- Rana Android Malware Updates Allow WhatsApp, Telegram IM Snooping
December 7, 2020
Researchers have discovered new samples of a previously discovered Android malware, which is believed to be linked to the APT39 Iranian cyberespionage threat group. The new variant comes with new surveillance capabilities – including the ability to snoop on victims’ Skype, Instagram and WhatsApp instant messages. According to U.S. feds, the developers of this malware are ...
- APT annual review: What the world’s threat actors got up to in 2020
December 3, 2020
Beyond Windows While Windows continues to be the main focus for APT threat actors, we have observed a number of non-Windows developments this year. Last year we reported a malware framework called MATA that we attribute to Lazarus. This framework included several components such as a loader, orchestrator and plug-ins. In April, we learned that MATA ...
- Cyberespionage APT group hides behind cryptomining campaigns
December 2, 2020
An advanced threat group called Bismuth recently used cryptocurrency mining as a way to hide the purpose of their activity and to avoid triggering high-priority alerts. Coin mining is typically regarded as a non-critical security issue, so the method allowed the actor to establish persistence and move laterally on the compromised network, at the same time ...
- Turla’s ‘Crutch’ Backdoor Leverages Dropbox in Espionage Attacks
December 2, 2020
Researchers have discovered a previously undocumented backdoor and document stealer, which they have linked to the Russian-speaking Turla advanced persistent threat (APT) espionage group. The malware, which researchers call “Crutch,” is able to bypass security measures by abusing legitimate tools – including the file-sharing service Dropbox – in order to hide behind normal network traffic. Researchers ...
- CISA: Advanced Persistent Threat Actors Targeting U.S. Think Tanks
December 1, 2020
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have observed persistent continued cyber intrusions by advanced persistent threat (APT) actors targeting U.S. think tanks. This malicious activity is often, but not exclusively, directed at individuals and organizations that focus on international affairs or national security policy. The following guidance ...
- New MacOS Backdoor Connected to OceanLotus Surfaces
November 27, 2020
Trend Micro researchers have recently discovered a new backdoor we believe to be related to the OceanLotus group. Some of the updates of this new variant (detected by Trend Micro as Backdoor.MacOS.OCEANLOTUS.F) include new behavior and domain names. As of writing, this sample is still undetected by other antimalware solutions. Due to similarities in dynamic behavior ...
- Advanced Threat predictions for 2021
November 19, 2020
Trying to make predictions about the future is a tricky business. However, while we don’t have a crystal ball that can reveal the future, we can try to make educated guesses using the trends that we have observed over the last 12 months to identify areas that attackers are likely to seek to exploit in ...
- Lazarus malware strikes South Korean supply chains
November 16, 2020
Lazarus malware has been tracked in new campaigns against South Korean supply chains, made possible through stolen security certificates. On Monday, cybersecurity researchers from ESET revealed the abuse of the certificates, stolen from two separate, legitimate South Korean companies. Lazarus, also known as Hidden Cobra, is an umbrella term for select threat groups — including offshoot entities ...
- Nation-State Attackers Actively Target COVID-19 Vaccine-Makers
November 13, 2020
Three nation-state cyberattack groups are actively attempting to hack companies involved in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research, researchers said. Russia’s APT28 Fancy Bear, the Lazarus Group from North Korea and another North Korea-linked group dubbed Cerium are believed to be behind the ongoing assaults. According to Tom Burt, corporate vice president of Customer Security and Trust ...
- Operation North Star: Behind The Scenes
November 5, 2020
It is rare to be provided an inside view on how major cyber espionage campaigns are conducted within the digital realm. The only transparency afforded is a limited view of victims, a malware sample, and perhaps the IP addresses of historical command and control (C2) infrastructure. The Operation North Star campaign we detailed earlier this year ...