantec Endpoint Protection uses advanced machine learning, click here.
To learn how Symantec behavioral security technologies provide protection against zero-day attacks, click here.
To learn more about Symantec's Data Center Security, click here. |
Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability (CVE-2023-46604) Still Being Exploited
Apache ActiveMQ is an open source message broker written in Java. It provides high availability, scalability, reliability, performance and security for enterprise level messaging applications.
CVE-2023-46604 is a critical (CVSS score: 10) remote code execution vulnerability affecting Apache ActiveMQ. If successfully exploited the vulnerability may allow remote unauthenticated attackers to run arbitrary shell commands on vulnerable systems. As the vulnerability can be easily exploited, it didn't take long for attackers to integrate it into their arsenal to compromise enterprise environments and deliver a variety of malware payloads.
Symantec has observed the following malware payloads being delivered after exploitation of this vulnerability by threat actors:
Linux malware which allows attackers to gain control of the compromised Linux machines.
Coin miners to mine for cryptocurrency on compromised Linux and Windows machines.
Reverse shell payload to gain backdoor access to compromised machines.
Kinsing malware which runs a crypto miner and attempts to spread itself to other systems in the environment.
Paradise, TellYouThePass and HelloKitty ransomware variants which encrypt files on the system rendering them unusable.
Shellbot which is used to breach servers and then stage DDoS attacks and deliver cryptocurrency miners.
Symantec's network protection technology, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) blocks these vulnerability exploitation attempts to prevent infection/damage to the system. The attack is blocked at the initial stage, thus ensuring that no malicious payload is dropped onto the system. IPS has blocked more than 60K exploitation attempts for this vulnerability to date.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Attack: Apache ActiveMQ RCE CVE-2023-46604
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Download
Behavior-based
SONAR.Cryptolocker!g75
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g18
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g253
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
JS.Malscript!g1
Ransom.HelloKitty
Ransom.Tellyouthepass
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Ransom.Paradise
Linux.Kaiten
Scr.Malcode!gen
IRC.Backdoor.Trojan
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security default lockdown policy protects the underlying operating systems from this exploit. DCS network rules in the policy can be configured to limit ActiveMQ applications to trusted clients.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products.
Click here to learn more about managing Symantec's Endpoint Security Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).
Click here to learn how Symantec behavioral security technologies provide protection against zero-day attacks.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's Endpoint Security Service.
Click here to learn more about how Symantec Endpoint Protection uses advanced machine learning.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's Data Center Security.
Click here to learn more about Symantec's cloud-based Web Security Engine (WebPulse). |
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