10-January-2023
Welcome to the weekly threat detection update report from Stamus Networks. Each week, you will receive this email with a summary of the updates.
Current Stamus Threat Intelligence (STI) release version: 638
This week, in addition to daily ruleset and IOC updates, we provided Stamus Security Platform customers with the following improved defense(s):
Note: a "method" as referenced below, is a discrete detection vector for a given threat.
The following detections were added to your Stamus Security Platform this past week:
In the world of cybersecurity, a backdoor refers to any method by which authorized and unauthorized users are able to get around normal security measures and gain high level user access (aka root access) on a computer system, network, or software application. Once they're in, cybercriminals can use a backdoor to steal personal and financial data, install additional malware, and hijack devices. [Malwarebytes] (https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor/)
SocksTroy - abuce.ch |
A Trojan horse or Trojan is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software. Trojans can be employed by cyber-thieves and hackers trying to gain access to users' systems. Users are typically tricked by some form of social engineering into loading and executing Trojans on their systems. Once activated, Trojans can enable cyber-criminals to spy on you, steal your sensitive data, and gain backdoor access to your system. Kaspersky
Khaosz |
PinchDuke is malware that was used by APT29 from 2008 to 2010. MITRE
LDpinch - microsoft | LDpinch - malpedia |
The following detections were updated this past week with changes to kill chain phase(s) or MITRE ATT&CK tactic(s)/technique(s):
VICEROY TIGER is an adversary with a nexus to India that has historically targeted entities throughout multiple sectors. Older activity targeted multiple sectors and countries; however, since 2015 this adversary appears to focus on entities in Pakistan with a particular focus on government and security organizations. This adversary consistently leverages spear phishing emails containing malicious Microsoft Office documents, malware designed to target the Android mobile platform, and phishing activity designed to harvest user credentials. In March 2017, the 360 Chasing Team found a sample of targeted attacks that confirmed the previously unknown sample of APT's attack actions, which the organization can now trace back at least in April 2016. The chasing team named the attack organization APT-C-35. In June 2017, the 360 Threat Intelligence Center discovered the organization’s new attack activity, confirmed and exposed the gang’s targeted attacks against Pakistan, and analyzed in detail. The unique EHDevel malicious code framework used by the organization. Malpedia
Magic Hound is an Iranian-sponsored threat group that conducts long term, resource-intensive cyber espionage operations, likely on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They have targeted U.S. and Middle Eastern government and military personnel, academics, journalists, and organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), via complex social engineering campaigns since at least 2014. MITRE
Loaders, for the most part, have one job: grab malicious executables or payloads from an attacker-controlled server. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more happening under the hood of some, such as a user-friendly UI, self-healing capabilities, or the equivalent of a retail shop where a botmaster can sell his bots to potential clients.
Loaders are essentially basic remote access Trojans that give an attacker the ability to remotely interact with and control a compromised computer, or bot. While traditionally lightweight (smaller than 50 KB in size) in order to bypass detection by antivirus and other security monitoring technology, loaders evolve, and their viability to cybercriminals remains. Flashpoint
In July 2022, SEKOIA.IO discovered a new Golang botnet advertised by its alleged developer as Aurora botnet since April 2022. Since we published an analysis of the malware and the profile of the threat actor advertising Aurora on underground forums for our clients, the botnet’s activity slowed down. Since September 2022, Aurora malware is advertised as an infostealer and several traffers teams announced they added it to their malware toolset. Furthermore, SEKOIA.IO observed an increase in the number of Aurora samples distributed in the wild, as well as C2 servers. As the Aurora malware is widespread, not well detected, or publicly documented either, SEKOIA.IO analysed Aurora in depth and share the results of our investigation in this article. Sekois
In computer security, a covert channel is a type of attack that creates a capability to transfer information objects between processes that are not supposed to be allowed to communicate by the computer security policy. The term, originated in 1973 by Butler Lampson, is defined as channels "not intended for information transfer at all, such as the service program's effect on system load," to distinguish it from legitimate channels that are subjected to access controls by COMPUSEC. Wikipedia
A Trojan horse or Trojan is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software. Trojans can be employed by cyber-thieves and hackers trying to gain access to users' systems. Users are typically tricked by some form of social engineering into loading and executing Trojans on their systems. Once activated, Trojans can enable cyber-criminals to spy on you, steal your sensitive data, and gain backdoor access to your system. Kaspersky
Malware of this family consists of Trojans that use anti-emulation, anti-debugging, and code obfuscation to prevent their analysis. Kaspersky
Malicious packages present in The Python Package Index (PyPI) Malicious PyPI
Redline Stealer is a malware available on underground forums for sale apparently as standalone versions or also on a subscription basis. This malware harvests information from browsers such as saved credentials, autocomplete data, and credit card information. A system inventory is also taken when running on a target machine, to include details such as the username, location data, hardware configuration, and information regarding installed security software. More recent versions of Redliune added the ability to steal cryptocurrency. FTP and IM clients are also apparently targeted by this family, and this malware has the ability to upload and download files, execute commands, and periodically send back information about the infected computer. Malpedia
Remcos is a closed-source tool that is marketed as a remote control and surveillance software by a company called Breaking Security.
Remcos has been observed being used in malware campaigns.
Snake is the name of a malicious program, which is classified as a keylogger. As the classification implies, the primary functionality of this malware is keylogging. Hence, Snake infections pose a threat to the privacy/safety of all and any typed information. Pcrisk
The term info stealer is self-explanatory. This type of malware resides in an infected computer and gathers data in order to send it to the attacker. Typical targets are credentials used in online banking services, social media sites, emails, or FTP accounts.
Info stealers may use many methods of data acquisition. The most common are:
hooking browsers (and sometimes other applications) and stealing credentials that are typed by the user using web injection scripts that are adding extra fields to web forms and submitting information from them to a server owned by the attacker form grabbing (finding specific opened windows and stealing their content) keylogging stealing passwords saved in the system and cookies Modern info stealers are usually parts of botnets. Sometimes the target of attack and related events are configured remotely by the command sent from the Command and Control server (C&C). Malwarebytes
Proofpoint researchers have identified a years-long social engineering and targeted malware campaign by the Iranian-state aligned threat actor TA456. Using the social media persona “Marcella Flores,” TA456 built a relationship across corporate and personal communication platforms with an employee of a small subsidiary of an aerospace defense contractor. In early June 2021, the threat actor attempted to capitalize on this relationship by sending the target malware via an ongoing email communication chain. Designed to conduct reconnaissance on the target’s machine, the macro-laden document contained personalized content and demonstrated the importance TA456 placed on the target. Once the malware, which is an updated version of Liderc that Proofpoint has dubbed LEMPO, establishes persistence, it can perform reconnaissance on the infected machine, save the reconnaissance details to the host, exfiltrate sensitive information to an actor-controlled email account via SMTPS, and then cover its tracks by deleting that day’s host artifacts. PFPT
The following threat detection(s) were improved this past week with new or updated threat methods.
| Name of threat | New coverage | Total coverage | Last updated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Detection methods | Kill chain phases | Protocols involved | Detection methods | Kill chain phases | Protocols involved | ||
| APT-C-35 | 12 | command and control | dns, http | 174 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2023-01-06 |
| APT35 | 2 | command and control | dns | 206 | command and control, delivery | dns, ftp, http, tcp, tls, udp | 2023-01-06 |
| ActionLoader | 7 | command and control | dns | 10 | command and control | dns, http | 2023-01-04 |
| Aurora | 1 | actions on objectives | tcp-pkt | 2 | actions on objectives | tcp-pkt | 2023-01-05 |
| Covert channels | 6 | delivery | dns | 48 | delivery | dns | 2023-01-04 |
| Generik | 1 | actions on objectives | http | 5 | actions on objectives, command and control | http | 2023-01-07 |
| Khaosz | 2 | command and control | http | 2 | command and control | http | 2023-01-03 |
| Kryptik | 1 | command and control | http | 88 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | http, smtp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-01-06 |
| LDpinch | 10 | command and control, actions on objectives | http, tcp, smtp | 10 | command and control, actions on objectives | http, tcp, smtp | 2023-01-03 |
| Malicious PyPI | 2 | delivery | dns, tls | 7 | actions on objectives, delivery | dns, http, tls | 2023-01-05 |
| RedLine | 3 | command and control | tcp | 50 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp | 2023-01-07 |
| Remcos | 1 | command and control | tcp | 876 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt | 2023-01-07 |
| SnakeKeylogger | 1 | actions on objectives | http | 8 | actions on objectives, command and control | ftp, ftp-data, http, smtp | 2023-01-05 |
| SocksTroy | 2 | command and control | tcp | 2 | command and control | tcp | 2023-01-03 |
| Stealer and Exfiltration | 1 | actions on objectives | http | 233 | actions on objectives, command and control, exploitation, installation | dns, ftp, http, smtp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-01-05 |
| TA456 | 1 | command and control | dns | 15 | command and control, delivery | dns, http | 2023-01-05 |
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Stamus Networks believes in a world where defenders are heroes, and a future where those they protect remain safe. As organizations face threats from well-funded adversaries, we relentlessly pursue solutions that make the defender’s job easier and more impactful. The global leader in Suricata-based network security solutions, Stamus Networks helps enterprise security teams know more, respond sooner and mitigate their risk with insights gathered from cloud and on-premise network activity. Our Stamus Security Platform combines the best of intrusion detection (IDS), network security monitoring (NSM), and network detection and response (NDR) systems into a single solution that exposes serious and imminent threats to critical assets and empowers rapid response.
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