New TorNet backdoor seen in widespread campaign
Cisco Talos discovered an ongoing malicious campaign operated by a financially motivated threat actor targeting users, predominantly in Poland and Germany. The actor has delivered different payloads, including Agent Tesla, Snake Keylogger, and a new undocumented backdoor we are calling TorNet, dropped by PureCrypter malware. The actor is running a Windows scheduled task on victim machines—including on endpoints with a low battery—to achieve persistence. The actor also disconnects the victim machine from the network before dropping the payload and then connects it back to the network, allowing them to evade detection by cloud antimalware solutions. We also found that the actor connects the victim’s machine to the TOR network using the TorNet backdoor for stealthy command and control (C2) communications and detection evasion.
Qbot is Back.Connect
In addition to the new backConnect malware developed by Qbot operators, research has emerged tying zloader[4] activity to that of the BlackBasta ransomware operation. It is highly likely this new side loading backConnect malware has been or is going to be utilized to further ransomware attacks.
Inside FireScam : An Information Stealer with Spyware Capabilities
- FireScam is an information stealing malware with spyware capabilities. It is distributed as a fake ‘Telegram Premium’ APK via a phishing website hosted on the GitHub.io domain, mimicking the RuStore app store. The phishing website delivers a dropper that installs the FireScam malware disguised as the Telegram Premium application. The malware exfiltrates sensitive data, including notifications, messages, and other app data, to a Firebase Realtime Database endpoint. FireScam monitors device activities such as screen state changes, e-commerce transactions, clipboard activity, and user engagement to gather valuable information covertly. Captures notifications across various apps, including system apps, to potentially steal sensitive information and track user activities. It employs obfuscation techniques to hide its intent and evade detection by security tools and researchers. FireScam performs checks to identify if it is running in an analysis or virtualized environment. The malware leverages Firebase for command-and-control communication, data storage, and to deliver additional malicious payloads. Exfiltrated data is temporarily stored in the Firebase Realtime Database, filtered for valuable content, and later removed. The Firebase database reveals potential Telegram IDs linked to the threat actors and contains URLs to other malware specimens hosted on the phishing site. By exploiting the popularity of messaging apps and other widely used applications, FireScam poses a significant threat to individuals and organizations worldwide.
Information Stealer Masquerades as LDAPNightmare (CVE-2024-49113) PoC Exploit
In December 2024, two critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) were addressed via Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday release. Both vulnerabilities were deemed as highly significant due to the widespread use of LDAP in Windows environments: CVE-2024-49112: A remote code execution (RCE) bug that attackers can exploit by sending specially crafted LDAP requests, allowing them to execute arbitrary code on the target system. CVE-2024-49113: A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability that can be exploited to crash the LDAP service, leading to service disruptions. In this blog entry, we discuss a fake proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2024-49113 (aka LDAPNightmare) designed to lure security researchers into downloading and executing information-stealing malware.
Unidentified Threat Actor Utilizes Android Malware to Target High-Value Assets in South Asia
The team at CYFIRMA analyzed a malicious Android sample designed to target high-value assets in Southern Asia. This sample, attributed to an unknown threat actor, was generated using the Spynote Remote Administration Tool. While the specifics of the targeted asset remain confidential, it is likely that such a target would attract the interest of APT groups. However, we are restricted from disclosing further details about the actual target and its specific region. For a comprehensive analysis, please refer to the detailed report
When Guardians Become Predators: How Malware Corrupts the Protectors
We often trust our security software to stand as an unbreakable wall against malware and attacks, but what happens when that very wall is weaponized against us? Our Trellix Advanced Research Center team recently uncovered a malicious campaign that does just that. Instead of bypassing defenses, this malware takes a more sinister route: it drops a legitimate Avast Anti-Rootkit driver (aswArPot.sys) and manipulates it to carry out its destructive agenda. The malware exploits the deep access provided by the driver to terminate security processes, disable protective software, and seize control of the infected system.
China-Nexus TAG-112 Compromises Tibetan Websites to Distribute Cobalt Strike
In a recent cyber campaign, the Chinese state-sponsored threat group TAG-112 compromised two Tibetan websites, Tibet Post and Gyudmed Tantric University, to deliver the Cobalt Strike malware. Recorded Future’s Insikt Group discovered that the attackers embedded malicious JavaScript in these sites, which spoofed a TLS certificate error to trick visitors into downloading a disguised security certificate. This malware, often used by threat actors for remote access and post-exploitation, highlights a continued cyber-espionage focus on Tibetan entities. TAG-112’s infrastructure, concealed using Cloudflare, links this campaign to other China-sponsored operations, particularly TAG-102 (Evasive Panda).
FrostyGoop’s Zoom-In: A Closer Look into the Malware Artifacts, Behaviors and Network Communications
We analyze FrostyGoop malware, which targets OT systems. This article walks through newly discovered samples, indicators, and also examines configurations and network communications. We analyze FrostyGoop malware, which targets OT systems. This article walks through newly discovered samples, indicators, and also examines configurations and network communications.
ESET Distributor’s Systems Abused to Deliver Wiper Malware
ESET has launched an investigation after the systems of its official product distributor in Israel were abused to send out emails delivering wiper malware. The targeted users received an email — signed by ESET’s Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) team — informing them about government-backed attackers trying to compromise their devices.
