Midnight Blizzard conducts large-scale spear-phishing campaign using RDP files


Since October 22, 2024, Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed Russian threat actor Midnight Blizzard sending a series of highly targeted spear-phishing emails to individuals in government, academia, defense, non-governmental organizations, and other sectors.

This activity is ongoing, and Microsoft will continue to investigate and provide updates as available. Based on our investigation of previous Midnight Blizzard spear-phishing campaigns, we assess that the goal of this operation is likely intelligence collection. Microsoft is releasing this blog to notify the public and disrupt this threat actor activity. This blog provides context on these external spear-phishing attempts, which are common attack techniques and do not represent any new compromise of Microsoft.

Read more…
Source: Microsoft


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • Security researchers find solid evidence linking Industroyer to NotPetya

    October 11, 2018

    Malware analysts from Slovak cyber-security firm ESET have found substantial evidence that links cyber-attacks performed against Ukraine’s power grid to the same group behind the NotPetya ransomware outbreak of June 2017. The link is not a direct one, but through a third malware strain that was spotted in an unrelated hacking operation in April this year. Researchers ...

  • New Drupalgeddon Attacks Enlist Shellbot to Open Backdoors

    October 11, 2018

    Drupalgeddon 2.0 vulnerability is being exploited again by attackers using a time-honored technique of Shellbot, or PerlBot. Researchers are warning of a new wave of cyberattacks targeting unpatched Drupal websites that are vulnerable to Drupalgeddon 2.0. What’s unique about this latest series of attacks is that adversaries are using PowerBot malware, an IRC-controlled bot also called ...

  • Innovative Phishing Tactic Makes Inroads Using Azure Blob

    October 10, 2018

    A brand-new approach to harvesting credentials hinges on users’ lack of cloud savvy. A fresh tactic for phishing Office 365 users employs credential-harvesting forms hosted on Azure Blob storage – signed with legitimate Microsoft SSL certificates to lend an air of legitimacy. Azure Blob Storage is a cloud storage solution for hosting unstructured data such as images, ...

  • Over nine million cameras and DVRs open to APTs, botnet herders, and voyeurs

    October 9, 2018

    Millions of security cameras, DVRs, and NVRs contain vulnerabilities that can allow a remote attacker to take over devices with little effort, security researchers have revealed today. All vulnerable devices have been manufactured by Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology Co., Ltd.(Xiongmai hereinafter), a Chinese company based in the city of Hangzhou. But end users won’t be able to tell that ...

  • PoC Attack Escalates MikroTik Router Bug to ‘As Bad As It Gets’

    October 7, 2018

    A new hacking technique used against vulnerable MikroTik routers gives attackers the ability to execute remote code on affected devices. The technique is yet another security blow against the MikroTik router family. Previous hacks have left the routers open to device failures, cyptojacking and network eavesdropping. The hacking technique, found by Tenable Research and outlined on ...

  • Fallout Exploit Kit Now Installing the Kraken Cryptor Ransomware

    October 4, 2018

    The Fallout Exploit has been distributing the GandCrab Ransomware for the past few weeks, but has now switched its payload to the Kraken Cryptor Ransomware. Kraken Cryptor is a Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) that is actively being distributed by affiliates. As this is an affiliate system, we are seeing different bad actors distributing the ransomware using a variety ...