Security News

Feds: APTs Have Tools That Can Take Over Critical Infrastructure
2022-04-14 15:57

Threat actors have built and are ready to deploy tools that can take over a number of widely used industrial control system devices, which spells trouble for critical infrastructure providers-particularly those in the energy sector, federal agencies have warned. In a joint advisory, the Department of Energy, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Agency and the FBI caution that "Certain advanced persistent threat actors" have already demonstrated the capability "To gain full system access to multiple industrial control system/supervisory control and data acquisition devices," according to the alert.

APT group has developed custom-made tools for targeting ICS/SCADA devices
2022-04-14 14:10

Just a few days after news of attempted use of a new variant of the Industroyer malware comes a warning from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Certain APT actors have exhibited the capability to gain full system access to multiple industrial control system/supervisory control and data acquisition devices. These tools may allow attackers to compromise and control Schneider Electric programmable logic controllers, OMRON Sysmac NEX PLCs, and Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture servers.

China APT group using Russia invasion, COVID-19 in phishing attacks
2022-03-28 16:30

A China-based threat group is likely running a month-long campaign using a variant of the Korplug malware and targeting European diplomats, internet service providers and research institutions via phishing lures that refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 travel restrictions. The ongoing campaign was first seen in August 2021 and is being tied to Mustang Panda - a Chinese APT unit also known as TA416, RedDelta and PKPLUG - due to similar code and common tactics, techniques and procedures used by the group in the past, according to researchers with the cybersecurity firm ESET. Mustang Panda is known for targeting governmental entities and non-governmental organizations, with most of its victims being in East and Southeast Asia.

Chinese APT Combines Fresh Hodur RAT with Complex Anti-Detection
2022-03-24 14:08

The Chinese advanced persistent threat Mustang Panda has upgraded its espionage campaign against diplomatic missions, research entities and internet service providers - largely in and around Southeast Asia. For one thing, the APT has deployed a brand-new, customized variant of an old but powerful remote-access tool called PlugX, according to researchers from ESET. They named this latest variant "Hodur," after a blind Norse god known for slaying his thought-to-be-invulnerable half-brother Baldr.

Chinese APT Hackers Targeting Betting Companies in Southeast Asia
2022-03-24 06:16

A Chinese-speaking advanced persistent threat (APT) has been linked to a new campaign targeting gambling-related companies in South East Asia, particularly Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong....

DarkHotel APT Targets Wynn, Macao Hotels to Rip Off Guest Data
2022-03-18 18:53

A DarkHotel phishing campaign breached luxe hotel networks, including Wynn Palace and the Grand Coloane Resort in Macao, a new report says. An advanced persistent threat group has been targeting luxury hotels in Macao, China with a spear-phishing campaign aimed at breaching their networks and stealing the sensitive data of high-profile guests staying at resorts, including the Grand Coloane Resort and Wynn Palace.

Sandworm APT Hunts for ASUS Routers with Cyclops Blink Botnet
2022-03-18 17:17

The modular botnet known as Cyclops Blink, linked to the same advanced persistent threat behind the NotPetya wiper attacks, is expanding its device targeting to include ASUS routers. "Our investigation shows that there are more than 200 Cyclops Blink victims around the world. Typical countries of infected WatchGuard devices and ASUS routers are the United States, India, Italy, Canada, and a long list of other countries, including Russia."

Researchers Find New Evidence Linking Kwampirs Malware to Shamoon APT Hackers
2022-03-15 05:41

New findings released last week showcase the overlapping source code and techniques between the operators of Shamoon and Kwampirs, indicating that they "Are the same group or really close collaborators." "Research evidence shows identification of co-evolution between both Shamoon and Kwampirs malware families during the known timeline," Pablo Rincón Crespo of Cylera Labs said.

Russian Ransomware Gang Retool Custom Hacking Tools of Other APT Groups
2022-03-14 05:48

A Russian-speaking ransomware outfit likely targeted an unnamed entity in the gambling and gaming sector in Europe and Central America by repurposing custom tools developed by other APT groups like Iran's MuddyWater, new research has found. The unusual attack chain involved the abuse of stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to the victim network, ultimately leading to the deployment of Cobalt Strike payloads on compromised assets, said Felipe Duarte and Ido Naor, researchers at Israeli incident response firm Security Joes, in a report published last week.

Russian APTs Furiously Phish Ukraine – Google
2022-03-09 14:07

While Russia is fighting a physical war on the ground against Ukraine, advanced persistent threat groups affiliated with or backing Vladimir Putin's government are ramping up phishing and other attacks against Ukrainian and European targets in cyberspace, Google is warning. There have been a recent spate of distributed denial-of-service attacks against Ukrainian government sites, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as key services that help Ukrainians find information, such as Liveuamap, according to Google TAG. China's Mustang Panda also has joined the fray, using the war in Ukraine to target European entities with lures related to the Ukrainian invasion in a recent phishing campaign.