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TP-Link CVE-2023-1389 vulnerability exploited for Mirai distribution
CVE-2023-1389 is a command injection vulnerability existing in TP-Link Archer AX-21 firmware versions before 1.1.4 Build 20230219. Once exploited the bug could allow an unauthenticated attacker to inject commands, which would be run as root, with a simple POST request. The fix for the vulnerability has been released by the vendor back in March. The vulnerability has just recently been added to the "Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog" by CISA following the reports of in the wild exploitation by the Mirai botnet.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader.Trojan
Linux.Mirai
Linux.Mirai!g2
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
Attack: TP-Link Router Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2023-1389
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Transparent Tribe (aka Datebug and APT36) now using ObliqueRAT
Recently an APT group known as Transparent Tribe (aka Datebug and APT36) has started to use a Remote Access Trojan known as ObliqueRAT. They do however continue using fake domains as part of their social engineering tactics to gain initial access. Reports indicate that they are still primarily targeting the military but also some research and diplomatic organizations.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
WS.Malware.1 |
Transparent Tribe APT group continues to evolve its attack vectors
APT36 group, also known as Transparent Tribe, is a very active attack group involved in both cybercrime and espionage activities against Asian countries, specifically targeting government entities. The group has been observed using new variants targeting both Windows and Linux-based systems. A .NET-based RAT dubbed ElizaRAT and Python-based ELF binaries have been reported in recent campaigns suggesting continuous enhancement of its toolkits and attack vectors.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.2
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Transparent Tribe APT lures mobile users into CapraRAT installation
A new activity attributed to the Transparent Tribe threat group has been observed in the wild. The campaign targets mobile users mainly from India and Pakistan and distributes mobile backdoor known as CapraRAT. The malware is disguised as messaging/calling apps and can exfiltrate sensitive users' information from the compromised devices. CapraRAT has the functionality to take screenshots, record audio, access call logs, download files, send text messages and make calls, among others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.1
Android.Reputation.2
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Transparent Tribe APT strikes again
We have been following reports of new activities relating to the Transparent Tribe advanced persistent threat (APT) group. The group has been active since at least 2013 and known under various different names such as: Datebug, ProjectM, C-Major, APT36, and Mythic Leopard. According to recent reports, in its latest campaign the group has been running espionage attacks against government and military personnel in Afghanistan.
Transparent Tribe attacks begin with a spear-phishing email involving a malicious Microsoft Office document containing an embedded macro that leads to the group’s main payload, the Crimson Remote Access Trojan (RAT). The RAT allows the group to exfiltrate data, steal files, capture screenshots, log keystrokes, harvest credentials stored in browsers, and compromise microphones and webcams for audio and video surveillance. The group also uses a threat dubbed USBWorm which can steal files from and spread to removable drives.
Symantec Protections
Trojan.Scarimson
Trojan.Scarimson!gm
Trojan.Mdropper
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen
Trojan.Gen.2 |
Transparent Tribe targets Indian students and education sector
The latest campaign from the Transparent Tribe APT group targets India and in particular its students and educational sector. The initial vector are spear-phishing emails containing a malicious document or a link to the document in a remote location. If the document is opened and its macros run, the computer will be infected with CrimsonRAT.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
MSIL.KillAV!gen1
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Mdropper
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Trap Stealer Infostealer
Trap Stealer is a newly observed, open source infostealer. This stealer offers a variety of features, including but not limited to the following:
Steal cookies, autofill details, passwords, and search history from browsers
Collect system information and steal sensitive files based on keywords
Steal content related to Discord and WhatsApp
Data collected by Trap Stealer is exfiltrated by leveraging Discord webhooks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g269
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Infostealer
WS.Malware.1 |
Travelling Flubot, an Android malspam campaign
The Flubot Android malware has been cyclical and sporadic in nature this year. It was first disclosed to target Spanish Android users back in March, then spread more widely into other European regions around April. Now, months after the initial report, Flubot travelled again and was spotted this time infecting New Zealanders.
Maintaining the same technique, the victim will receive a fraudulent SMS with a malicious link that attempts to trick recipients into downloading and installing a malware-laden file which poses as either an app or a security update. The subject varies from a parcel delivery notification to a voicemail or an uploaded photo of the victim.
Symantec protects your from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.2
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.2 |
Trickbot activities on the rise again
As reported by several sources, despite some of the Trickbot group members being arrested back in September, the malicious campaigns involving this malware are increasingly seen in the wild again. The recent campaigns use various delivery mechanisms and can leverage among others:
Word or Excel maldocs attached to the spam emails
.HTA (an HTML application) downloaders, containing either VBScript or JScript scripts responsible for retrieving malicious DLLs
.LNK (Microsoft Shortcut) files that download Trickbot executables
.BAT (Batch files) dropped by maldocs that download Trickbot payloads
.JS (JavaScript) downloaders executing Powershell scripts
Bazarloader being dropped instead of Trickbot on occassion
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen173
ISB.Dropper!gen15
ISB.Downloader!gen148
ISB.Downloader!gen189
JS.Downloader
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
TrickMo mobile banking trojan
TrickMo is a mobile banking trojan first discovered back in 2019. An updated variant of this malware has been recently distributed in malicious campaigns in the wild. TrickMo comes now with some new capabilities including screen capture, download of additional modules, command execution and HTML overlay injection among others. TrickMo continues to focus on ex-filtration of various banking and crypto related credentials and data. The malware mostly targets various well known banking applications, cryptowallets but also email, shopping and social media apps.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
Android.Reputation.2
AppRisk:Generisk
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Trickybot continues its rampage
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released a joint advisory to warn the public of Trickybot malware that continues to be delivered even after a global Trickybot takedown was orchestrated last October. Trickybot first surfaced in 2016, starting its operation as a banking Trojan. The malware has evolved over the years and became a popular delivery vehicle for other malware.
Symantec provides the following coverage against Trickybot:
File-based
Trojan.Trickybot
Trojan.Trickybot!gen1
Trojan.Trickybot!gen2
Trojan.Trickybot!gen3
Trojan.Trickybot!gen4
Trojan.Trickybot!gen5
Trojan.Trickybot!gen6
Trojan.Trickybot!g7
Trojan.Trickybot!g8
Trojan.Trickybot!g9
Trojan.Trickybot!g10
Trojan.Trickybot!g11
Trojan.Trickybot!g12
Trojan.Trickybot!g13
Trojan.Trickybot!g14
Trojan.Trickybot!g15
Trojan.Trickybot!gm
Trojan.Trickybot!gm2
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 2
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 3
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 4
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 5
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 7
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 9
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 10
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 12
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 13
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 14
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 15
System Infected: Trojan.Trickybot Activity 16 |
Trigona Ransomware activity on the rise
Trigona is a ransomware that has been active since early 2022 and was seen increasing its activities in late 2022. It uses the double-extortion tactic, which is now a common method used by several infamous ransomware groups. After encryption, files are appended with the "._locked" extension and a ransom note is left in a similar format to that of Lockbit. No ransom amount is specified, but victims are warned that their data will be auctioned if demands are not met.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Cryptlck!g171
SONAR.PsDownloader!g1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
Trigona ransomware seen in attacks targeting MS SQL servers
Trigona is a ransomware variant discovered initially back in 2022. The malware is reported to exhibit certain amount of similarities to the CryLock ransomware variant. Trigona has been recently leveraged in attacks targeted at vulnerable or mis-configured SQL servers. The attackers deployed the CLR Shell malware during the early stages of the attack, and it was used, among other things, to exploit vulnerabilities that allow for privilege elevation and to gather system information. Trigona ransomware will append the "._locked" extension to the encrypted files and drop a ransom note in form of a .hta file called “how_to_decrypt.hta” in each folder where the files have been encrypted.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Cryptlck!g171
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Ransom.Cryptolocker
Ransom.Trigona
Ransom.Trigona!g1
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Trojanized Cross-platform Messaging Application called 'MiMi' targets Windows, Linux and macOS Users
Lucky Mouse (also known as APT27, Bronze Union, Emissary Panda, and Iron Tiger) is a Chinese threat actor active since 2013 was spotted recently to have launched a new campaign that leverages a trojanized cross-platform messaging application called 'MiMi' to deliver a backdoor sample dubbed 'rshell'. The compromised chat application will download and install HyperBro samples for Windows OS and rshell artifacts for Linux and macOS.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
OSX.Trojan.Gen
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Trojanized mobile apps observed on AppGallery
Trojanizing mobile applications is a technique that has been around for years, employed by multiple groups and individuals. Hiding malware in applications listed on official app stores is not only a powerful vector but a consistently successful one. In recent days, a large number of Android applications (games) hosted on AppGallery were reported to have been Trojanized. The hidden threat within these apps is able to collect sensitive information from infected phones. Over 9 million devices have installed these applications.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AdLibrary:Generisk
Android.Reputation.2 |
Trojanized Notepad++ installer delivers malware
A trojanized copy of the Notepad++ editor was discovered to be delivering malware. The malicious package was being pushed by a known threat actor group to deliver keylogging and infostealing payloads. The dropped malware acts as a keylogger, dumping logged keystrokes to newly created hidden systems files. A second file monitors for these new logs and performs exfiltration. In addition, the malware can steal files and other data from the system.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Trojanized Super Mario 3: Mario Forever Installer
A trojanized Super Mario 3: Mario Forever installer was spotted delivering multiple threats including XMR miner, SupremeBot mining client, and the Open-source Umbral stealer. The malware components were bundled with the legitimate installer in order to conceal its presence. Mining cryptocurrencies using the victim's machines are the main objective of the threat actors.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Troll Stealer
Troll Stealer, a new info-stealer malware coded in Go language, has been spotted masquerading as a security program installation from a Korean company. It's signed with a legitimate certificate, enhancing its credibility during installation. Like typical info-stealers, Troll Stealer is capable of extracting various data from compromised systems, such as SSH credentials, FileZilla information, files/directories, browser data, system details, and screen captures. Subsequently, the stolen data is sent to the threat actors' command-and-control (C2) server.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.IcedID
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Truist Bank users targeted with new phishing emails
Truist Bank is one of the top U.S. commercial banks headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Recently, Symantec has observed a new wave of phish runs spoofing Truist Bank services with fake account notifications. The email content mentions about a "temporary hold" placed on your account that can be lifted after a proper verification is completed. It entices the user to click on the "Verify now" phish URL ready to steal credentials.
Email Headers:
Subject: Urgent attention required
Subject: Important update about your account(s)
Subject: Account notification
Subject: Validate your details
Subject: Urgent attention required
From: "Truist Bank" <redacted_email_address>
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Tsunami DDoS botnet targets exposed Linux SSH servers
Tsunami (aka Kaiten) DDoS botnet is yet another malware family observed recently in attacks targeting exposed Linux SSH servers. The threat actors behind the botnet leverage brute force and dictionary attacks to access the vulnerable SSH servers. When granted with access they continue to execute additional commands and scripts which often leads up to download of secondary payloads such additional DDoS executables or coin miners. Tsunami is known to use IRC protocol to communicate with the C&C servers belonging to the attackers. The botnet supports various types of DDoS attacks such as ACK, SYN or UDP flood attacks.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader.Trojan
Hacktool
Linux.Backdoor.Kaiten
Linux.Mirai
Miner.XMRig
Miner.XMRig!gen9
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
TUGA Ransomware
TUGA is another run-of-the-mill ransomware variant observed recently in the wild. The malware encrypts user files and appends .TUGA extension to them. The dropped ransom note points the victims to a Telegram channel as a means of communication with the attackers. TUGA ransomware has some functionality to delete restore points on the infected systems as well as to collect system information. The attackers behind the recently distributed variant demand $1000 ransom in exchange for the decryption keys.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g18
File-based
Downloader
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634 |
Turian backdoor by APT15
Turian backdoor is a malware variant widely attributed to the APT15 threat group (also known as Playful Taurus or Vixen Panda). The backdoor was first discovered back in 2021 and is reported to be in continuous development. Turian has been used in a number of 2022 campaigns leveraging both new and updated C2 infrastructure of the attackers. Turian's functionality includes the execution of commands received from C2 servers and the establishment of reverse shell sessions on the infected endpoints.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
TurkoRat Disguised as a Legitimate NodeJS Package
Researchers discovered through some deep analysis, what looks like a legitimate NodeJS npm package which will actually drop an open source infostealing malware dubbed TurkoRat. Only when the malware was extracted were researchers able to determine that the red flags they had identified were actually traits of the malware. TurkoRat is capable of grabbing wallets, passwords, cookies, and modifying discord clients (among others) scanned within the victim's machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1 |
Turtle Ransomware
A new ransomware variant called Turtle or TurtleRansom has been discovered in the wild. The malware comes with encryptor variants targeting various platform including Windows, Linux and macOs. The malware targets mostly document data files for encryption (files with extensions .doc, .docx, or .txt). Upon successful encryption it appends .TURTLERANSv0" extension to locked files.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Linux.RansomTurtle
Ransom.Turtle
OSX.RansomTurtle
OSX.Trojan.Gen
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.C |
Typhon Reborn Infostealer released version 2
Typhon Reborn is an information-stealing malware that was first observed around mid-2022. A newer version of the malware is being sold on Russian cybercrime forums at a relatively cheap price with either lifetime support or a monthly subscription. The threat actors behind the malware claim enhanced anti-analysis and anti-VM capabilities which could increase its popularity in future attacks.
The Infostealer contains the following functionality:
Stealing system files/information
Stealing cryptocurrency wallet data
Stealing data from Chromium and Edge Browser Extensions
Screen captures
Stealing passwords, tokens, and other sensitive information from standard applications
Once collected, the data is forwarded to the C2 servers controlled by the attackers using Telegram API.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.maltraffic!gen1
SONAR.Zbot!gen8
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 568
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Typhon Stealer spread via phishing sites
A variant of the Typhon stealer malware has been found spread by a phishing website impersonating Lindesbergs Kommun (a municipality in Sweden). The malware is delivered via a .lnk file that executes malicious PowerShell commands and downloads the Typhon Stealer payload from the attacker's server. The malware once executed attempts to collect and ex-filtrate various confidential data such as Social Security numbers, user credentials, banking details, cookies, autofill data, VPN credentials and crypto wallets, among others. The collected data is ex-filtrated to a Telegram channel controlled by the attackers or to AnonFiles, which is an anonymous file hosting service.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Typo-squatters leverage USPS in Smishing campaign
Symantec has recently observed multiple United States Postal Service (USPS) typo-squatters (341 unique domains registered within a 48 hour period), whose generated domains are used to fuel an SMS phishing campaign in hopes of harvesting sensitive information. Actors will send malicious SMS to mobile users purporting to be from USPS and informing them of a delivery problem. The malicious redirection will only work when the URL is opened via a mobile browser. If a user opens the URL using a non-mobile browser, they will be redirected to the real USPS website.
SMS example: The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse and cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information. Please confirm your address in the link within 12 hours. hxxps[:]//usps-adba[.]top/ (Please reply to Y, then exit the SMS, open the SMS activation link again, or copy the link to Safari browser and open it). The US Postal team wishes you a wonderful day
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile is able to analyze links contained within SMS messages. It shields users from SMS phishing attempts by checking URLs found in text messages against the threat intelligence in Symantec WebPulse, part of the Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN), and alerting users when the links are suspect. The fake domains used in this campaign are known to WebPulse.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Typosquatting Campaign Targeting NPM Platform
A new campaign was discovered leveraging NPM (Node Package Manager) platform, an open-source repository of tools for software developers. Threat actors typo-squatted and turned a legitimate package 'node-hide-console-window' into a malicious one simply by adding the letter "s" on it, thereby altering it to 'node-hide-console-windows'. This module reportedly delivers a rootkit named 'r77' which is associated with DiscordRAT 2.0, an open source malware.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
TZW Ransomware targeting Korean users
TZW ransomware has been seen distributed in Korea. This ransomware encrypts files first, then adds the “TZW” file extension to the original extension. It presents itself as a system information application executable so that it can appear as a normal program file related to boot information. It is created in .NET and includes a loader and ransomware inside the distributed executable.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Ransom.Cryptolocker
Scr.Malcode!gdn30
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
UAC-0050 threat group leveraging Remcos RAT in attacks against governmental entities in Ukraine
The UAC-0050 threat group has been reported targeting Ukrainian governmental entities through recent campaigns, utilizing the Remcos RAT malware. The attack typically starts with phishing or spam runs disguised as job offers or proposals, deploying malicious .LNK and .HTA files containing VBS and PowerShell scripts. Ultimately, this chain leads to the execution of the Remcos RAT payload, primarily employed by the attackers for intelligence gathering and espionage.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen111
ISB.Downloader!gen63
Scr.Heuristic!gen20
Scr.Malcode!gen
Scr.Mallnk!gen13
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
UBEL (Oscorp variant) activity continues...
Android malware known as UBEL continues to be observed in the mobile threat landscape. This threat (a variant of Oscorp), complete with information stealing capabilities, is advertised on multiple underground forums and social media. In recent activity, it is being distributed via the classic "fake flash player" social engineering and web download.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk |
Ubel, Android Bot
Ubel is an active Android bot with stealing capabilities that is advertised on multiple underground forums and social media. Recent reports indicate this mobile banking malware shares similarities with another banking malware known as "Oscorp" for which we wrote a Protection Bulletin back in January this year.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk
AdLibrary:Generisk
Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile is able to also analyze links contained within SMS messages. It shields users from SMS phishing attempts by checking URLs found in text messages against the threat intelligence in Symantec WebPulse, part of the Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN), and alerting users when the links are suspect. |
Ukrainian Telecommunication operators Targeted by UAC-0113
Telecommunication providers in Ukraine have been the target of phishing attacks attributed to the UAC-0113, Sandworm, APT group. The attack begins with a phishing email purporting to be about legal aid that has a password protected RAR archive attachment. When opened, the Excel macro file inside the archive drops the DarkCrystal Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which is able to access network resources, steal data, and execute code. A similar attack was observed earlier this month targeting Ukrainian media organizations.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Trafic2.RGC!g10
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products
File-based
Trojan.Mdropper
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
UltimaSMS, another premium SMS campaign
Yet another SMS premium scam campaign has been observed in the mobile threat landscape. Dubbed UltimaSMS, actors have been leveraging social media platforms to further spread their malicious apps stored on the Google Play Store. These malicious apps are disguised as popular run-of-the-mill mobile applications such as QR code reader, camera filters, games, etc. Compromised victims will continuously observe notifications on their phones informing them that they've won a prize. If victims are successfully lured and enter their phone number they'll be subscribed to a premium SMS service.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.2
AppRisk:Generisk |
Umbral Stealer
Umbral is just another run-of-the-mill stealer with Discord webhooks capabilities, available to the public (being posted on a popular web-based platform for version control and collaborative software development) and now also in the hands of malicious actors who have been conducting classic drive-by-download attacks.
Over the past few weeks Symantec has observed an increasing number of Umbral activities where binaries were disguised as video game-related installers (for example Battle.net, a popular gaming platform) and cryptocurrency tools, as well as clippers, hacktools, etc.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Unbounce - The Landing Page Builder & Platform services abused in phish runs
In a recent phishing run, threat actors have abused services of a landing page builder and Platform service – Unbounce. In this specific run, an email masquerading as a voicemail notification is sent to the recipient as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Phishing email posing as a voicemail notification with another email attached to it.
This email contains another email file (.eml) attached to it for the recipient to download and view. The attached email poses as the actual voicemail message providing details about the voice message and includes a hyperlinked text embedded with an abused Unbounce URL as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: The attached email consisting of hyperlinked text embedded with Unbounce services URL
In order to preview the voice message, the recipient is expected to click on the hyperlinked text "PLAY/PREVIEW AUDIO MESSAGE" which then redirects to an online template created with the help of Unbounce services.
As shown in Figure 3, the online template displays a button called "PLAY/LISTEN TO VOICE MESSAGE" and entices the recipient to click on it. The button is embedded with a credential stealing web page URL.
Figure 3: An online template created by abusing Unbounce services.
Upon clicking the button, a phishing login web page is served to the user as shown in Figure 4. This particular campaign targets the recipients' Microsoft credentials.
Figure 4: Phishing page created for credential stealing.
Protection
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Underminer exploit kit seen delivering Amadey malware
The Underminer exploit kit has been around for several years but has recently been seen delivering Amadey malware. To gain persistence the Underminer creates a scheduled take to run once a day that can download various attacks including infostrealers. The credentials that are stolen can then be used to access other resources as the first stage of other attacks including ransomeware.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Uniza ransomware
Uniza is another run-of-the-mill ransomware variant observed on the threat landscape. The malware encrypts user files but it does not modify any filenames or appends any specific extensions to the encrypted files. The malware displays the ransom note in a pop-up command line window and demands a ransom payment in BTC cryptocurrency.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C |
According to latest reports, a significant increase in Magniber ransomware infections has been observed in recent months. Magniber binaries are often spread in form of fake software updates or distributed via typosquatting methods that rely on users typing incorrect domain name and landing at webpages controlled by the attackers. Several latest Magniber campaigns show that the infection chain is constantly changing by adopting various file formats, such as jse, js, msi or wsf. The attackers behind the ransomware also seem to quite regularly update the implemented evasions techniques, as the latest malware variants have the functionality to execute in memory or bypass UAC in Windows, among others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.RansomMgnibr!g1
SONAR.RansomMgnibr!g2
File-based
Downloader
ISB.Downloader!gen67
JS.Downloader
Ransom.Magniber
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.SecurityRisk.4
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Unpatched Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities exploited in limited targeted attacks
Symantec is aware of reports of limited targeted attacks which are the result of exploits of unpatched vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange. The vulnerabilities have been identified as CVE-2022-41040, a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability, and CVE-2022-41082. These are being exploited to allow an authenticated user to remotely execute code in the form of malicious webshells.
There are existing protections in place which provide coverage against both the exploit and post-exploit activity.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Exp.CVE-2022-41040
Exp.CVE-2022-41082
Hacktool.Webshell
Trojan Horse
Network-based
Attack: AntSword Scan Attempt
Policy-based
DCS provides 0 day protection for the recently identified Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities. DCS default hardening sandbox for Microsoft Exchange prevents suspicious payloads from being dropped and executed on vulnerable servers. |
Unpatched variant of CVE-2021-41379 disclosed
In late November a researcher published details about a variant of the Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2021-41379), which included proof of concept code. The original vulnerability was patched by Microsoft during the November 2021 security update release, yet the reporting researcher discovered this was not a complete fix.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Bloodhound.Exploit.843
Trojan Horse
Policy-based
Symantec DCS provides 0 day protection for the Windows Installer EOP vulnerability. In particular, the attempts by the POC/exploit to overwrite Windows service binaries and MSI files are prevented by DCS Windows hardening policies. |
Updated DBatLoader malware leveraged for infostealers and RATs delivery
DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) is a Delphi-based loader seen in the past delivering a variety of malicious payloads. According to a latest report, a new updated DBatLoader variant has been leveraged in the most recent campaigns observed in the wild and been delivering payloads from the Remcos, Warzone, Formbook, and AgentTesla malware families. During the initial attack stage the threat actors have been using malicious emails masqueraded as shipping notifications. DBatLoader binaries have been delivered as malicious attachments in form of compressed archives such as ISO, ZIP, GZ or 7Z. DBatLoader exhibits capabilities for establishing persistence, UAC bypass, shellcode injection or payload injections through process hollowing, among others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
AGR.Terminate!g5
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen24
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen526
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen530
SONAR.TCP!gen1
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
Downloader.Ponik
Infostealer.Bancos
Trojan Horse
Trojan.FakeAV
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Updated KmsdBot variant continues to target IoT
A new updated variant of the KmsdBot malware has been seen in the wild. KmsdBot is a botnet malware written in Golang programming language that supports various CPU architectures. The botnet is known to target IoT systems having open ports and default / weak login credentials and is leveraged mostly for the purpose of DDoS attacks as well as cryptomining activities. The latest KmsdBot variant comes with updates to the Kmsdx binary that allow for telnet scanning as well as added support for additional CPU architectures.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader.Trojan
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1 |
Updated Linux Monti encryptor spread in the wild
A new Linux variant of the Monti ransomware has been distributed in the wild. Monti is a ransomware family discovered initially in June 2022 and based on the leaked source code of the infamous Conti ransomware. Monti comes in strains both supporting Windows and Linux-based systems. The newest Linux variant deviates from the previous Linux variant in a way that they no longer base so heavily on the Conti source code and include some significant changes in the implemented encryption routine. The malware leverages for example AES-256-CTR encryption method while the older variant used the Salsa20 algorithm. The ransomware appends the .monti extension to the encrypted files and drops a ransom note as a ‘readme.txt’ text file in each encrypted directory.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Ransom.Monti
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1 |
Updated variants of PrivateLoader malware observed in the wild
PrivateLoader is a downloader type of malware known to be used in a pay-per-install (PPI) scheme that allows an operator to purchase the delivery of malicious payloads to targeted individuals. Payment for the service is made based on the number of performed successful infections. PrivateLoader has been delivering a wide range of payloads in the previously disclosed campaigns, including Vidar, Raccoon Stealer, Redline, Smokeloader, etc. Most recent campaigns have also been spreading an infostealer known as RisePro. Newest variants of PrivateLoader have gained some updates in form of new encryption algorithm, usage of commercial VMProtect packer and updated communication protocols, among others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Rgasm!g1
ACM.Rgasm-Lnch!g1
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.ProcHijack!g45
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
System Infected: Bad Reputation Process Request 4
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Upsilon Ransomware
A new ransomware strain has been identified that demands a ransom payment of 500 US dollars worth of Bitcoin. Once a victim's files have been encrypted, they will have the ".upsil0n" extension added and a ransom note titled "Upsilon.txt" will be left on the affected computer. The actors behind this Upsilon ransomware activity do not use a double-extortion method, however they do apply pressure on victims by threatening to increase the ransom if not paid within 3 days.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.Dropper
SONAR.Heur.Dropper
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen625
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen676
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g18
SONAR.SuspLaunch!gen250
SONAR.SuspLaunch!gen4
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Uptick in Project Plague activity
Symantec has recently observed an increase in activity for a particular malware that's a couple of years old. Known as 'Plague' (aka 'Project Plague'), this bot has backdoor capabilities and is able to perform Denial of Service (DoS), password recovery and cryptocurrency mining via modules. It's primarily being distributed via drive-by-download and spam.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Horse
WS.Malware.1
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen6
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen57
Email-based
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products. Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology from Symantec provides an extra layer of protection. |
Uptick in the activity from the Tropic Trooper APT
An uptick in activity has been recently observed from the Earth Centaur (aka Tropic Trooper) advanced persistent threat (APT) group, that is aimed at transportation and government agencies. The Earth Centaur group has been known to breach the targeted networks through exploit of vulnerable IIS or Exchange servers. Through such entry points the attackers can drop backdoors like Quasar RAT during the first stage of the compromise and later deploy second-stage final payloads, such as ChiserClient or SmileSrv. The group will also often use additional tools to exfiltrate stolen user data and credentials.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Trojan
FastReverseProxy
Hacktool
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Ursa (aka Mispadu) banking malware activity continues
Ursa banking malware (aka Mispadu) continues to plague Latin America but activities have also been observed in other regions including the USA, Europe and Asia. Over the last few years, actors behind this threat have employed various tactics to compromise their victims such as malspam, Facebook fake giveaways and fake websites.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Horse
Trojan.Mispadu
VBS.Downloader.Trojan
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products |
Use of HTML attachment in TA505 malspam
TA505: One of the financially motivated Russian threat groups responsible for the distribution of banking Trojans, ransomware families and targeting financial institutions and global retailers came into the limelight recently by spreading malspam through .html attachments in email. Recent malspam runs contain emails masquerading as legitimate communication messages. The email content is kept short and an .html file is attached to the email. When the user opens the .html attachment, a malicious URL is embedded within the <iframe> HTML tag. On clicking the URL, a CAPTCHA page opens before downloading the malicious .xls file. Insertion of the CAPTCHA in the chain proves that human interaction is needed before downloading the malicious .xls file.
Figure 1: Malspam masqueraded as a legit communication email with .html file attached to the email.
Protection
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products. |
Vadokrist banking malware latest activities
Vadokrist is one of many banking trojan families seen in the wild in Latin America. According to the latest reports, the most recent Vadokrist malspam campaigns target financial institutions and are directly distributing this malware by use of attached nested ZIP archives containing a MSI installer and a CAB archive. Beside the typical banking trojan features, Vadokrist also exhibits some backdoor functionalities.
Symantec has the following coverage in place:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse |
Vaggen Ransomware surveys its targets
There have been reports in the news of a Ransomware which has been targeting universities worldwide. Actors behind this attack have used phishing emails purporting to be COVID-19 surveys. If the social engineering is successful, the Ransomware will encrypt the victim's files and add a .Vaggen extension.
Symantec has the following coverage in place for this attack:
File-based
ISB.Downloader!gen68
ISB.Downloader!gen341
ISB.Downloader!gen60
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Heur.AdvML.B
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
Website-based
This attack is proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology |
VagusRAT spread via typosquatting and SEO poisoning techniques
VagusRAT is yet another malware variant using typosquatting and Google Ads SEO poisoning techniques for distribution to unsuspecting victims. VagusRAT is sold in a form of Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) offering that comes together with a malware builder allowing for additional customization of the malware packages. The malware has extensive remote access capabilities and also includes support for HRDP (Hidden Remote Desktop Protocol) which allows the attackers to access to the infected system at the same time as the legitimate users do without any alerts being triggered on the machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Scr.Malcode!gdn14
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
VajraSpy mobile malware observed in recent campaigns
VajraSpy is a customizable Android malware attributed to the Patchwork APT threat group. A new campaign distributing this malware has been observed in the wild. Some of the malicious apps bundled with VajraSpy malicious payloads were hosted on the Google Play store. VajraSpy is mostly used to conduct targeted espionage activities. The malware is capable of extracting user data, keystrokes, call logs, stored files, SMS, WhatsApp and Signal messages as well as recording calls and taking pictures.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
Android.Malapp
Android.Reputation.2
AppRisk:Generisk
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Variety of RATs and XMRig miners distributed in the HydroJiin campaign
A new report has emerged about a malware distribution campaign dubbed as HydroJiin. The campaign has been ongoing since September last year and actively distributing a variety of RATs, infostealers and miners, among others: QuasarRAT, Netwired RAT and XMRig miners. Many of the payloads downloaded in this run have been hosted directly on pastebin.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Packed.Generic.347
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen3
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g12 |
Various sectors under attack by Palmerworm APT group
The Symantec Threat Hunting Team has uncovered a new cyber espionage campaign by the Palmerworm APT (a.k.a. BlackTech) group which is targeting media, finance, construction, engineering and electronics organizations across four countries.
Protection
The following protections are in place against Palmerworm activity:
Backdoor.Consock
Backdoor.Waship
Backdoor.Dalwit
Backdoor.Nomri
Backdoor.Kivars
Backdoor.Pled
Hacktool
Trojan Horse
More information is available at Palmerworm: Espionage Gang Targets the Media, Finance, and Other Sectors |
VCURMS and STRRAT being delivered via links in spam messages
A java downloader has been discovered delivering VCURMS and STRRAT remote access trojans. This downloader is deployed via email with links to malicious JAR files. These two RATs will then download a modified Rude Stealer and keylogger for data exfiltration.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products
File-based
Trojan.Maljava
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products. |
Vector Stealer
Vector is a generic stealer that first came on to the cybersecurity community's radar earlier this year and has since been sporadically seen in the threat landscape, whether it's testing-related or actual malicious campaigns. Symantec has observed recent samples that appear to be delivered via drive-by-download and have been protected/obfuscated with KoiVM, a virtualizing protector for .NET applications.
Once this malware has been executed, it will grab various computer information, including MAC address, username, machine name, OS, directory, installed Antivirus product(s), IP address and OS platform (x64 or x86). Next, it will attempt to harvest sensitive information or files from the following apps:
Mail clients: Outlook, ThunderBird, FoxMail
Cookies and cards from various browsers
Chat applications: Discord, Telegram
Cold crypto wallets: Exodus, Electrum
FTP applications: FileZilla, WinSCP
It will also try to grab potentially sensitive .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rdp and .txt files. Once the job is done, it'll archive the stolen data and send it to the author's telegram account.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen313
File-based
Infostealer
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
VectorStealer emerges
VectorStealer is an infostealer that was advertised on underground forums in late 2022. In recent months, instances of its use have been observed. Despite being similar to other malware in its capabilities, it is becoming more popular among groups and individuals. It has been used in shipping and quotation-themed spam emails and drive-by-download campaigns. The control panel used by the attackers bears a scarlet red background, with VectorStealer written on top of the login box.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec’s email security products
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Scr.Malcode!gdn34
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Vedalia APT group exploits oversized LNK files in malware campaign
A malware campaign attributed to the Vedalia(also known as Konni) APT group has been observed, employing oversized LNK files. The threat actor utilized double extensions to conceal the original .lnk extension, with the LNK files observed containing excessive whitespace to obscure the malicious command lines. As part of the attack vector, the command line script searched for PowerShell to bypass detection and locate embedded files and the malicious payload..
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen20
Scr.Mallnk!gen13
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1 |
Venom Drainer Scam-as-a-Service on the rise
Nowadays, crypto and NFTs are constantly at risk of having their assets stolen by malware and phishing actors, with campaigns observed on a daily basis around the world. Recently, light has been shed on one particular campaign and actor who provides a Scam-as-a-Service known as "Venom Drainer". This scam service is a type of cybercrime where individuals or groups offer fraudulent services or tools to others, typically for a fee or a percentage of the profits.
Over the past few months, the actor involved has generated 500+ phishing domains targeting various known crypto and NFT transaction services such as Blur, Metamask, Arbitrum, etc. According to reports, they have potentially racked up millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency transaction theft.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Web Attack: WebPulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Venom RAT is on the loose
Around 6 months ago, a cracked version of a remote access trojan (RAT) known as Venom was leaked for free on various underground forums. Since then Symantec has observed malicious activity in which groups and individuals have used Venom to compromise machines and steal information. Both enterprise and consumers have been the target of these attacks.
While the authors behind Venom have been advertising it as "commercial" software that companies and consumers can use to remotely maintain Windows servers, provide support to employees and friends, monitor employee's machines, and as a handy tool in general to connect to your machines while you're away, its spyware and infostealing capabilities fit our threat categorizations and therefore Symantec considers it a remote access trojan.
The following protections are in place to protect against this threat:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
WS.Malware.1
Network-based
System Infected: Backdoor.Trojan Activity 406
Website-based
These activities are proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology. |
Venus Ransomware
Recently another run-of-the-mill ransomware known as Venus has been brought to light as actors behind it have been targeting publicly-exposed remote desktop services. Upon successful infection, as many ransomware do, it will attempt to delete shadow copies and encrypt files (appending .Venus extension).
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Network-based
Attack: NCrack Tool RDP BruteForce Activity
OS Attack: RDP Scan Attempt 2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Vertex stealer targets music artists and producers
Vertex stealer is a run-of-the-mill infostealer that has been around since at least 2021, while it's not highly prevalent in the threat landscape Symantec does see recurring instances. This malware is used by multiple groups and individuals who favor drive-by-download as a vector of infection. More recently one actor has been targeting music artists by disguising the malicious binary as FL Studio – a digital audio workstation that's been used by many known hip hop and EDM producers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request |
Vetta Loader
Vetta Loader is a newly identified malware variant spread via infected USB drives. The malware has been observed in campaigns targeting various industry sectors in Italy. Initial infection chain leverages .lnk files on the infected device, PowerShell scripts leading to further malicious scripts hosted on public video sharing sites, which in turn end up with Vetta Loader payload delivery. At least four different variants of Vetta Loader have been discovered to date, each of them written in different programming language: NodeJS, Golang, Python, and .NET.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Ps-Net!g1
ACM.Ps-Wscr!g1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.1
WS.Reputation.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 721
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Vidar infostealer abuses various social media platforms for C2 communication
Vidar infostealer continues to exploit various social media platforms for C2 communication. Previous campaigns have seen the malware communicating with Telegram and Mastodon channels belonging to the threat actors. Most recently though, Vidar also started to abuse a few more social media platforms including Steam, TikTok and Ultimate Guitar. Upon execution the malware payloads access the social media pages belonging to the threat actors and retrieve the current C2 server IP posted in the profile section. Such a setup allows the attackers an easy and regular change of the C2 server IP information without any changes required to the malware samples already in the wild.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Packed.Generic.616
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 704 |
Vidar Stealer activities observed in the wild
New activities of the infostealing malware known as Vidar Stealer have been observed in the wild. The infostealer is known since at least 2018 and it has been available for sale on various underground forums. Vidar Stealer targets the extraction of browser data such as cookies, browser history or stored credentials but it can also retrieve information from cryptocurrency wallets, FTP, email or chat applications. In the recent campaigns the threat actors behind Vidar have been observed to abuse Mastodon social network as a mean to serve the stealer with the current C2 server communication information.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Packed.Generic.620
Trojan Horse
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
VietCredCare infostealer
VietCredCare is a recently identified infostealer variant targeting users in Vietnam. The malware functionality focuses on theft of various data including banking details, cryptocurrency wallet credentials, browser history and cookies, among others. The collected data is exfiltrated from the compromised machines with help of Telegram Bot APIs. With the inherent capability to filter out cookies and credentials specifically related to Facebook accounts, the malware might assist the attackers with takeover of corporate Facebook accounts. This infostealer is believed to be sold in form of Stealer-as-a-Service offering to various threat groups.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Untrst-FlPst!g1
ACM.Untrst-RunSys!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
SONAR.Stealer!gen1
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 564
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 721 |
Vietnamese threat actor dubbed CoralRaider targets Asian entities with LNK-based malware campaign
A threat actor known as CoralRaider has been observed targeting entities in Asia via a malware campaign. The actor employs LNK files to entice victims into downloading HTML application files. As part of the attack vector, Rotbot, a variant of QuasarRAT, is utilized to conduct various checks and download the final payload, XClient stealer. XClient stealer is capable of collecting sensitive data including browser data, application data, social media accounts, messaging app content, and screenshots. The collected data is then exfiltrated to its command-and-control (C2) Telegram bot.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Mshta-Http!g1
ACM.Ps-Http!g1
ACM.Ps-Http!g2
ACM.Ps-Mshta!g1
ACM.Ps-RgPst!g1
ACM.Ps-Schtsk!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
SONAR.Stealer!gen1
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen111
Downloader
ISB.Downloader!gen63
Scr.Malcode!gdn32
Scr.Malcode!gen
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Audit: Bad Reputation Application Activity
System Infected: Bad Reputation Application Connecting to Cloud Storage
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 568
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
View Card users targeted with a new phish wave
In Japan, View Card is a credit card issued by the Japan Railways East Group that allows users to conveniently use Suica (prepaid e-money card) on trains, etc. Recently, Symantec has observed a new wave of phish runs spoofing View Card services. The email content mentions about the card usage and entices the users to click on the phishing URL in order to view and confirm current card usage.
Email Subject: [View's NETサービス] ビューカードご利用確認（重要:必ずお読みください）
Translated Email Subject: [View's NET Service] View Card Usage Confirmation (Important: Please be sure to read)
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
VileRAT's activity observed
VileRAT is a backdoor with infostealing capabilities that a group known as DeathStalker has been using against companies various industries since at last 2020 with a focus on those in the forex and cryptocurrency industry. The actor's favored vector is spearphishing emails while posing as fake companies. If a victim replies to these emails and engages in a conversation, the actor will at some point reply with a Google drive link that will download a malicious LNK file. In some instances malicious Word documents may be used to trigger the attack chain. Once the attack chain is triggered, a dropper (VileDropper) will drop a loader (VileLoader) which in turn will introduce the end payload, VileRAT.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader.Efplir!gen1
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan horse
Suspicious: Reputation
W97M.Downloader
Network-based
System Infected: Malicious Domain Request 63
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
ViperSoftX Infostealer activity observed in the form of browser extension
ViperSoftX is an Infostealer that was first reported in 2020. It has since undergone radical changes and is now being deployed as small PowerShell scripts concealed as part of large system log files. Most recently ViperSoftX has been reported to distribute an infostealer named VenomSoftX in the form of a browser extension. ViperSoftX and VenonSoftX both focus on stealing cryptocurrencies, clipboard swapping and fingerprinting the host machine as well as downloading and executing malicious payloads onto the infected machines. The infostealer is known to be delivered through the use of cracked software via torrents and software-sharing sites across the world.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse |
VMWare vCenter Server RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2021-21985) under active exploitation
We are aware of reports of malicious actors exploiting a critical vulnerability in VMWare vCenter Server (CVE-2021-21985). The Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability exists due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in which is enabled by default in vCenter Server. Exploiting the vulnerability requires no authentication. Patches for this vulnerability were released on May 25th, and it is recommended to apply the available updates in order to secure vulnerable servers.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Network-based
Web Attack: VMWare vCenter Server RCE CVE-2021-21985 |
Voicemail notification phish emails now come with a twist of .html attachments
Symantec has observed a change in the pattern of voicemail notification themed phishing emails. The recent runs have either .htm or .html extension files attached to the notification emails. As shown in Figure 1, a phishing email masquerading as a voicemail notification is sent to the user. The email content is kept short and informs the user to download the attachment in order to listen to the voice message.
Figure 1: Phishing email masqueraded as a voicemail notification email with an .html attachment
On downloading and opening the .html file, the user is served with a credential stealing webpage hosted with the help of either compromised domains or recently registered domains. These phishing webpages are either masqueraded as Office 365 or Outlook Web login pages as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: After opening the attached .html file, the user is redirected to a fake Microsoft O365 credentials stealing webpage.
Protection
Protection is in place for Symantec's email security products. |
Voice phishing still predominant in South Korea
Korean mobile users continue to be the target of voice phishing, and a recent campaign has been observed in which victims are lured into applying for a loan with a lower interest rate via malicious internet banking mobile applications that mimic apps from known reputed financial institutions. As per reports, they are then tricked into providing their financial details, such as bank account numbers and credit card information.
In Voice phishing, the malware operators call the target, impersonating as a person of authority, such as a bank employee requesting personal information, such as credit card and bank account details for the purpose of financial rewards. Voice phishing was first reported in 2006 in South Africa and the amount of phishing damage has since snowballed.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories. |
Void Balaur, Hacker-for-Hire
Recently, light has been shed on a cybercrime actor known as "Void Balaur" which has been active for some years now, offering an intrusion service on underground forums. This group specializes in stealing email and social media accounts and has been involved in a series of targeted attacks over the years against various industries, organizations, journalist and activists. They have primarily been using phishing websites as a means to steal login credentials, but also use malware such as Z*stealer and DroidWatcher.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.M
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
VoidCrypt ransomware still active in the wild
VoidCrypt is a ransomware variant first discovered back in 2020. While it is considerably less prevalent than other ransomware variants currently on the threat landscape, new samples of this threat are continuously emerging in the wild. VoidCrypt has functionalities to stop system services and processes as well as delete backups or volume shadow copies from the compromised endpoints. Depending on the distribution campaign the malware might append different extensions to the encrypted files. Some examples of extensions used by most recently discovered variants include: .gogo, .MrWhite, .pay, .rykcrypt .sunjn, .sunjun, .zendaya.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g18
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g21
File-based
Downloader
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634 |
Volt Typhoon threat group activities
Volt Typhoon group is active on the threat landscape since at least 2021. This threat actor is known to target various businesses and organizations in communications, information technology, manufacturing, governmental, education and several other sectors around the world. Volt Typhoon focuses their attacks on cyber espionage and information theft. The attackers usually gain initial access through vulnerable internet-facing devices. After that they attempt to extract AD credentials and use them for authentication with additional devices within the targeted network. Volt Typhoon proxies their malicious traffic through small office/home office (SOHO) routers of various brands in order to blend with the normal traffic activity. The group also heavily relies on living-off-the-land (LOTL) tools in an effort to stay under the radar.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.MalTraffic!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen1
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Hacktool
Hacktool.Jsprat
Hacktool.Mimikatz
PUA.Gen.2
Remacc.Remadmin
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.NPE
WS.Malware.2
WS.SecurityRisk.3
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Audit: Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus CVE-2021-40539
Web Attack: Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus RCE CVE-2021-40539 |
Vortex Stealer
While monitoring for new stealers, Symantec has observed an actor who has set up a Telegram channel for a stealer dubbed Vortex. After following breadcrumbs, it appears that there are ongoing test-related activities. This malware is pretty much the same as many stealers that abuse both Discord and Telegram to report to the actors and exfiltrate stolen information.
Vortex is capable of stealing sensitive browser data, Discord tokens, Telegram sessions, Crypto wallets, Minecraft and Roblox related files, Game sessions (Epic, Steam, etc.), system information, and documents (that are less than 2MB) in the computer's directory that contain the following case-insensitive strings:
password
secret
account
tax
key
wallet
backup
Stolen information will be archived and uploaded to Gofile or Anonfiles; the malware will also post it onto the author's Discord using webhooks. It's also capable of posting to Telegram via a Telegram bot. That scenario depends on the author's payload configuration. Once the archive is uploaded, it will be deleted from the compromised machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
ACM.Ps-Enc!g1
ACM.Ps-Reg!g1
ACM.Untrst-FlPst!g1
SONAR.Dropper
SONAR.Stealer!gen1
File-based
Infostealer
ISB.Malscript!gen9
Network-based
Audit: Bad Reputation Application Activity
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 634 |
Vovalex, new ransomware in D sharp
Like a lot of us who started back at work in 2021 with a resolution to accomplish a new goal, someone released a new ransomware called "Vovalex" which is reportedly the first ransomware written in the D programming language. Although Vovalex is the first D ransomware of its kind, it behaves exactly as it's designed to do - extort money from the victim. The malware encrypts files and adds a .vovalex file extension to them, then asks the victim to pay 0.5 XMR (Monero) for decryption. The ransomware is typically bundled with a legitimate software in order to make it more deceptive.
Symantec provides the following coverage for Vovalex ransomware:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT |
VRchat minglers may catch more than they bargained for
With so many countries and cities still under lockdown to some degree or other, online social platforms have been thriving. Unfortunately this has led to even more malicious activity associated with those platforms than is usually the case. In the midst of the pandemic, VRchat, a popular virtual reality social platform has been trending, and as expected, Symantec has observed cybercrime-related activity targeting its user base. Groups or individuals are trying to lure victims into drive-by-download attacks with fake installers, skins, texture packs, cheats and NSFW mods. Infostealers and remote access trojans (RATs) that have been used in these attacks are posted and shared on multiple forums and VoIP platforms. This makes it trivial for more bad actors to join the attack against VRchat users.
File-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's Endpoint Protection security products.
Website-based
These attacks are proactively blocked by Symantec Web Isolation technology. |
VSingle malware comes with an updated variant
VSingle is a HTTP bot malware known to be used by the Lazarus threat group. VSingle has the funtionality to execute commands received from the attackers as well as download and run additional plugins. The most recent VSingle variant has been updated and now it can retrieve C2 server communication information from Github repositories controlled by the attackers. In addition to the Windows variant, VSingle also targets the Linux OS platform.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed IPs/domains are covered under security categories |
Vulnerability exploitation becomes a primary attack vector for Ransomware
Ransomware operators continue to evolve tactics to adjust to disruptions in malware distribution channels. The Symantec Threat Hunter Team, part of Broadcom, has put together details regarding a visible change from botnets to vulnerability exploitation as a primary infection vector. Attacks against vulnerabilities affecting Exchange servers, IT helpdesk software, VPNs, and an application delivery controller have been recently observed.
Read more in our blog: Ransomware: Attacks Continue to Rise as Operators Adapt to Disruption
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Rd32!g1
Behavior-based
SONAR.TCP!gen6
File-based
Hacktool
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Stealbit
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
Attack: Citrix NetScaler CVE-2023-4966
Web Attack: Zoho Manageengine RCE Vulnerability CVE-2022-47966 |
Vultur and Brunhilda's love story continues
Vultur continues to be observed in the mobile threat landscape and is still being dropped by the infamous Dropper-as-a-Service known as Brunhilda. This Android banking malware leverage the infamous overlay technique – displaying fake overlay windows in hopes of tricking users into entering their banking credentials. It targets more than 190 banks and cryptocurrency exchange platforms.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Mobile-based
AppRisk:Generisk |
Wagner Ransomware
A few days after Wagner's rebellion against the Russian army leaders, a ransomware named "Wagner" has been observed making rounds in Russia. When successfully executed, this ransomware appends a .wagner extension to encrypted files, sets Wagner's logo as the wallpaper, and leaves a ransom note (Wagner.txt) on compromised machines. This ransomware is a Chaos ransomware variant.
The note does not offer any instructions for decryption or specify a ransom amount. The individuals behind this threat are driven by their ideology to carry on Wagner's mission of targeting Russian army leaders. The note also includes a contact numbers that may be associated with Wagner's recruitment efforts along with a Telegram contact.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g193
File-based
Ransom.Sorry
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B |
Wait, that's Agent Tesla... Where is my shipment?
Agent Tesla continues to be among the most prevalent Infostealer in the wild; it is accessible to many as it is still being sold on the blackmarket. On a daily basis, we have observed multiple campaigns of various sizes from different actors – similar to the ones we wrote about last week.
Recently, over one day, we have observed another Agent Tesla campaign in which a many malicious emails were sent to Shipping, Finance, Energy and Insurance Companies (and their satellites) from US, UK, HK, China, Japan and other countries in the APAC region. The group or individual behind this attack did pose themselves as known maritime transportation companies to lure their victims effectively in their shipping social engineering scheme – Attached to those email, a malicious .cab file and Agent Tesla inside.
After that incident, we have not seen further activities related to this attack. Below are the indicators related to this particular Agent Tesla attack.
Email subjects:
AGENT APPOINTMENT OF MV QI LIN SONG V60 CALLING AT MASAN AND ULSAN FOR LOADING
MT TOYAMA V2001 EPDA QUOTATION FOR DISCHARGE 61K MT METHANOL AT LIANYUNGANG
Qingdao or Shanghai to Manila / Transformers and parts / end of Oct dates
SHANGHAI MUNDRA 3214 FRT// 807 MTONS // 38 TONS HL +/- 5% MOLCO 20-30 OCT 2020
Email attachment:
SHANGHAI MUNDRA 3214.cab
MV QI LIN SONG V60.cab
MT TOYAMA V2001.cab
Packing list 822169)sea_NGCP Nagasag.cab
Below is our coverage for this attack:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.2
WS.Malware.2
Heur.AdvML.C
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
WannaDie Ransomware
WannaDie is another Chaos ransomware variant recently observed in the wild. Post encryption of user data, the malware drops a ransom note written in English and German in the form of a .txt file named "info[random_number].txt". As the ransom note does not provide any contact details or ask for any ransom payment, it is possible this malware variant is currently used by the attackers more as a wiper than a typical ransomware. WannaDie also has the capability to delete the volume shadow copies and backups from the infected machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen625
File-based
Ransom.Zombie
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
WarHawk - new backdoor attributed to the SideWinder APT
WarHawk is a new backdoor attributed to the APT group known as SideWinder. According to a latest report, a recent campaign by this APT has been delivering WarHawk backdoor to the users from Pakistan. SideWinder APT has been leveraging .ISO files bundled with .LNK files alongside of decoy PDF documents for malware distribution. WarHawk backdoor has been observed to download and execute Cobalt Strike as a final payload in the reported campaigns.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories |
Warlock Dark Army Ransomware
A ransomware actor known as Warlock Dark Army has recently been observed in the threat landscape. Post encryption, they are asking for 0.1473799 Bitcoin to decrypt the affected machine. Unlike more infamous actors, they do not seem to laterally spread within environments and most likely leverage drive-by-download or RDP brute force attack as the infection vector. At this time, this group's activity has been relatively low, using a ransomware variant based on the Chaos ransomware.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Behavior-based
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen616
SONAR.SuspBeh!gen625
SONAR.SuspTempRun
SONAR.SuspTempRun2
File-based
Ransom.CryptoTorLocker
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C |
Warzone RAT distributed in malicious APT campaigns
According to a recently released report, Warzone RAT has been actively distributed in malicious APT campaigns this year. The distribution of this malware involves exploitation of the older CVE-2017-11882 MS Office vulnerability through an exploit delivered within a RTF document. The final payload of Warzone RAT acts as an infostealer / keylogger with functionalities to download and execute additional payloads.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Bloodhound.RTF.10
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Mdropper
W97M.Downloader
Network-based
Web Attack: Microsoft Office CVE-2017-11882 2 |
WarzoneRAT malware re-emerges with new samples
WarzoneRAT (also known as AveMaria) is a commodity Remote Access Trojan variant used by various threat groups in recent years. The malware functionality allows for remote control, remote shell and file operations, credential theft, keylogging, UAC bypass and more. Back in February 2024 the FBI dismantled the Warzone RAT malware operation and seized the infrastructure associated to this threat. Just recently, new samples of WarzoneRAT malware have been observed in the wild, indicating a potential come-back of this threat. The multi-staged attack chain involves malspam emails, LNK and HTA files leading to VBScripts and PowerShell commands and resulting finally in the Warzone payload.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Mshta-Cmd!g1
ACM.Mshta-Ps!g1
ACM.Ps-Http!g2
ACM.Ps-Mshta!g1
ACM.Ps-Wscr!g1
ACM.Rgsvc-Lnch!g1
ACM.Wscr-Ps!g1
File-based
CL.Downloader!gen241
Infostealer
Scr.Mallnk!gen13
Scr.Malscript!gen11
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Web.Reputation.1
WS.Malware.1
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.A!400
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 795
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
WatchDog - Cryptomining botnet active since 2019
Symantec Security Response has been aware of the recently released report concerning the cryptocurrency mining botnet dubbed as WatchDog. The botnet has been reportedly active since at least 2019 and is estimated to be infecting between 500 and 1,000 machines. The threat actors behind the botnet have been using vulnerable applications as a point of entry onto victim networks. Vulnerabilities in Drupal, Elasticsearch, Apache Hadoop, SQL Server, ThinkPHP and Oracle WebLogic among others have been targeted in an effort to find the exposed machines and spread the botnet binaries.
Symantec provides the following detections against this campaign:
File-based
Downloader
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Network-based
Web Attack: Elasticsearch CVE-2014-3120
Web Attack: ElasticSearch Remote Code Execution CVE-2015-1427
Web Attack: Oracle WebLogic RCE CVE-2017-10271
Web Attack: Spring Data Commons CVE-2018-1273 |
WatchDog Group Found Using Steganography To Deliver Malware
The WatchDog group has been observed using steganography to deliver malware payloads. The image file contains embedded malware following the IEND header that marks the end of the file, allowing the script to skip directly to the malware. The payloads include propagation via Redis, masscan, and installation of XMRig cryptocurrency miners. Watchdog has been know to target Chinese networks and the use of compromised Alibaba buckets and Chinese comments in the code backup this speculation.
Symantec protects you from these threats, identified by the following:
File-based
Downloader
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2 |
Watch out for Hydra or it'll empty your pockets!
Hydra is an old Android banking malware that continues to persist in the mobile threatscape. We have observed this malware mostly being distributed via third party markets, fake websites and other social platforms, posing as legitimate applications to trick unwary Android users. In its earlier activities it was targeting Turkish bank’s customers but has since expanded its capabilities to target banks globally.
Symantec has the following protection in place:
Mobile-based
Android.Reputation.2 |
Watch out for IcedID banking malware
Over recent weeks, Symantec has observed an uptick in IcedID activity - the result of multiple malspam campaigns that are still on-going. These malicious emails include an XLS file attachment which contains a malicious macro, and that downloads IcedID when successfully executed.
IcedID is not a new threat and has actually been around since at least 2017. As of today, it's among the top banking malware seen on the threat landscape.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
W97M.Downloader
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan Horse
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Network-based
Malicious Site: Malicious Domains Request
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Watch out for the Grinch's minions this Christmas!
As usual around this time of the year we are seeing an increase in attacks slipstreaming Christmas. It seems actors behind those attacks might just be working for the Grinch, or simply know that everyone might be a bit less cautious during the festive season. Most of these attacks have been observed in the email landscape which appears to be the uncontested attack vector over this holiday period. That said, users should keep in mind that online shopping is also at risk with malvertising and phishing, especially this year as many people will shop online due to COVID-19.
Below is a series of Christmas related malicious email subjects we've recently observed with one campaign in particular (Christmas Order) standing out due to its prevalence, busy delivering QnodeService malware.
Email subjects:
Christmas Order
Safe Christmas
Merry Christmas!
xmas dinner celebration
[Removed] XMAS UPDATE - THANK YOU
Symantec has the following protection in place for QnodeService:
File-based
Trojan.Maljava
Email-based
Coverage is in place for Symantec's email security products and Email Threat Isolation (ETI) technology provides an extra layer of protection for our customers. |
Water Basilisk campaign leverages new variant of the HCrypt to spread various RATs
There have been reports of a recent malicious campaign dubbed Water Basilisk. The attackers leverage a new version of the HCrypt crypter, capable of generating various obfuscated VBScripts and PowerShell to deliver a variety of Remote Access Trojans (RATs) to the compromised systems. The attack chain used by the threat group involves .ISO attachments spread by spam emails, obfuscated VBScript stagers and Powershell commands. NjRAT, Nanocore, LimeRAT and QuasarRAT are some of the trojans found to be distributed in this campaign.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File-based
Backdoor.Ratenjay
Backdoor.Ratenjay!gen3
CL.Downloader!gen211
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.B
ISB.Downloader!gen48
ISB.Downloader!gen76
ISB.Downloader!gen80
ISB.Downloader!gen281
ISB.Heuristic!gen59
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Nancrat
Trojan.Nancrat!g1
Network-based
Malicious Site: Malicious Domain Request 59
System Infected: Malicious PowerShell Script Download 3
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Web-based
Observed domains are covered under security categories |
Waterbug (aka Turla) group campaign targets European NGO with TinyTurla
Details of an ongoing campaign by the Waterbug group (aka Turla) against a European NGO have been published. The group establishes themselves in the victim's environment and leverages their TinyTurla implant for data theft. Observed tactics include, but are not limited to, lateral movement, security product evasion, opening a reverse proxy tunnel by deploying a custom Chisel beacon, and others.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Rd32!g1
File-based
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.B
Heur.AdvML.C
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Waterbug threat group (aka Turla) deploys new wrapper
Waterbug threat group (aka Turla), an APT group going back as far as 2004, has begun utilizing a new wrapper being dubbed Pelmeni. It begins life on an infected system as a sideloaded DLL that spoofs legitimate DLLs. Once this spoofed DLL is called by the legitimate software it begins the second stage and downloads Kazuar, a backdoor trojan. Utilizing Kazuar allows the attackers to exfiltrate data from the infected machine.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
File Based
Trojan.Gen.9
Trojan.Gen.MBT
W32.Qakbot
WS.Malware.1
WS.SecurityRisk.3
Machine-learning based
Heur.AdvML.A!300
Heur.AdvML.B!100
Heur.AdvML.B!200 |
Water Hydra APT leverages CVE-2024-21412 vulnerability for DarkMe malware delivery
Water Hydra APT group has been reported to leverage a recently disclosed CVE-2024-21412 vulnerability in their latest campaigns. CVE-2024-21412 is an Internet Shortcut Files Security Feature Bypass vulnerability with CVSS score of 8.1. If successfully exploited, it might allow an unauthenticated attacker to send a specially crafted file to the targeted users while bypassing existing security checks. Water Hydra APT has been using this exploit to bypass Microsoft Defender SmartScreen security features and deliver DarkMe malware to the victims. DarkMe is a Visual Basic-based downloader used to execute attacker commands and deliver arbitrary payloads onto the compromised endpoints.
Symantec protects you from this threat, identified by the following:
Adaptive-based
ACM.Ps-Rd32!g1
ACM.Ps-Wscr!g1
ACM.Rd32-RgPst!g1
Behavior-based
AGR.Terminate!g2
SONAR.TCP!gen1
File-based
Exp.CVE-2024-21412
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Gen.MBT
Trojan.Gen.NPE
Trojan.Mallnk
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Machine Learning-based
Heur.AdvML.A!500
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
System Infected: Trojan.Backdoor Activity 770
Web Attack: Malicious Payload Download 29
Web Attack: Webpulse Bad Reputation Domain Request
Policy-based
DCS default lockdown policy will stop this attack at the very first step by blocking outgoing connections to public internet.
DCS default policy has protection for all subsequent steps of this attack (downloading and execution of zip/batch file, launch of cmd.exe, downloading and execution of a dll, etc) as well.
Web-based
Observed domains/IPs are covered under security categories in all WebPulse enabled products |
Subsets and Splits