AI-Automated Threat Hunting Brings GhostPenguin Out of the Shadows


Hunting high-impact, advanced malware is a difficult task. It becomes even harder and more time-consuming when defenders focus on low-detection or zero-detection samples. Every day, a huge number of files are sent to platforms like VirusTotal, and the relevant ones often get lost in all that noise. Identifying malware with low or no detections is a particularly challenging process, especially when the malware is new, undocumented, and built largely from scratch.

When threat actors avoid publicly available libraries, known GitHub code, or code borrowed from other malware families, they create previously unseen samples that can evade detection and make hunting them significantly harder. In these cases, the threat actors carefully craft both the code and the network communication to minimize noise and keep the malware as inconspicuous as possible.

Read more…
Source: Trend Micro


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Hackers are going after Cisco RV320/RV325 routers using a new exploit

    January 27, 2019

    Security researchers have observed ongoing internet scans and exploitation attempts against Cisco RV320 and RV325 WAN VPN routers, two models very popular among internet service providers and large enterprises. ttacks started on Friday, January 25, after security researcher David Davidson published a proof-of-concept exploit for two Cisco RV320 and RV325 vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities are: CVE-2019-1653 – allows a remote attacker to get sensitive device configuration details ...

  • ‘Chaos’ iPhone X Attack Alleges Remote Jailbreak

    January 25, 2019

    The attack makes use of previously disclosed critical vulnerabilities in the Apple Safari web browser and iOS. A Chinese security researcher has published what he claims is a proof-of-concept exploit that would allow a remote attacker to jailbreak an iPhoneX, unbeknownst to the user – allowing them to gain access to a victim’s data, processing power ...

  • GreyEnergy’s overlap with Zebrocy

    January 24, 2019

    In October 2018, ESET published a report describing a set of activity they called GreyEnergy, which is believed to be a successor to BlackEnergy group. BlackEnergy (a.k.a. Sandworm) is best known, among other things, for having been involved in attacks against Ukrainian energy facilities in 2015, which led to power outages. Like its predecessor, GreyEnergy malware has ...

  • Malvertising campaign targets Apple users with malicious code hidden in images

    January 24, 2019

    Apple users continue to be some of the favorite targets of malvertising campaigns, according to a report published this week by cyber-security firm Confiant. The report describes a new malvertising group called VeryMal that’s been going after Apple users, with the latest campaigns employing steganography techniques to hide malicious code inside ad images to avoid detection. The Confiant report comes ...

  • Bit-and-Piece DDoS Method Emerges to Torment ISPs

    January 24, 2019

    Perpetrators are using smaller, bit-and-piece methods to inject junk into legitimate traffic, causing attacks to bypass detection rather than sounding alarms with large, obvious attack spikes. A pioneering distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack pattern has emerged, targeting internet service providers (ISPs) with something researchers have dubbed the bit-and-piece “Mongol” attack. The approach involves spreading out junk traffic across ...

  • Trojans lead siege on businesses for second year running

    January 23, 2019

    Security software firm Malwarebytes has released its annual ‘State of Malware 2019‘ report which analyses the prevalence of different forms of malware and shows how each type is being used to attack businesses and consumers. Following its quarterly report released in October, Malwarebytes report that for the second year in a row, Trojans are leading the siege on ...