Anvilogic Forge Threat Research Reports
Here you can find an accumulation of trending threats published weekly by the Anvilogic team.
We curate threat intelligence to provide situational awareness and actionable insights
Atomic detections that serve as the foundation of our detection framework.
Risk, pattern, and sequence-based detections utilizing the outputs of Threat Identifiers as a means of identifying actual threats.
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Forge Report: First Half Threat Trends of 2024
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Reviewing The Costa Rica Ransomware Attack
AdvIntel reviews the Conti ransomware attack on Costa Rica's government, revealing it as a smokescreen for shutting down operations. Initial access was obtained via compromised VPN credentials, followed by data exfiltration and ransomware deployment using tools like Cobalt Strike and ZeroLogon, prompting a state of emergency.
Ukraine Attacked by Trickbot Group
IBM Security X-Force reports that the Trickbot group, aligning with Russian state interests, has targeted Ukraine since the invasion. From mid-April to mid-June, Trickbot executed six phishing campaigns against Ukrainian authorities, individuals, and organizations. Malicious payloads, including IcedID and Cobalt Strike, were delivered via Excel and ISO attachments.
Qakbot Attacks Increasing with the Use of New Techniques
Zscaler reports an increase in Qakbot malware distribution, noting new evasion techniques. Threat actors use ZIP extensions, enticing file names, and Excel (XLM) 4.0 macros. Qakbot typically spreads via phishing emails with malicious attachments, using PowerShell or Curl for download, and native binaries for execution and persistence.
Korean-based H0lyGh0st Ransomware Group
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) reports on the H0lyGh0st ransomware group, active since June 2021, targeting small businesses across various countries. H0lyGh0st uses the .h0lyenc extension for encrypted files and employs a double extortion model. MSTIC identifies connections between H0lyGh0st and another North Korean group, PLUTONIUM, but notes differences in targeting and tactics. H0lyGh0st primarily targets small-to-midsized businesses, including manufacturing, banking, and education sectors. Despite their efforts, as of July 2022, no successful ransom payments have been identified.
APT Targeting of Journalists and Media
Proofpoint's research highlights state-sponsored APT groups targeting journalists to access sensitive information and spread disinformation. Groups from China, North Korea, Iran, and Turkey use tactics like web beacons, credential harvesting, and malware to manipulate public perception and influence geopolitical events.
Vice Society Ransomware Group
SEKOIA tracks the Vice Society ransomware group, which has compromised 88 victims from its inception to mid-June 2022. The group primarily targets academic institutions and healthcare sectors, using common pentester skills and public vulnerabilities like PrintNightmare. Vice Society employs HelloKitty ransomware for Linux and Zeppelin ransomware for Windows targets.
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