Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 20 - 24, 2020

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, July 20 - 24, 2020 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • July 24, 2020

The Good

The proliferation of security mishaps has pushed IT giants to rethink the security capabilities of their products to protect their customers from cyberattacks. Taking a step in this direction, Microsoft has added a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) feature in Office 365 to prevent data leaks and inappropriate data sharing. Furthermore, Google’s G Suite products have been enhanced with 11 new security features to help administrators secure their devices against unwanted intrusions.

  • Microsoft Office 365 now includes a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) feature, making it easier for organizations to prevent data leaks, inappropriate data sharing, and other similar risks. The new extension will protect sensitive data and items on Windows 10 devices.
  • Google Cloud has announced 11 new G Suite security features to help IT administrators more effectively manage and secure their devices. The updates also apply to other GSuite products: Gmail, Chat, and Meet.
  • The industry advisory panel, created as a part of Australia’s upcoming 2020 Cyber Security Strategy, has provided 60 recommendations to boost the nation’s cybersecurity. One of these recommendations is aimed at increasing the ability of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to disrupt cybercriminal activities on the dark web through offensive cyber operations.

The Bad

Talking about data breaches, five e-learning platforms leaked nearly one million records due to unsecured databases. Apart from this, hackers sold the sensitive data associated with CouchSurfing and Instacart on different hacker forums. The compromised data included personal information of their customers.

  • A group of hacktivists that goes by the online name of Ghost Squad Hackers defaced a site of the European Space Agency (ESA) for the second time in a week. The group managed to pull it off by exploiting a server-side request forgery vulnerability in the agency’s server.
  • Four misconfigured AWS S3 buckets and one unsecured Elasticsearch database belonging to five e-learning platforms leaked nearly one million records of online students. The five affected platforms were Okoo, Square Panda, Playground Sessions, MyTopDog, and Escola Digital.
  • Telecom Argentina fell victim to a ransomware attack, following which the attackers demanded a ransom of $7.5 million to unlock unencrypted files. However, the firm denied the ransom demand and sought to regain control of nearly 18,000 infected computers.
  • The week saw cases of cyberattacks on many healthcare service providers. While Lorien Health Services announced being attacked by ransomware in early June, GEDmatch confirmed a security breach that affected its website. In addition, a breach at the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services resulted in the compromise of private data of disabled Delawareans.
  • Many software providers also came under the scanner due to different security incidents this week. Cloud computing provider, Blackbaud, admitted paying a ransom to cybercriminals to regain control of data that was affected in a ransomware attack in May 2020. In addition to this, the Family Tree Maker software exposed 25GB of its users’ data due to a misconfigured Elasticsearch server. Also, smartwatch and wearable maker, Garmin, shut down its several services on July 23 to deal with a ransomware attack that encrypted its internal network and some production systems.
  • DeepSource notified all its users about a Sawfish phishing campaign that collected victims’ GitHub credentials and 2FA codes. The firm learned about the incident after one of its employees’ accounts was compromised and its GitHub app credentials were stolen.
  • An investigation into Twitter’s largest breach revealed that the perpetrators manipulated a small number of employees and used their credentials to log into internal tools and turn over access to 45 accounts. It is further postulated that the hackers could have also read direct messages to and from 36 accounts.
  • The week also witnessed the dumping of several sensitive data troves — stolen from different organizations — on the dark web. Over 270,000 accounts associated with Instacart customers were sold on two dark web forums. On the contrary, 17,000 Slack credentials stolen from roughly 12,000 Slack workspaces made to various hacker forums. CouchSurfing also disclosed a breach after hackers sold the details of 17 million users on Telegram channels and hacking forums. The data was sold at a price of $700.
  • An unsecured Amazon S3 bucket leaked nearly 1 million records of sensitive data belonging to students registered on CaptainU’s platform. The bucket contained GPA scores, ACT, SAT and PSAT scores, parents’ names, email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers.
  • A popular Asian poker site, GGPoker, took its systems offline after it suffered a DDoS attack. The firm admitted to not shielding the server with DDoS protection after migrating to a new cloud data center.
  • Twilio suffered a security breach after miscreants sneaked into its unsecured AWS S3 bucket and altered the TaskRouter v1.20 SDK to include non-malicious code.
  • The Sodinokibi ransomware group targeted Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) and stole 800GB of data that included correspondence, contracts, and other accounting details.

New Threats

The week also saw the discovery of some new and sophisticated attack methods such as Shadow, Meow, and Bad Power. While the Shadow attack leverages vulnerable PDF viewer applications, the Meow attack wiped data from over 1800 unsecured databases to highlight the underlying security issues. Meanwhile, the Bad Power attack can be used to melt components or even set devices on fire.

  • Researchers exposed a malicious cyber-operation that was carried out by 29 fake photo editing apps. These apps, downloaded 3.5 million times in total from the Google Play store, enabled their operators to compromise devices as a part of a nefarious cyber scheme named Chartreuse Blur.
  • The latest intel on Dacls trojan, which Kaspersky refers to as MATA, revealed that the trojan is capable of distributing VHD ransomware and exfiltrating data from databases. The malware is associated with the Lazarus threat actor group and has been employed against users in Poland, Germany, Turkey, Korea, Japan, and India.
  • Researchers demonstrated a new Shadow attack that affected 15 vulnerable desktop PDF viewer applications. The attack can allow threat actors to modify content in digitally signed PDF files.
  • The OilRig threat actor group returned with a new version of the RDAT backdoor. The new variant was used to target a telecom company in the Middle East.
  • The notorious Emotet trojan returned after a five-month gap to deliver QBot trojan to victims’ devices. The campaign is executed via phishing emails and is spotted targeting users in the U.S., U.K, Canada, Austria, Germany, Brazil, Italy, and Spain.
  • Researchers discovered a cryptocurrency mining malware, dubbed Prometei, that uses several techniques to spread across networks. Its primary purpose is to mine Monero cryptocurrency from the infected devices.
  • Newly discovered Meow attack wiped over 1800 unsecured Elasticsearch and MongoDB databases without leaving any explanation or even a ransom note. The operators behind the attack intend to give administrators a hard lesson in security by destroying the unsecured data.
  • A newly discovered BadPower attack can allow attackers to alter the firmware of fast charger devices to deliver extra voltage and damage connected equipment. It can further be used to melt components or even set devices on fire.
  • An analysis of over 5 million IoT, IoMT, and unmanaged devices revealed a host of security risks in them. These devices are used across a range of sectors, including healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, and retail, and are vulnerable to ransomware and other malicious attacks.

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Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

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Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

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Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

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Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

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May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

Under the hood of vulnerability management, NIST just added a sharper diagnostic tool. The new Likely Exploited Vulnerabilities metric offers deeper insight into which CVEs are likely being used in the wild, complementing EPSS with more contextual signals. Digital warfare is no longer a future threat, it's a current investment. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has unveiled a £1 billion Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks and support offensive cyber missions. With AI-driven systems like the Digital Targeting Web in development, the goal is seamless coordination across weapons platforms. A quiet but relentless campaign has been unfolding across multiple industries. The Chinese group Earth Lamia is targeting finance, government, logistics, and more by exploiting known web app vulnerabilities. APT41 hides malware commands where no one’s looking: your calendar. In a creative twist on C2 infrastructure, China-backed APT41 embedded encrypted instructions inside Google Calendar events. AyySSHush doesn’t make noise, it builds armies. More than 9,000 ASUS routers have been compromised by this botnet, which quietly slips in through a CVE-2023-39780 exploit. Fake CAPTCHA prompts are now doing more than testing if you're human—they're installing malware. EDDIESTEALER, a new Rust-based infostealer, spreads through deceptive CAPTCHA pages that trigger malicious PowerShell scripts. Threat actors are wrapping their tools in layers of obfuscation, and DOUBLELOADER is no exception. This new backdoor uses the ALCATRAZ obfuscator—once seen in the game-hacking scene—to disguise its presence. A new Go-based botnet called PumaBot is clawing its way through Linux IoT devices. It brute-forces SSH credentials, impersonates Redis files for stealth, and deploys rootkits to mine crypto and steal credentials.

May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

Operation Endgame just dealt a major blow to the ransomware supply chain. Europol led the charge in dismantling malware infrastructure tied to multiple malware families, seizing 300 servers and more. Japan has officially gone on the cyber offense. The new Active Cyberdefense Law allows preemptive strikes against foreign cyber threats. It enables traffic analysis and takedowns of hostile servers. Think twice before clicking on that Ledger update. A new macOS malware campaign is deploying fake versions of the Ledger Live app to steal cryptocurrency seed phrases. A Turkish phishing lure leads straight to SnakeKeylogger. Fake AI tools are the new phishing lures and they’re convincing. Cybercriminals cloned Kling AI’s brand through Facebook ads and spoofed websites to trick users into downloading malware. The DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) malware is making the rounds again - this time disguised as a Turkish bank email. The copyright threat in your inbox might be bait. A phishing campaign sweeping across central and eastern Europe is using fake legal complaints to deliver the Rhadamanthys Stealer. Two years of silence, 6,200 downloads later - the malware is finally found. A malicious campaign targeting JavaScript developers slipped past detection by disguising harmful npm packages as plugins for frameworks like React, Vue.js, Vite, and Quill Editor. Researchers uncovered a stealthy new backdoor paired with a Monero coinminer, using the PyBitmessage library for encrypted peer-to-peer communications.

May 16, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 12–16, 2025

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May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

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May 2, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 28–May 02, 2025

The FBI just dropped a massive breadcrumb trail. Details of 42,000 phishing domains tied to the LabHost platform have been released to help defenders investigate potential breaches. The service enabled the theft of 500,000 credit cards and over a million credentials. The takedown of JokerOTP has exposed just how far phishing has evolved. The tool was used in more than 28,000 attacks across 13 countries, tricking victims into handing over 2FA codes by mimicking trusted brands. The operation cost victims £7.5 million and has now led to serious criminal charges, thanks to a joint effort involving Europol and Dutch authorities. Malware’s now hitching a ride on Go modules. Socket has uncovered three malicious packages hiding disk-wiping payloads, designed to cause irreversible data loss, especially on Linux systems. These modules take advantage of Go’s decentralized ecosystem. In the shadows of the cybersecurity landscape, MintsLoader emerges as a formidable adversary, orchestrating a multi-faceted infection strategy that deploys the notorious GhostWeaver RAT. Some PyPI packages are doing more than importing functions. Researchers uncovered seven malicious Python packages under the “Coffin” naming scheme, using Gmail’s SMTP service as a stealthy C2 channel. Ransomware groups aren’t always the ones breaking the door open. Researchers have uncovered ToyMaker, an initial access broker selling network entry to ransomware groups. Using a custom malware strain called LAGTOY, ToyMaker establishes reverse shells and executes commands on compromised systems. New vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, collectively dubbed AirBorne, expose billions of devices to remote code execution without user interaction. Sharp and TX stealers are back, donning a new cloak - named Hannibal Stealer. It is going after credentials from browsers, crypto wallets, FTP clients, and VPN apps. It even captures Discord tokens and Steam sessions.

Apr 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 21–25, 2025

AI security finally has a global playbook. ETSI has released TS 104 223, a first-of-its-kind technical specification outlining how to secure AI systems across their entire lifecycle - from design to decommissioning. MITRE’s latest update is catching up with the cloud. ATT&CK v17 expands the framework to include ESXi and adds more than 140 defensive analytics. Platform-specific data collection advice, improved mitigation mapping, and deeper coverage of mobile threats like SIM swaps round out the upgrade. An APT group with deep roots in Southeast Asia is quietly siphoning data through everyday cloud platforms. Earth Kurma has been active since late 2020, targeting government and telecom entities across the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Signal and WhatsApp are the new frontline for cloud compromise. Russian actors are running OAuth phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365 users tied to Ukraine and human rights work. A forged email that passes every security check - that’s the new phishing trick. Attackers are using DKIM replay tactics to forward legitimate Google security alerts to unsuspecting victims. It starts with a fake sales order and ends with FormBook silently stealing your data. A recent phishing campaign has been abusing a long-patched Microsoft flaw to deliver a fileless variant of the malware. Docker containers aren’t always what they seem. A new threat named TenoBot is targeting systems running outdated Teneo Web3 node software, deploying malicious containers to hijack environments. A stealthy new RAT is slipping through Ivanti Connect Secure devices in Japan. Dubbed DslogdRAT, the malware exploits a zero-day flaw to execute commands via web shell and quietly exfiltrate data using encoded C2 traffic.

Apr 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 14–18, 2025

The U.S. is drawing a hard line on data outflows. The DOJ’s new Data Security Program aims to block foreign adversaries, specifically nations like China and Russia, from acquiring sensitive American data through commercial channels. SSL certificates are about to expire a lot faster. In a move to tighten digital trust, the CA/Browser Forum has approved a gradual reduction in certificate lifespans - from the current 398 days to just 47 by 2029. One email, three stages, and no files to catch. Agent Tesla is being deployed through spam campaigns that use archive attachments with embedded JavaScript. They look like browser helpers, but they act like spyware. A set of 57 Chrome extensions have been found snooping on users. XorDDoS is now compromising Docker servers and deploying new features tied to a “VIP” variant. Most of the recent activity is hitting U.S. infrastructure. UNC5174 is keeping a low profile, but its targets aren’t. Active since late 2024, the Chinese state-linked group has been compromising Linux systems using a malicious bash script that drops SNOWLIGHT malware and a fileless VShell RAT. A wine-tasting invite with a side of malware. APT29, the Russian state-aligned group, is targeting European diplomatic networks with phishing lures disguised as event announcements.

Apr 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 07–11, 2025

The U.K. government rolled out a Cyber Governance Code of Practice aimed at directors and board members, not just CISOs. Backed by the NCSC and other national bodies, the code includes practical actions, modular training, and a board-level toolkit. Startups building the future of cyber defense are getting serious backing. The British Business Bank has committed most of a £50 million fund to Osney Capital, which will invest in early-stage cybersecurity companies across the U.K. A torrent download might be doing more than delivering cracked software. A campaign has been distributing ViperSoftX to Korean users, likely run by Arabic-speaking threat actors. Invasive spyware campaigns are zeroing in on high-risk communities. MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR are being deployed through trojanized mobile apps to surveil Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese individuals, as well as civil society groups. Search for QuickBooks during tax season, and you might land on a trap. Threat actors are placing deceptive Google Ads that link to phishing pages almost identical to the real QuickBooks login portal. It starts with a PDF search and ends with malware on your machine. A new campaign is using fake CAPTCHAs and Cloudflare Turnstile to lure users into downloading LegionLoader. Seed phrases aren’t supposed to come from strangers. The PoisonSeed campaign is targeting crypto holders and enterprise users by compromising bulk email services. Victims are lured with fake wallet setup instructions that embed attacker-controlled recovery phrases - giving threat actors full access once the wallets are used. A Chinese-linked threat group, ToddyCat, has been exploiting a security vulnerability in ESET's software to deliver a new malware, TCESB, in Asia.