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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Clop Borrows from BlackCat to Up Their Extortion Game
The Clop ransomware group has adopted a new extortion method, using data from the significant MOVEit breach to create clearview websites dedicated to specific compromised companies. Unlike darkweb platforms, these sites are accessible to conventional search engines, allowing higher web traffic. Victims include PWC, Anon, EY, Kirkland, and TD Ameritrade. Although these sites have been taken down, the group's use of clearview websites signifies a concerning escalation in their tactics. It's unclear who was responsible for the takedowns.
FBI Warns of Growing Scam Targeting Senior Adults with Unusual Refund Tactic
The FBI has issued a public service advisory regarding a growing scam that specifically targets older adults. The scammers are employing a variety of tactics to reach potential victims, including phone calls, text messages, emails, and pop-up windows on compromised websites. They trick the victims into believing they are due a refund, which can only be received via a bank transfer. The scammers then gain access to the victim's bank account through remote access software. In a unique twist, the scammer initiates a larger than expected transfer, pretends to have made an error, and then asks the victim to refund the excess money by shipping it to a specified location, sometimes to pharmacies and retail businesses.
A Series of Post-Exploitation Activities from an Ursnif Infection
In early July 2023, a security researcher known as Kostas investigated an Ursnif malware infection. The study provides valuable insight into the malware's post-exploitation activities, including automated tasks, deliberate inactivity indicating a coordinated criminal effort, and hands-on-keyboard activity. The initial infection was through a phishing email containing a malicious PDF file. Upon execution, the malware performed a series of tasks for host enumeration, persistence establishment, and process injection. After 30 minutes, further hands-on-keyboard actions were observed, along with additional discovery commands, PowerShell execution, and Cobalt Strike use. This activity suggests a hand-over between different criminal groups during the infection process, further highlighting the coordinated effort behind these attacks.
Turla Sets Aim on Collect Data from Defense Industries
The Russian threat group Turla (also known as Secret Blizzard, KRYPTON, and UAC-0003) is conducting an active cyber campaign aimed at gathering sensitive data from defense organizations in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The campaign, as identified by a joint effort from CERT-UA and Microsoft, utilizes Capibar and Kazuar spyware. The attack begins with phishing emails containing weaponized Excel attachments, and the malware establishes persistence through a scheduled task disguised as a Firefox update. The group also abuses legitimate and compromised Exchange servers, transforming them into malware control centers. Despite detection efforts, as of July 20, 2023, the detection score for a sample of Capibar malware remains relatively low at 20/70 on VirusTotal.
FIN8 Bolsters its Arsenal with BlackCat and Updated Backdoor
In a significant development, the FIN8 threat group has amplified its cybercrime toolkit, introducing the BlackCat ransomware and an updated Sardonic backdoor, according to Symantec's Threat Hunter Team. Previously associated with point-of-sale (POS) attacks, FIN8's shift towards ransomware activities indicates a strategic move to exploit more profitable opportunities. The group's activities primarily impact a wide array of industries, including chemicals, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, retail, and technology.
A Splinter of Royal Ransomware Strikes Tampa Bay Zoo
ZooTampa, a nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida, has been targeted in a security breach, possibly by a splinter cell of the Royal ransomware gang known as BlackSuit. The incident has sparked an investigation involving law enforcement. A spokesperson for ZooTampa assured visitors that the zoo does not store any personal or financial information. The breach could potentially be indicative of a new trend in the activities of the Royal ransomware gang. Researchers speculate that Royal is undergoing a rebranding effort in response to increasing law enforcement pressure.
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