Self-destructing Mistic backdoor linked to access broker selling corporate footholds to ransomware gangs


A new self-destructing backdoor called Mistic used in intrusions since April appears to be linked to a criminal gang that compromises corporate networks and then sells that access to ransomware groups, according to security researchers.

This backdoor, also tracked as MLTBackdoor, was first documented by Zscaler earlier this month, with the security shop suggesting the novel malware is “likely used in ransomware attacks to establish a foothold for lateral movement.”

Read more…
Source:  


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


Related:

  • Security researchers discover Linux version of Winnti malware

    May 20, 2019

    For the first time, security researchers have uncovered and analyzed a Linux variant of Winnti, one of the favorite hacking tools used by Beijing hackers over the past decade. Discovered by security researchers from Chronicle, Alphabet’s cyber-security division, the Linux version of the Winnti malware works as a backdoor on infected hosts, granting attackers access to ...

  • Mobile Risks Boom in a Post-Perimeter World

    May 16, 2019

    Cybercriminals are now taking a mobile-first approach to hacking the enterprise. Case in point, last month a half-billion Apple iOS users were stung by an attack exploiting an unpatched bug in Chrome for iOS. Crooks managed to hijack user session and redirect traffic to malicious websites booby-trapped with malware. Attacks like these demonstrate just how widespread and effective ...

  • Spam and phishing in Q1 2019

    May 15, 2019

    As per tradition, phishing timed to coincide with lovey-dovey day was aimed at swindling valuable confidential information out of starry-eyed users, such as bank card details. The topics exploited by cybercriminals ranged from online flower shops to dating sites. But most often, users were invited to order gifts for loved ones and buy medications such as ...

  • Intel CPUs Impacted By New Class of Spectre-Like Attacks

    May 14, 2019

    A new class of side channel vulnerabilities impacting all modern Intel chips have been disclosed, which can use speculative execution to potentially leak sensitive data from a system’s CPU. Intel said that the newest class of vulnerabilities, dubbed Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS), consist of four different attacks, which all ultimately depend on different ways of executing ...

  • Thrangrycat flaw lets attackers plant persistent backdoors on Cisco gear

    May 13, 2019

    A vulnerability disclosed today allows hackers to plant persistent backdoors on Cisco gear, even over the Internet, with no physical access to vulnerable devices. Named Thrangrycat, the vulnerability impacts the Trust Anchor module (TAm), a proprietary hardware security chip part of Cisco gear since 2013. This module is the Intel SGX equivalent for Cisco devices. The TAm ...

  • Two years after WannaCry, a million computers remain at risk

    May 12, 2019

    Two years ago today, a powerful ransomware began spreading across the world. WannaCry spread like wildfire, encrypting hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 150 countries in a matter of hours. It was the first time that ransomware, a malware that encrypts a user’s files and demands cryptocurrency in ransom to unlock them, had spread across ...