18-April-2023
Current Stamus Threat Intelligence (STI) release version: 722
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:
A Trojan downloader is a type of Trojan horse that downloads and installs files, often malicious programs. A Trojan horse is a type of software that looks legitimate but can be malicious in nature. Sometimes these programs can be downloaded onto a device without the user’s knowledge or consent. A Trojan’s purpose is to damage, disrupt, steal, or generally inflict some other harm on your computer and devices. Norton
Sinresby - Microsoft |
The DealPly browser extension displays coupon deals when computer users visit online shopping websites such as eBay, Amazon, etc. Developers of this browser extension claim that this app helps Internet users to save time and money whilst shopping online.
Note that DealPly is not a virus or malware, it is a legitimate browser add-on, however, its deceptive distribution strategy categorizes it as an unwanted browser extension.
DealPly - Microsoft | DealPly - Malpedia |
In computing, a Trojan horse (or simply trojan) is any malware which misleads users of its true intent. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the deceptive Trojan Horse that led to the fall of the city of Troy.
Trojans are generally spread by some form of social engineering, for example where a user is duped into executing an email attachment disguised to appear not suspicious, (e.g., a routine form to be filled in), or by clicking on some fake advertisement on social media or anywhere else. Although their payload can be anything, many modern forms act as a backdoor, contacting a controller which can then have unauthorized access to the affected computer. Trojans may allow an attacker to access users' personal information such as banking information, passwords, or personal identity. It can also delete a user's files or infect other devices connected to the network. Ransomware attacks are often carried out using a trojan.
Inido!rts - Microsoft |
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.\r\n\r\nInfo stealers may use many methods of data acquisition. The most common are:\r\n\r\nhooking browsers (and sometimes other applications) and stealing credentials that are typed by the user\r\nusing web injection scripts that are adding extra fields to web forms and submitting information from them to a server owned by the attacker\r\nform grabbing (finding specific opened windows and stealing their content)\r\nkeylogging\r\nstealing passwords saved in the system and cookies\r\nModern 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).\r\nMalwarebytes
The threat actor who is distributing MacStealer was discovered by the Uptycs threat intelligence team during dark web hunting. The stealer can extract documents, cookies from a victim's browser, and login information. It affects Catalina and subsequent macOS versions riding on Intel M1 and M2 CPUs. uptycs
MacStealer - Bleepingcomputer |
DorkBot is a known malware that dates back to 2012. It is thought to be distributed via links on social media, instant messaging applications or infected removable media. Although it is a veteran among the notorious malware families, we believe that more networks have been infected with Dorkbot than previously expected, with the most affected countries being Sri Lanka, India and Russia.
The malware essentially serves as a general purpose downloader and launcher of other binary components, mostly modules for conducting DDoS attacks or stealing passwords. The analysis in this case was based on the sample that was observed in multiple infections in the wild in the past month.
Dorkbot - Malpedia | Dorkbot - Microsoft |
Attackers are utilizing hacked web sites that promote fake browser updates to infect targets with banking trojans. In some cases, post exploitation toolkits are later executed to encrypt the compromised network with ransomware.
Between May and September 2019, FireEye has conducted multiple incident response cases where enterprise customers were infected with malware through fake browser updates.
Hacked sites would display these "fakeupdates" through JavaScript alerts that state the user is using an old version of a web browser and that they should download an offered "update" to keep the browser running "smoothly and securely".
Fake Browser - SANS | Fake Browser - KnowBe4 |
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
APT37 is a North Korean state-sponsored cyber espionage group that has been active since at least 2012. The group has targeted victims primarily in South Korea, but also in Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Nepal, China, India, Romania, Kuwait, and other parts of the Middle East. APT37 has also been linked to the following campaigns between 2016-2018: Operation Daybreak, Operation Erebus, Golden Time, Evil New Year, Are you Happy?, FreeMilk, North Korean Human Rights, and Evil New Year 2018.[1][2][3] MITRE
Gamaredon Group is a threat group that has been active since at least 2013 and has targeted individuals likely involved in the Ukrainian government. The name Gamaredon Group comes from a misspelling of the word "Armageddon", which was detected in the adversary's early campaigns. MITRE
The IcedID banking Trojan was discovered by IBM X-Force researchers in 2017. At that time, it targeted banks, payment card providers, mobile services providers, payroll, webmail and e-commerce sites, mainly in the U.S. IcedID has since continued to evolve, and while one of its more recent versions became active in late-2019, X-Force researchers have identified a new major version release that emerged in 2020 with some substantial changes. securityintelligence.com
Cyber criminals violated the law TDS (Traffic Direction System) platform Keitaro and used it to redirect them users in exploit kits RIG and Fallout in order to infect them with malicious software.
TDS platforms are designed for redirection of users in particular sites. Legitimate TDS platforms, such as Keitaro, are mainly used by individuals and companies that want to advertise services or their products. Platforms drive users to the pages that companies want, targeting specific customers and promoting an ad campaign. techbizweb
Mekotio is a typical Latin American banking trojan that has been active since at least 2015. As such, it attacks by displaying fake pop-up windows to its victims, trying to entice them to divulge sensitive information. These windows are carefully designed to target Latin American banks and other financial institutions. welivesecurity
Remote Access Trojans are programs that provide the capability to allow covert surveillance or the ability to gain unauthorized access to a victim PC. Remote Access Trojans often mimic similar behaviors of keylogger applications by allowing the automated collection of keystrokes, usernames, passwords, screenshots, browser history, emails, chat lots, etc. Remote Access Trojans differ from keyloggers in that they provide the capability for an attacker to gain unauthorized remote access to the victim machine via specially configured communication protocols which are set up upon initial infection of the victim computer. This backdoor into the victim machine can allow an attacker unfettered access, including the ability to monitor user behavior, change computer settings, browse and copy files, utilize the bandwidth (Internet connection) for possible criminal activity, access connected systems, and more. Malwarebytes
OilRig is a suspected Iranian threat group that has targeted Middle Eastern and international victims since at least 2014. The group has targeted a variety of industries, including financial, government, energy, chemical, and telecommunications, and has largely focused its operations within the Middle East. It appears the group carries out supply chain attacks, leveraging the trust relationship between organizations to attack their primary targets. FireEye assesses that the group works on behalf of the Iranian government based on infrastructure details that contain references to Iran, use of Iranian infrastructure, and targeting that aligns with nation-state interests.This group was previously tracked under two distinct groups, APT34 and OilRig, but was combined due to additional reporting giving higher confidence about the overlap of the activity. MITRE
QAKBOT or QBOT is a malware that is capable of monitoring the browsing activities of the infected computer and logs all information related to finance-related websites.
Trendmicro
Remote Access Trojans are programs that provide the capability to allow covert surveillance or the ability to gain unauthorized access to a victim PC. Remote Access Trojans often mimic similar behaviors of keylogger applications by allowing the automated collection of keystrokes, usernames, passwords, screenshots, browser history, emails, chat lots, etc. Remote Access Trojans differ from keyloggers in that they provide the capability for an attacker to gain unauthorized remote access to the victim machine via specially configured communication protocols which are set up upon initial infection of the victim computer. This backdoor into the victim machine can allow an attacker unfettered access, including the ability to monitor user behavior, change computer settings, browse and copy files, utilize the bandwidth (Internet connection) for possible criminal activity, access connected systems, and more. Malwarebytes
It leverages compromised websites and performs some of the most creative fingerprinting checks we’ve seen, before delivering its payload (NetSupport RAT). Malwarebytes
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
DPRK APT actor tracked by Proofpoint as TA444 Malpedia
A dropper is a kind of Trojan that has been designed to "install" some sort of malware (virus, backdoor, etc.) to a target system. The malware code can be contained within the dropper (single-stage) in such a way as to avoid detection by virus scanners or the dropper may download the malware to the target machine once activated (two stage). Wikipedia
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 | 1 | command and control | dns | 190 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2023-04-15 |
| APT37 | 3 | delivery | http | 23 | command and control, delivery | dns, http | 2023-04-14 |
| DealPly | 10 | command and control, installation | http | 10 | command and control, installation | http | 2023-04-10 |
| Dorkbot | 10 | command and control, delivery, installation | tcp, http, tcp-pkt | 11 | command and control, delivery, installation | tcp, http, tcp-pkt | 2023-04-10 |
| Fake Browser | 4 | delivery | http, dns | 4 | delivery | http, dns | 2023-04-10 |
| Gamaredon | 2 | command and control | http | 220 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-04-12 |
| IcedID | 7 | command and control | dns | 437 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tls | 2023-04-15 |
| Inido!rts | 1 | command and control | http | 1 | command and control | http | 2023-04-10 |
| Keitaro | 10 | command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http | 69 | command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http, tls | 2023-04-15 |
| MacStealer | 1 | actions on objectives | http | 1 | actions on objectives | http | 2023-04-10 |
| Mekotio | 1 | command and control | tcp-pkt | 8 | command and control, delivery | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt | 2023-04-14 |
| NetSupport RAT | 1 | delivery | tcp-pkt | 14 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation | dns, http, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-04-10 |
| OilRig | 1 | command and control | http | 38 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | dns, http, tls, udp | 2023-04-15 |
| QakBot | 1 | delivery | http | 55 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery | ftp, http, tcp, tls | 2023-04-12 |
| RAT Generic | 1 | command and control | tcp | 61 | command and control, installation | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-04-10 |
| Sinresby | 4 | command and control | http, tcp | 4 | command and control | http, tcp | 2023-04-10 |
| SocGholish | 3 | delivery, exploitation, command and control | http | 273 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, reconnaissance | dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-04-12 |
| Stealer and Exfiltration | 1 | command and control | http | 321 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, installation | dns, ftp, http, smtp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls | 2023-04-13 |
| TA444 | 17 | command and control | dns | 182 | command and control | dns, http, tls | 2023-04-14 |
| Trojan Dropper | 1 | command and control | http | 296 | actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation | dns, http, tcp, tls, udp | 2023-04-15 |
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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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