In this post, Unt 42 researchers look at the types of embedded payloads that attackers leverage to abuse Microsoft OneNote files. Our analysis of roughly 6,000 malicious OneNote samples from WildFire reveals that these samples have a phishing-like theme where attackers use one or more images to lure people into clicking or interacting with OneNote files.
The interaction then executes an embedded malicious payload. Since macros have been disabled by default in Office, attackers have turned to leveraging other Microsoft products for embedding malicious payloads. As a result, malicious OneNote files have grown in popularity.
Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42
Related:
- WormGPT, PoisonGPT: How generative AI can become a tool for criminals
July 15, 2023
A cybersecurity firm discovered a new generative artificial intelligence tool called WormGPT that is being sold to criminals. Another firm created a malicious generative AI tool called PoisonGPT to test how the technology can be used to intentionally spread fake news online. These tools are the latest examples of how generative AI can be used by ...
- Turkish intelligence uncovers ‘ghost’ Mossad network
July 3, 2023
After monthslong surveillance, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has exposed a “ghost” cell of 56 operatives spying on non-Turkish nationals in the country on behalf of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Documents from MIT revealed that the spies were gathering biographical intelligence on foreign nationals through an online routing method, tracking vehicle movements via GPS, hacking ...
- “.Zip” top-level domains draw potential for information leaks
June 13, 2023
As a result of Google’s announced sale of new TLDs that are also popular file extension formats, there is an increased risk with the deployment of the “.zip” domain that threat actors will develop new vectors for compromising victims. In early May 2023, Google released eight new TLDs, marketing the “.zip” domain as a way ...
- Detecting and mitigating a multi-stage AiTM phishing and BEC campaign
June 8, 2023
Microsoft Defender Experts uncovered a multi-stage adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attack against banking and financial services organizations. The attack originated from a compromised trusted vendor and transitioned into a series of AiTM attacks and follow-on BEC activity spanning multiple organizations. Read more… Source: Microsoft
- New Horabot campaign targets the Americas
June 1, 2023
Cisco Talos has observed a threat actor deploying a previously unidentified botnet program Talos is calling “Horabot,” which delivers a known banking trojan and spam tool onto victim machines in a campaign that has been ongoing since at least November 2020. The threat actor appears to be targeting Spanish-speaking users in the Americas and, based on ...
- The distinctive rattle of APT SideWinder
May 17, 2023
In February 2023, Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence team released a technical report about previously unknown phishing attacks conducted by the APT group SideWinder: Old Snake, New Skin: Analysis of SideWinder APT activity between June and November 2021. As always, Group-IB customers and partners were the first to get access to the report through the interface of ...