FrostyGoop’s Zoom-In: A Closer Look into the Malware Artifacts, Behaviors and Network Communications


In July 2024, the operational technology (OT)-centric malware FrostyGoop/BUSTLEBERM became publicly known, after attackers used it to disrupt critical infrastructure. The outage occurred after the Cyber Security Situation Center (CSSC), affiliated with the Security Service of Ukraine, disclosed details of an attack on a municipal energy company in Ukraine in early 2024.

FrostyGoop is the ninth reported OT-centric malware, but the first that used Modbus TCP communications to impact the power supply to heating services for over 600 apartment buildings. FrostyGoop can be used both within a compromised perimeter and externally if the target device is accessible over the internet. FrostyGoop sends Modbus commands to read or modify data on industrial control systems (ICS) devices, causing damage to the environment where attackers installed it.

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Source: Trend Micro


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