Threat Detection Update 11-June-2024 | Stamus Networks (2024)

The Week in Review from Stamus Labs

Welcome to the weekly threat detection update report from Stamus Networks. Each week, you will receive this email with a summary of the updates.

Current Stamus Threat Intelligence (STI) release version: 1069

This week, in addition to daily ruleset and IOC updates, we provided Stamus Security Platform customers with the following improved defense(s):

New threat detection(s) added [1]: 3 (PocoProxy, CCoreDoor, PhantomNet)
Major changes to detections(s) [2]: 178
Updated threat detection(s) [3]: 211

Note: a "method" as referenced below, is a discrete detection vector for a given threat.

PocoProxy (Generic CnC)

Sophos identified the use of previously unreported malware we call CCoreDoor (concurrently discovered by BitDefender) and PocoProxy, as well as an updated variant of EAGERBEE malware with new capabilities to blackhole communications to anti-virus (AV) vendor domains in the targeted organization’s network. Other observed malware variants include NUPAKAGE, Merlin C2 Agent, Cobalt Strike, PhantomNet backdoor, RUDEBIRD malware, and the PowHeartBeat backdoor. Sophos

PocoProxy - Sophos |

Total number of detection methods: 3
Kill chain phase(s): command and control

CCoreDoor (Backdoor)

CCoreDoor - Sophos |

Total number of detection methods: 3
Kill chain phase(s): command and control

PhantomNet (Backdoor)

PhantomNet - Sophos |

Total number of detection methods: 28
Kill chain phase(s): command and control
MITRE ATT&CK: T1587

The following detections were updated this past week with changes to kill chain phase(s) or MITRE ATT&CK tactic(s)/technique(s):

Balada (Backdoor)

An estimated one million WordPress websites have been compromised during a long-lasting campaign that exploits "all known and recently discovered theme and plugin vulnerabilities" to inject a Linux backdoor that researchers named Balad Injector.

The campaign has been running since 2017 and aims mostly to redirect to fake tech support pages, fraudulent lottery wins, and push notification scams. Bleepingcomputer

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): exploitation, command and control
Methods added: 3

Cobalt Strike (Pentest Tools)

Cobalt Strike is a commercial, full-featured, penetration testing tool which bills itself as “adversary simulation software designed to execute targeted attacks and emulate the post-exploitation actions of advanced threat actors”. Cobalt Strike’s interactive post-exploit capabilities cover the full range of ATT&CK tactics, all executed within a single, integrated system.

In addition to its own capabilities, Cobalt Strike leverages the capabilities of other well-known tools such as Metasploit and Mimikatz. MITRE

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, actions on objectives, exploitation, delivery
Methods added: 3

Command and Control (Generic CnC)

Adversaries may communicate using a custom command and control protocol instead of encapsulating commands/data in an existing Standard Application Layer Protocol. Implementations include mimicking well-known protocols or developing custom protocols (including raw sockets) on top of fundamental protocols provided by TCP/IP/another standard network stack.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, actions on objectives, delivery, installation
Methods added: 3

Fake Browser (Trojan)

Attackers are utilizing hacked web sites that promote fake browser updates to infect targets with banking trojans. In some cases, post exploitation toolkits are later executed to encrypt the compromised network with ransomware.

Between May and September 2019, FireEye has conducted multiple incident response cases where enterprise customers were infected with malware through fake browser updates.

Hacked sites would display these "fakeupdates" through JavaScript alerts that state the user is using an old version of a web browser and that they should download an offered "update" to keep the browser running "smoothly and securely".

bleepingcomputer

Added kill chain phase(s): exploitation
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): delivery, exploitation
Methods added: 12

Keitaro (Phishing)

Cyber criminals violated the law TDS (Traffic Direction System) platform Keitaro and used it to redirect them users in exploit kits RIG and Fallout in order to infect them with malicious software.

TDS platforms are designed for redirection of users in particular sites. Legitimate TDS platforms, such as Keitaro, are mainly used by individuals and companies that want to advertise services or their products. Platforms drive users to the pages that companies want, targeting specific customers and promoting an ad campaign. techbizweb

Added kill chain phase(s): exploitation
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): exploitation, delivery, command and control
Methods added: 10

Lumma (Data Theft)

Lumma is an information stealer written in C, sold as a Malware-as-a-Service by LummaC on Russian-speaking underground forums and Telegram since at least August 2022. Lumma's capabilities are those of a classic stealer, with a focus on cryptocurrency wallets, and file grabber capabilities. Malpedia

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control, installation
Methods added: 42

MageCart (Data Theft)

FIN6(Magecart) is a cyber crime group that has stolen payment card data and sold it for profit on underground marketplaces. This group has aggressively targeted and compromised point of sale (PoS) systems in the hospitality and retail sectors. MITRE

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control, delivery
Methods added: 51

Mustang Panda (APT)

Mustang Panda is a China-based cyber espionage threat actor that was first observed in 2017 but may have been conducting operations since at least 2014. Mustang Panda has targeted government entities, nonprofits, religious, and other non-governmental organizations in the U.S., Germany, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam, among others. MITRE

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
Methods added: 9

Parrot TDS (Trojan)

Parrot TDS acts as a gateway for further malicious campaigns to reach potential victims. In this particular case, the infected sites’ appearances are altered by a campaign called FakeUpdate (also known as SocGholish), which uses JavaScript to display fake notices for users to update their browser, offering an update file for download. The file observed being delivered to victims is a remote access tool. Avast

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
Methods added: 3

RAT Generic (RAT)

Remote Access Trojans are programs that provide the capability to allow covert surveillance or the ability to gain unauthorized access to a victim PC. Remote Access Trojans often mimic similar behaviors of keylogger applications by allowing the automated collection of keystrokes, usernames, passwords, screenshots, browser history, emails, chat lots, etc. Remote Access Trojans differ from keyloggers in that they provide the capability for an attacker to gain unauthorized remote access to the victim machine via specially configured communication protocols which are set up upon initial infection of the victim computer. This backdoor into the victim machine can allow an attacker unfettered access, including the ability to monitor user behavior, change computer settings, browse and copy files, utilize the bandwidth (Internet connection) for possible criminal activity, access connected systems, and more. Malwarebytes

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): installation, command and control, actions on objectives
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1573
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1041, T1573
Methods added: 1

SocGholish (Social Engineering)

It leverages compromised websites and performs some of the most creative fingerprinting checks we’ve seen, before delivering its payload (NetSupport RAT). Malwarebytes

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, exploitation, delivery, reconnaissance, actions on objectives
Methods added: 3

Spyder (Trojan)

In computing, a Trojan horse (or simply trojan) is any malware which misleads users of its true intent. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the deceptive Trojan Horse that led to the fall of the city of Troy.

Trojans are generally spread by some form of social engineering, for example where a user is duped into executing an email attachment disguised to appear not suspicious, (e.g., a routine form to be filled in), or by clicking on some fake advertisem*nt on social media or anywhere else. Although their payload can be anything, many modern forms act as a backdoor, contacting a controller which can then have unauthorized access to the affected computer. Trojans may allow an attacker to access users' personal information such as banking information, passwords, or personal identity. It can also delete a user's files or infect other devices connected to the network. Ransomware attacks are often carried out using a trojan.

Wikipedia

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control
Methods added: 4

TA445 (APT)

Proofpoint researchers have identified a phishing campaign originating from an email address (ukr[.]net) that appears to belong to a compromised Ukranian armed service member. This discovery comes on the heels of alerts by the Ukrainian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) and the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine about widespread phishing campaigns targeting private email accounts of Ukrainian armed service members by ‘UNC1151’, which Proofpoint tracks as part of TA445. The email observed by Proofpoint may represent the next stage of these attacks. The email included a malicious macro attachment which utilised social engineering themes pertaining to the Emergency Meeting of the NATO Security Council held on February 23, 2022. The email also contained a malicious attachment which attempted to download malicious Lua malware named SunSeed and targeted European government personnel tasked with managing transportation and population movement in Europe. While Proofpoint has not definitively attributed this campaign to the threat actor TA445, researchers acknowledge that the timeline, use of compromised sender addresses aligning with Ukrainian government reports, and the victimology of the campaign align with published TA445 tactics to include the targeting and collection around refugee movement in Europe. Proofpoint

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): delivery, command and control
Methods added: 7

TA4903 (APT)

An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy computer network threat actor, typically a nation state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.

Such threat actors' motivations are typically political or economic. To date, every major business sector has recorded instances of attacks by advanced actors with specific goals seeking to steal, spy or disrupt. These include government, defense, financial services, legal services, industrial, telecoms, consumer goods, and many more. Some groups utilize traditional espionage vectors, including social engineering, human intelligence and infiltration to gain access to a physical location to enable network attacks. The purpose of these attacks is to place custom malicious code on one or multiple computers for specific tasks.

Source: Wikipedia

Added kill chain phase(s): delivery
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): delivery
Methods added: 3

TA582 (APT)