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Advisories

Threat Intelligence Bulletin: 06/04/2021 - 06/10/2021

|by Alpha Team

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Breach Disclosure: Nameless Malware

Between 2018 and 2020 a previously unseen strain of Trojan malware infected over 3 million computers running Windows Operating Systems, and stole over 1.2 terabytes of personal information including credentials for multiple platforms, text files, images, documents, cookie data, and autofill data.

Recommendations

  • Enable 2-factor authentication for all of your organizational accounts to help mitigate phishing and credential stuffing attacks
  • If not already enabled, turn on the compromised credentials rule for all relevant entities and ensure relevant emails are entered for those entities, or reach out to [email protected] for assistance
  • If one of your entities receives an alert, ZeroFOX recommends immediate password changes for the affected account
  • Review network logs for potential signs of compromise and data egress.
  • Enforce administrative or application control restrictions to prevent unauthorized installation of software or media

Details

Custom trojan malware designed to steal victim data is easily available within various underground marketplaces and forums, for as little as $100. The malware is often hidden within "cracked" or hacked versions of commercial software and computer games which can be downloaded from piracy sites or torrent platforms.

By AngelHack, 03/31/21 03:57 PM in [Software] - malware, exploits, bundles, crypts
Hello everyone 🖐️🤙 present to your attention my own malware development

Some product info:

    Native stealer
    Collecting data from all Chromium-based browsers
    Grabber for cookies, passwords, forms, maps from browsers
    Still all pc information, screenshot
    Data collection Outlook, Pidgin, Thunderbird, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox,
    Session collection: Telegram, 2FA, ProtonVPN, NordVPN,
    Collecting files from the desktop (.txt)
    Collect all psi data (+)
    Parsing from device memory
    Block double logs
    Complete PC information
    Anti CIS
    Clipper has compatibility with over 40 cryptocurrencies
    Clipper has non detects (permanent FUD) supported by us

Stealer build weight - 210kb
Clipper build weight - 24kb

Logs are sent to your FPT server, which guarantees complete security of your logs
Clients of our malware have access to a daily free Crypt for the entire service life of the software.

Figure 1: Text from thread post advertising "stealer" malware on an underground Russian forum.

Figure 2: Screenshot of thread post

In total, 1.2 terabytes of data was stolen and sent to the attackers consisting of:

  • 26 million login credentials (emails or usernames, and passwords), for just under 1 million websites.
  • Over 6 million files from victims desktop and Downloads folders.
  • 2 billion cookies and session tokens, which potentially provide direct access to accounts.
  • Credentials, payment and autofill data from over 48 applications, including web browsers.

Microsoft Patch Tuesday 06/08/2021 Notes

This advisory addresses and summarizes the latest vulnerabilities published by Microsoft this Patch Tuesday and highlights the most notable vulnerabilities that may impact our customers.

Recommendations

  • Keep up to date with the most recent vulnerabilities impacting you in our Vulnerabilities tab. Contact your account manager for more information.
  • Be sure to apply patches promptly to mitigate these and other vulnerabilities.

Details

Highlights:
Microsoft's Patch Tuesday update for June 2021 contained 50 vulnerabilities in total, with:

  • 1 vulnerability rated as Critical
  • 35 vulnerabilities rated as High
  • 14 vulnerabilities rated as Medium

Most notable vulnerabilities

Microsoft has reported six zero-day vulnerabilities that are currently under active attack, while three are publicly known at the time of release. In a report released by Kaspersky, the two vulnerabilities, CVE-2021-31955 and CVE-2021-31956 were used in attacks by a new threat actor group known as PuzzleMaker.
However, at the time of reporting, no publicly available proof-of-concepts were found.

CVE-2021-33742
CVE-2021-33742 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, caused by an error in the MSHTML platform. By persuading a victim to open specially-crafted content, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system with privileges of the victim.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows RT 8.1
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems

CVE-2021-31955
CVE-2021-31955 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a local authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by a flaw in the Kernel. By executing a specially-crafted program, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information and then use this information to launch further attacks against the affected system.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core Installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems

CVE-2021-31956
CVE-2021-31956 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a local authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by a flaw in the NTFS component. By executing a specially-crafted program, an authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows RT 8.1
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core Installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems

CVE-2021-33739
CVE-2021-33739 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by a flaw in the DVM Core Library. By executing a specially-crafted program, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges on the system.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core Installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems

CVE-2021-31201
CVE-2021-31201 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a local authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by a flaw in the Enhanced Cryptographic Provider. By executing a specially-crafted program, an authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows RT 8.1
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core Installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems

CVE-2021-31199
CVE-2021-31199 is a flaw in Microsoft Windows that could allow a local authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by a flaw in the Enhanced Cryptographic Provider. By executing a specially-crafted program, an authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges.

The following products are impacted:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
  • Windows RT 8.1
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
  • Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core Installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems

Other Microsoft Vulnerabilities Other notable Microsoft vulnerabilities include CVE-2021-31968, which is a denial of service flaw in Windows Remote Desktop Services. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed but hasn’t been seen in attacks.

Users are advised to apply the latest security patches specified in Microsoft's June Patch Tuesday Update and follow the mitigations and workarounds to best protect themselves from the risks of these and other vulnerabilities.


Increase of new Ransomware products in wake of Colonial Pipeline incident

Since the recent Colonial Pipeline incident, and the introduction of additional powers and US laws targeting cybercriminals, popular Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) schemes have drastically changed their operating model. Many programs have now moved to private or closed access programs, only allowing vouched affiliates to be able to purchase and use their ransomware. In the wake of these changes, ZeroFOX has observed multiple new RaaS offerings being posted to deep and dark web underground forums, offering cheap, open access to new ransomware programs and affiliate schemes from authors looking to fill the gap created in this market.

Standing Intelligence Requirements

PII & Fraud

Deep Dark Web

For the most up to date list of ZeroFOX Threat Research’s Intelligence Requirements, please visit:
https://cloud.zerofox.com/alpha_team/advisories/14956

Recommendations

  • Ensure antivirus and intrusion detection software is up-to-date with all patches and rule sets
  • Segment critical network resources using zero-trust configurations
  • Maintain regularly scheduled backup routines, including off-site storage and integrity checks
  • Limit file egress by size and type
  • Disable macros whenever possible
  • Avoid opening unsolicited attachments and never click suspicious links
  • Enable 2-factor authentication for all of your organizational accounts
  • If not already enabled, turn on the compromised credentials rule for all relevant entities and ensure relevant emails are entered for those entities, or reach out to [email protected] for assistance
  • Reach out to your ZeroFOX account manager or [email protected] if you need help setting up monitoring, configuration or want more information about the associated website

Details

During the advent of ransomware, variants such as "BitLocker" were purely designed to infect, spread, and encrypt a network and its assets. Once complete, a ransom would be requested in the form of digital currency in order to restore and decrypt the victims files. However, over the course of 2020-2021 there has been a shift in tactics being utilised by ransomware operators. Popular ransomware and RaaS products currently include extra capabilities to evade detection, increase impact, and exfiltrate victim data. This has a compounding effect on the victim in that not only must a ransom be paid to restore their files, but also if they fail to pay, their files will be sold or "leaked" to the public.
This type of tactic has paid dividends for ransomware operators, allowing them to bring in over $350 million in 2020.

Alongside the authors of ransomware however, are a string of additional operators and users of their software. This can range from affiliates, resellers, and access brokers which will sell credentials or direct access to a company, in order for ransomware to be deployed. These associates will generally be given a portion of the ransom payment if successful.

Since the recent ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, many popular RaaS products have shifted to a closed access model, where new affiliates must be vouched for by an existing affiliate. Authors have also placed bans on affiliates targeting certain geographical locations or verticals, in an effort to reduce the potential for being targeted by law enforcement.

Figure 1: REvil post on a popular Russain criminal forum, announcing ban on affiliates targeting specific industries.

However, in response, less scrupulous malware authors have taken the opportunity to begin creating, advertising, and selling new Ransomware-as-a-Service offerings in order to fill the gap created in the RaaS market. ZeroFOX has observed several new RaaS affiliate schemes and authors offering their services on criminal marketplaces and forums, some specifically calling out the recent events as their motivation.

Camelvalley Ransomware

#1Today, 09:37 AM
Since the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, there are only few ransomwares out there. All RaaS went private only. And the Locker discussion has been banned nearly everywhere. Except there. So, i'll propose you a deal you can't refuse!
The Camelvalley Ransomware comes out with plenty of interesting features, and even a solid Anti-Ransomware protection bypass that makes your cyberattack even more easier. The main goal of this project is to let you use less time on working on the ransomware itself and focus more on the evasion and hacking.

What we offer you:

-Multithreaded encryption and Memory Mapped Files
-Rsa 2048+ChaCha20 encryption
-Configurable Mutex Name, Ransom Note, and Extension.
-Dynamic and Static evasion
-RIPlace to bypass ransomware protection
-Automatic spreading(may not always work)
-Shadowcopies deletion.
-Each build is different.

Each build: 150 USD.

You're an experienced seller? You're welcome!

We agree on reselling. If you can sell your product in other places, to other people, we can offer you a discount. But you should prove yourself an experienced seller.

Figure 2: Screenshot and text from "Camelvalley Ransomware" author

In the above post from an underground forum aimed at the selling and distribution of malware, the actor claims the main goal of his project for users is "less time on working on the ransomware itself and focus more on the evasion and hacking". The actor is willing to sell each build of the ransomware for $150, and is accepting resellers. The same author has been seen on multiple forums offering to sell their ransomware product.

M3rcury - FUD advanced ransomware

The M3rcury ransomware is a ransomware written entirely from scratch, which uses a unique multi-pass piecewise encryption mechanism for evade anti-ransomware

Features
Removal of backups
Hybrid RSA AES-256 encryption
UAC bypass
Sandbox Detection
Evasion of heuristic analysis
Heavy obfscuation
Scantime packed and crypted
Encryption mechanism to defeat anti-ransomware detection
Working on windows 7/10

Encryption mechanism:
M3rcury goes through all files on the system and encrypts only part of them. Then it goes through all files again and again until all are fully encrypted. This is useful for evading anti-ransomware because it will have encrypted many more files before detected as opposed to a traditional ransomware. It also causes more damage faster as critical information of a file is often near the header.

What you will recieve
Attacker side decryption source code written in golang
Copy of the main ransomware executable in both 32 and 64 bit
Your unique private key for victim decryption
Access to all future updates!

Note: This is not RaaS you recieve 100% of your ransoms! Smile

Payload size is 1.7 MB

Pricing
€ 170 / $ 207

Accept Monero and BTC but Monero is alot preferred

You can contact us via PM or [REDACTED]

Please use our PGP key to communicate

Figure 3: Screenshot and text from "M3rcury Ransomware" author

Many ransomware authors try to differentiate their offering based on attributes of their ransomware product, and if it is "FUD" (Fully UnDetected). Not all operators follow the Ransomware-as-a-Service model either, instead opting for one time payments and not taking any portion of the ransom payments.

As more popular ransomware and RaaS offerings begin to close their doors to new affiliates and users, ZeroFOX assesses with HIGH likelihood that an increasing number of malware authors will continue to develop new ransomware products in order to fulfil the demand for low cost, easy access ransomware programs.


Breaking News: 2021-06-04 - 2021-06-10

Attackers scan for unpatched VMware vCenter servers, PoC exploit available

Threat actors are actively scanning for Internet-exposed VMware vCenter servers unpatched against a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability impacting all vCenter deployments. Security researchers have also developed and published a proof-of-concept (PoC) RCE exploit code targeting this critical VMware vCenter bug tracked as CVE-2021-21985. VMware released a patch for CVE-2021-21985 on 25 May 2021 and also warned customers to patch their systems immediately, hinting at the possibility of incoming ransomware attacks targeting unpatched and exposed Center servers. Unauthenticated attackers can remotely exploit the security flaw in low complexity attacks which don't require user interaction. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to take over an organization's entire network, seeing that IT teams and admins use VMware vCenter servers to manage VMware solutions deployed across enterprise environments.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/attackers-scan-for-unpatched-vmware-vcenter-servers-poc-exploit-available/

Google to Let Android Users Opt-Out to Stop Ads From Tracking Them

Google is tightening the privacy practices that could make it harder for apps on Android phones and tablets to track users who have opted out of receiving personalized interest-based ads. Google is expected to completely cut off developers' access to Advertising IDs, showing a string of zeros in its place. When a user opts out of interest-based advertising or ads personalization, the advertising identifier will not be available. Unlike Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy that requires users to opt-in before apps can begin tracking them across other apps and websites, Google will let users opt-out completely of all tracking for all apps.

See the full report here: https://thehackernews.com/2021/06/google-to-let-android-users-opt-out-to.html

Phishing uses Colonial Pipeline ransomware lures to infect victims

The recent ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline inspired a threat actor to create a new phishing lure to trick victims into downloading malicious files. The emails are targeted and tailored as urgent notifications to download and install a system update that would defend against the latest ransomware strains. The fake emails use the Colonial Pipeline attack as an example of the devastating consequences a ransomware incident can have on an organization. The attackers used Cobalt Strike, a legitimate penetration-testing tool that has been abused by bad actors since its source code was leaked in late 2020, to compromise computer systems.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/phishing-uses-colonial-pipeline-ransomware-lures-to-infect-victims/

Windows 10 KB5003214 update causes taskbar display glitches - BleepingComputer

Microsoft released the optional Window 10 KB5003214 preview update so that users and the enterprise can test the fixes coming in the mandatory June 2021 Patch Tuesday updates. The latest Windows 10 2004, 20H2, and 21H1 preview update is causing display issues and glitches on the taskbar's system tray. The bug found could be fixed by uninstalling the KB5003214 preview update.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-10-kb5003214-update-causes-taskbar-display-glitches/

Massive spam campaign promotes online casinos with misleading emails - BleepingComputer

An online spam campaign conducted by affiliates of online casinos is bombarding users with misleading emails stating they won the 'Grand Prize,' that a large cash payout is ready, or that the recipient needs to confirm their account. It is advisable that if you receive these types of emails, simply mark them as spam so that your email provider's spam filters will be trained to recognize them in the future.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/massive-spam-campaign-promotes-online-casinos-with-misleading-emails/

GitHub's new policies allow removal of PoC exploits used in attacks - BleepingComputer

GitHub officially announced that repositories created to host malware for malicious campaigns, act as a command and control server, or are used to distribute malicious scripts, will be prohibited as per their new policy. However, the uploading of PoC exploits and malware are permitted if they have a dual-user purpose i.e positive sharing of new information and research while at the same time can also be used for malicious purposes.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/githubs-new-policies-allow-removal-of-poc-exploits-used-in-attacks/

US charges woman over malware attacks - The Canberra Times

A Latvian woman has been charged in the United States with developing malicious software used by a cybercrime digital network that infected computers worldwide and looted bank accounts of millions of dollars. She was charged as part of a 47-count indictment with taking part in a cybercrime organization known as the Trickbot Group, which authorities say operated in Russia and several other countries.

See the full report here: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7284638/us-charges-woman-over-malware-attacks/

Hackers Exploit Zero-day in the Fancy Product Designer Plugin - Security Boulevard

Fancy Product Designer, a WordPress plugin installed on over 17,000 sites, has been discovered to contain a critical file upload vulnerability that's being actively exploited in the wild to upload malware onto the sites that have the plugin installed. Wordfence's threat intelligence team, which discovered the flaw, said it reported the issue to the plugin's developer on May 31. While the flaw has been acknowledged, it's yet to be addressed.

See the full report here: https://securityboulevard.com/2021/06/hackers-exploit-zero-day-in-the-fancy-product-designer-plugin/

MTA Says Hackers Breached Its Systems In April But No Threat Was Posed To Public - CBS New York

According to the reports, the MTA says the breach had zero impact on customers, and a forensic audit found no evidence any accounts or compromised or any employee information was breached, but the hack has exposed vulnerabilities in our nation’s largest transportation network. The transit authority says it was alerted by federal authorities, including the FBI, on April 20 that the MTA was among several agencies targeted in a widespread hacking campaign.

See the full report here: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/06/02/mta-hacked/

Apparent ransomware attack targets Cox Media Group, owner of Fox 13 in Memphis - Commercial Appeal

NBC News reported an apparent ransomware computer attack targeting Cox Media Group, an Atlanta-based company that owns radio and TV stations across the country, including WHBQ Fox 13 in Memphis. Employees at ABC affiliate WFTV in Orlando and NBC affiliate WPXI in Pittsburgh were told Thursday by managers to shut down company computers and phones.

See the full report here: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/2021/06/05/apparent-ransomware-attack-targets-owner-fox-13-tv-memphis/7533311002/

New Evil Corp ransomware mimics PayloadBin gang to evade US sanctions - BleepingComputer

A new PayloadBIN ransomware has been discovered by the security researchers which when installed, append the .PAYLOADBIN extension to encrypted files and leave a ransom note named 'PAYLOADBIN-README.txt'. Researchers are now attributing this ransomware to the Evil Corp cybercrime gang by stating that the adversary is rebranding to evade sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-evil-corp-ransomware-mimics-payloadbin-gang-to-evade-us-sanctions/

Apache Pizza warns customers it has suffered data breach - The Irish Times

Apache Pizza has been hit by a data breach that may have compromised personal data shared with the company. The takeaway chain, which has more than 150 outlets in the Republic, said the breach was limited to delivery information and did not concern customers’ bank or credit card details.

See the full report here: https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/apache-pizza-warns-customers-it-has-suffered-data-breach-1.4585828

Justice Department elevates ransomware attacks to the same priority as terrorism - SiliconANGLE News

The U.S. Department of Justice has elevated investigations into ransomware and given them a similar priority as terrorism, according to a June 3 report from Reuters. The decision comes after attacks on Colonial Pipeline Co. and JBS S.A. The former caused fuel shortages on the East Coast of the U.S. and the latter resulted in beef shortages in both North America and Australia.

See the full report here: https://siliconangle.com/2021/06/06/justice-department-elevates-ransomware-attacks-priority-terrorism/

Super Mario Kart Developer Level Editor Restored By Hacker - Screen Rant

A hacker restored the original Super Mario Kart level editor. During a massive data breach suffered by Nintendo last year, a scrapped level editor for Super Mario Kart was discovered amongst the files and has since been resurrected for Nintendo fans to try for themselves.

See the full report here: https://screenrant.com/super-mario-kart-level-editor-restored-hacker/

Google fined €220 million for abusing dominant role in online ads - BleepingComputer

The French competition authority has fined Google €220 million for abusing its dominant position in online advertising and favoring its services to the disadvantage of its publishers and competitors. The investigation into Google's unfair digital advertising practices started after a complaint from News Corp Inc., Le Figaro group, and the Rossel La Voix group.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-fined-220-million-for-abusing-dominant-role-in-online-ads/

US recovers most of Colonial Pipeline's $4.4M ransomware payment - BleepingComputer

The US Department of Justice has recovered the majority of the $4.4 million ransom payment paid by the Colonial Pipeline to the DarkSide ransomware operation. On May 7th, Colonial Pipeline suffered a DarkSide ransomware attack that forced them to shut down their fuel pipeline operation. This shutdown led to temporary gas shortages on the east coast as people began to rush to stock up on gasoline.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-recovers-most-of-colonial-pipelines-44m-ransomware-payment/

Google, Facebook, Chaos Computer Club join forces to oppose German state spyware

German government to allow the police to deploy malware on any target's devices, and force the tech world to help them, has run into some opposition, funnily enough. In an open letter this month, the Chaos Computer Club, along with Google, Facebook, and others, said they are against proposals to dramatically expand the use of state trojans, aka government-made spyware, in Germany.

See the full report here: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/06/07/in_brief_security/

CISA Warns Criminals Seek to Exploit Critical VMware Bug

The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published an advisory to confirm it is aware of the likelihood that attackers are attempting to exploit CVE-2021-21985. This is a remote code execution vulnerability in the VMware vCenter Server and VMware Cloud Foundation. VMware patched the flaw on May 25 alongside CVE-2021-21986 and grouped the two under a critical security advisory.

See the full report here: https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/cisa-warns-criminals-seek-to-exploit-critical-vmware-bug/d/d-id/1341224

Novel ‘Victory’ Backdoor Spotted in Chinese APT Campaign

An ongoing surveillance operation has been uncovered that targets a Southeast Asian government, researchers said, using a previously unknown espionage malware. According to Check Point Research, the attack involves spear-phishing emails with malicious Word documents to gain initial access, along with the exploitation of older, known Microsoft Office security vulnerabilities. But most notable, researchers said, is the novel backdoor, which they said has been in development by a Chinese APT for at least three years.

See the full report here: https://threatpost.com/victory-backdoor-apt-campaign/166700/

Adobe issues security updates for 41 vulnerabilities in 10 products - BleepingComputer

Adobe has released a giant Patch Tuesday security update release that fixes vulnerabilities in ten applications, including Adobe Acrobat, Reader, and Photoshop. In total, there were 41 vulnerabilities fixed. While there were no known actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, Adobe advises customers to update to the latest versions as soon as possible.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/adobe-issues-security-updates-for-41-vulnerabilities-in-10-products/

Security researcher says attacks on Russian government have Chinese fingerprints – and typos, too

A Security researcher said that an APT group was found inside Russian government systems. A joint report published by Russian entities stated that the attacks in 2020 were made using malware named “Mail-O” and the attackers might have used cloud storage services provided by Russian companies Yandex and Mail.ru Group. The malware is used by a threat actor ‘TA428’ who has a history of attacking Russian and south-east Asian targets and is credibly assessed as having Chinese origins.

See the full report here: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/06/09/mail_o_malware_maybe_chinese/

Most mobile finance apps vulnerable to data breaches

An Intertrust report reveals that most financial apps have at least one serious vulnerability that could lead to a data breach. The study’s overall findings suggest that while the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the world’s shift to digital financial channels, mobile financial application security can be easily broken by cybercriminals, putting both financial organizations and their customers' data at risk.

See the full report here: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/06/09/mobile-finance-apps/

Windows 10 targeted by PuzzleMaker hackers using Chrome zero-days - BleepingComputer

Kaspersky security researchers discovered a new threat actor dubbed PuzzleMaker, who has used a chain of Google Chrome and Windows 10 zero-day exploits in highly-targeted attacks against multiple companies worldwide. The attacks coordinated by PuzzleMaker were first spotted during mid-April when the first victims' networks were compromised. The threat actors used an elevation of privilege exploit custom-tailored to compromise the latest Windows 10 versions by abusing an information disclosure vulnerability in the Windows kernel (CVE-2021-31955) and a privilege escalation bug (CVE-2021-31956).

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/windows-10-targeted-by-puzzlemaker-hackers-using-chrome-zero-days/

Intel fixes 73 vulnerabilities in June 2021 Platform Update - BleepingComputer

Intel has addressed 73 security vulnerabilities as part of the June 2021 Patch Tuesday, including high severity ones impacting some versions of Intel's Security Library and the BIOS firmware for Intel processors. Among the security updates released today, Intel addressed five high severity vulnerabilities impacting the Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/0 (VT-d) products, the BIOS firmware for some Intel processors, and the Intel Security Library. They have also patched 11 other high severity security vulnerabilities impacting Intel NUCs, Intel Driver and Support Assistant (DSA), Intel RealSense ID, Intel Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Open Programmable Acceleration Engine (OPAE) driver for Linux, and Intel Thunderbolt controllers. Users are advised to update to the latest firmware version provided by the system manufacturer that addresses these issues.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/intel-fixes-73-vulnerabilities-in-june-2021-platform-update/

Microsoft Patch Tuesday Fixes 6 In-The-Wild Exploits, 50 Flaws

Microsoft has addressed 50 vulnerabilities in this month’s Patch Tuesday update, issuing fixes for CVEs in Microsoft Windows, .NET Core and Visual Studio, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based and EdgeHTML), SharePoint Server, Hyper-V, Visual Studio Code – Kubernetes Tools, Windows HTML Platform, and Windows Remote Desktop. Five of the CVEs are rated Critical and 45 are rated Important in severity. Microsoft reported that six of the bugs are currently under active attack, while three are publicly known at the time of release. The six CVEs under active attack in the wild include four elevation of privilege vulnerabilities, one information disclosure vulnerability and one remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.

See the full report here: https://threatpost.com/microsoft-patch-tuesday-in-the-wild-exploits/166724/

Google fixes sixth Chrome zero-day exploited in the wild this year - BleepingComputer

Google has released Chrome 91.0.4472.101 for Windows, Mac, and Linux to fix 14 security vulnerabilities, with one zero-day vulnerability exploited in the wild and tracked as CVE-2021-30551. The zero-day vulnerability is a type confusion bug in V8, Google's open-source and C++ WebAssembly and JavaScript engine. Google has confirmed that an exploit for CVE-2021-30551 exists in the wild. The fixed version has started rolling out worldwide and will become available to all users over the next few days.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-fixes-sixth-chrome-zero-day-exploited-in-the-wild-this-year/

Microsoft warns of cryptomining attacks on Kubernetes clusters - BleepingComputer

Microsoft has warned of an ongoing series of attacks compromising Kubernetes clusters running Kubeflow machine learning (ML) instances to deploy malicious containers that mine for Monero and Ethereum cryptocurrency. The attacks had started towards the end of May when Microsoft security researchers observed a sudden increase in TensorFlow machine learning pod deployments. This indicates that the attackers scanned those clusters in advance and maintained a list of potential targets, which were later attacked at the same time.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-warns-of-cryptomining-attacks-on-kubernetes-clusters/

Stealthy Gelsemium cyberspies linked to NoxPlayer supply-chain attack - BleepingComputer

ESET researchers have linked a stealthy cyberespionage group known as Gelsemium to the NoxPlayer Android emulator supply-chain attack that targeted gamers earlier this year. The hacking group's activity was initially discovered in 2014 involving Operation TooHash and is known to target governments, religious organizations, electronics manufacturers, and universities from East Asia and the Middle East.

See the full report here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/stealthy-gelsemium-cyberspies-linked-to-noxplayer-supply-chain-attack/

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