Malware

Decoy Dog, Too Sly to Leave DNS Traces?

Decoy Dog, a malware renowned for abusing the DNS, specifically by establishing command and control (C&C) via DNS queries, first reared its head most likely in early 2022. Given its sly nature, the DNS malware has been used to successfully steal data from organizations throughout Russia and other Eastern European nations.

A DNS Deep Dive Into Malware Crypting

Each time organizations shore up their network defenses, cybercriminals devise new and innovative ways to up the cyber attack ante. That's actually the rationale behind malware crypting - the process of making malicious programs, apps, and files appear harmless to anti-malware and intrusion detection solutions.

A DNS Deep Dive: That VPN Service May Be OpcJacker in Disguise

The more dangerous browsing the Internet becomes, the more tools to address cyber threats emerge in the market. Virtual private network (VPN) service usage, for instance, gained ubiquity due to the ever-increasing number of data privacy intrusions.

SocGholish IoCs and Artifacts: Tricking Users to Download Malware

As all initial-access threats go, SocGholish is among the trickiest. It often comes disguised as software updates, deceiving victims into downloading a malicious payload that could eventually lead to more lethal cyber attacks. In fact, researchers at ReliaQuest found evidence that an initial SocGholish malware distribution was intended to deploy ransomware.

Malware Persistence versus Early Detection: AutoIT and Dridex IoC Expansion Analysis

AutoIT-compiled malware and Dridex trace their roots to as far back as 2008 and 2014, respectively. As malware variants go, therefore, they've both had a long history and taken on various forms over time. But despite having been detected and consequently blocked with each new version, they're still alive and kicking -- a testament to their persistence.

A Call for Help May Lead to Malware: BazarCall IoC Analysis and Expansion

More sophisticated BazarCall campaigns have been circulating and delivering ransomware entry points to victims. While the bait still involves urgent notification emails about nonexistent purchases or subscriptions, the subsequent phase highlights the threat actors' manipulative skills.

Eternity’s LilithBot, Soon Available to Regular Internet Users?

Eternity, also known as the "EternityTeam" or "Eternity Project," has been active since January 2022 and tied to the Jester Group. It gained infamy for using the as-a-service subscription model to distribute its own brand of malware modules via underground forums.

Alleviating BlackEnergy-Enabled DDoS Attacks

BlackEnergy first appeared in 2007. Designed to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks or download customized spam or banking data-stealer plug-ins, it was again used to target the State Bar of Georgia last May

GALLIUM APT Group and Other Threat Actors in Disguise

Two cyber threats recently caught the attention of WhoisXML API researchers, primarily since parts of their infection chain hide behind legitimate services. This tactic is tricky for security teams because blocking the domains involved means blocking legitimate applications, too.

Both Aged and New Domains Play a Role in the NDSW/NDSX Malware Campaign

Cyber attackers typically use newly registered domains (NRDs) in their campaigns to evade detection, particularly since the implementation of privacy protection in WHOIS records. But some also use aged domains like the SolarWinds hackers to render a sense of legitimacy to their pages.