- Surge of MegaCortex ransomware attacks detected
May 6, 2019
UK cyber-security firm Sophos reported detecting a spike in ransomware attacks at the end of last week from a new strain named MegaCortex. Sophos said the ransomware appears to have been designed to target large enterprise networks as part of carefully planned targeted intrusions –in a tactic that is known as “big-game hunting.” The modus operandi is ...
- Japanese government to create and maintain defensive malware
May 3, 2019
The Japanese Defense Ministry will create and maintain cyber-weapons in the form of malware that it plans to use in a defensive capacity. Once created, these malware strains, consisting of viruses and backdoors, will become Japan’s first-ever cyber-weapon, Japanese media reported earlier this week, citing a government source . The malware is expected to be finished by ...
- Dispelling Myths Around SGX Malware
April 29, 2019
A group of security researchers from Graz University of Technology recently disclosed detailed methods of deploying attacks from inside Intel’s SGX Security Enclave. The research paper received decent media attention probably due to recently discovered architecture vulnerabilities, such as Meltdown and Spectre. Researchers also released proof of concept (PoC) code for Linux that successfully escapes the securely ...
- Source code of Carbanak trojan found on VirusTotal
April 23, 2019
The source code of one of the world’s most dangerous malware strains has been uploaded and left available on VirusTotal for two years, and almost nobody has noticed. It was discovered by security researchers from US cyber-security firm FireEye, analyzed for the past two years, and made public today, so other members of the cyber-security community ...
- FINTEAM: Trojanized TeamViewer Against Government Targets
April 23, 2019
Recently, Check Point researchers spotted a targeted attack against officials within government finance authorities and representatives in several embassies in Europe. The attack, which starts with a malicious attachment disguised as a top secret US document, weaponizes TeamViewer, the popular remote access and desktop sharing software, to gain full control of the infected computer. By investigating ...
- Potential Targeted Attack Uses AutoHotkey and Malicious Script Embedded in Excel File to Avoid Detection
April 17, 2019
Trend Micro discovered a potential targeted attack that makes use of legitimate script engine AutoHotkey, in combination with malicious script files. This file is distributed as an email attachment and disguised as a legitimate document with the filename “Military Financing.xlsm.” The user would need to enable macro for it to open fully, which would use ...
- Source code of Iranian cyber-espionage tools leaked on Telegram
April 17, 2019
In an incident reminiscent of the Shadow Brokers leak that exposed the NSA’s hacking tools, someone has now published similar hacking tools belonging to one of Iran’s elite cyber-espionage units, known as APT34, Oilrig, or HelixKitten. The hacking tools are nowhere near as sophisticated as the NSA tools leaked in 2017, but they are dangerous nevertheless. The tools have been ...
- Malspam Campaigns Distribute HawkEye Keylogger, Post Ownership Change
April 16, 2019
After the HawkEye malware kit underwent an ownership change and new development, researchers are spotting the keylogger used in several malicious email campaigns. The HawkEye malware kit and information-stealer has been spotted in a newfound slew of campaigns after a recent ownership change. While the keylogger has been in continuous development since 2013, in December a thread ...
- Scranos: New Rapidly Evolving Rootkit-Enabled Spyware Discovered
April 16, 2019
A new powerful rootkit-enabled spyware operation has been discovered wherein hackers are distributing multifunctional malware disguised as cracked software or trojanized app posing as legitimate software like video players, drivers and even anti-virus products. While the rootkit malware—dubbed Scranos—which was first discovered late last year, still appears to be a work in progress, it is continuously evolving, ...
- This malware campaign is targeting the military with phony emails from a defence contractor
April 16, 2019
The Ukrainian government and military is being targeted with spear-phishing attacks as part of a cyber-espionage operation based around dropping powerful malware. These phishing attacks have been detailed by researchers at cybersecurity firm FireEye, who identified malicious emails being sent to Ukrainian military departments in January this year. The malware is being sent, presumably, with the aim of monitoring ...