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Forge Report: First Half Threat Trends of 2024
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BumbleBee Swarms with QakBot's Takedown
Following the QakBot disruption by the FBI, there's been a surge in BumbleBee malware attacks. Kostas, a notable security researcher from the DFIR Report community, has outlined a BumbleBee tactic where the malware uses command line actions to map a network drive to a remote site, transfer user credentials, download a file, and search for 'notepad.exe' files. The method suggests potential file manipulation, highlighting the shifting tactics in the malware landscape post-QakBot's takedown.
Iran-Linked APT33/Peach Sandstorm Ongoing Password Spray Attacks Unveiled by Microsoft
Microsoft disclosed activities linked to Peach Sandstorm (known as APT33, Elfin, and Refined Kitten), an Iranian threat actor, launching password spray attacks since February 2023. The focus has been on industries like satellite, defense, and pharmaceuticals, especially in countries like Israel, the US, Brazil, and the UAE. This shift narrows down from their previous target sectors such as aviation and healthcare. The motive appears to be supporting Iranian state interests by collecting vital intelligence.
Six Month Intrusion of an Asian Electrical Company
Threat actors, identified as Redfly, breached an Asian national grid for a total of six months, starting on February 28th, 2023, as reported by Symantec. Their operations, which culminated on August 3rd, included a series of actions like compromising credentials, using keyloggers, deploying drop loaders, and infecting additional network hosts. Notably, they showed a clear intent by targeting critical infrastructure organizations. While their attack pattern was intermittent, they were most active in May, showing several activities on specified dates, deploying payloads, stealing credentials, and establishing persistence. Their activity spiked again at the end of July. The persistent targeting of critical infrastructure by Redfly presents a significant threat, with the potential to disrupt essential services, particularly during politically tensed times.
Microsoft Updates Investigation from Storm-0558 Key Theft
In a follow-up to the Outlook breach affecting roughly 25 accounts, Microsoft has traced the origins of the attack to the Storm-0558, a China-based threat actor. The breach's inception was pinpointed to the unintended exposure of a key from a 2021 crash dump due to a system error. This exposed key was later accessed when the threat actor compromised a Microsoft engineer's account. While no evidence of data exfiltration was noted due to log retention limits, Microsoft has since undertaken remedial measures to bolster its security frameworks.
North Korean Actors Puts Vulnerability Researchers at Risk
In an ongoing campaign, North Korean threat actors have escalated their targeting of vulnerability researchers. Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has unveiled these actors' sophisticated methods, which include establishing connections via platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and encrypted messaging apps. The attackers then deliver malicious files, exploiting undisclosed software within popular software packages. Google TAG urges researchers to remain vigilant, ensuring their operating environments remain secure, especially if they have interacted with these threat actors or downloaded their tools.
Agent Tesla & Equation Editor Vulnerabilities
A recent phishing campaign has been discovered disseminating the Agent Tesla malware. This campaign manipulates Excel files by exploiting equation editor vulnerabilities, specifically CVE-2017-11882 and CVE-2018-0802. When the infected Excel is opened, shellcode covertly executes, leading to malware being downloaded to the victim's system. The Agent Tesla malware then moves forward, establishing persistence and capturing an array of user data, which is subsequently sent out via HTTP POST or email.
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