Qbot is Back and Causing Digital Chaos Once Again 

malware, Ophtek, Qbot, Ransomware, spear phishing, , , ,
06
Jun 2023

It appears that you can’t keep a good piece of malware down as Qbot, first seen over 15 years ago, has reared its ugly head once again. 

Qbot was discovered in the late 2000s and, since then, has gone through numerous developments to keep pace with modern IT systems. Also known as Qakbot, this malware has strong capabilities to cause damage, a scenario which can be attributed to its longevity as a threat vector. Qbot has a habit of suddenly emerging after a period of inactivity and its most recent spike in activity was seen at the end of 2022. With a long history of stealing data and being used to deliver further malware, Qbot is a threat which could easily target your IT infrastructure. 

What Does Qbot Consist Of? 

Historically, and still to this day, Qbot has been used to steal login credentials by logging keystrokes and giving remote access to threat actors. Alongside this, it has also been used to download additional malware – such as ransomware – and hijacking email threads. Now, you may not be familiar with email hijacking, but it’s important you’re aware of what this is. 

Qbot is a sneaky piece of malware, and this is most readily demonstrated by its ability to hijack email threads. This is basically when it jumps into your email threads and messes with the messages. It does this to try and trick you into thinking you’re having a genuine conversation. This technique makes you more likely to click on a malicious link. It’s most effective in a work environment where people are used to communicating frequently via email. Qbot has been deploying this attach method regularly since 2020 and has been highly successful. 

How Much of a Threat is Qbot? 

Given its longevity, it should come as no surprise that Qbot is successful. However, Qbot is, in fact, the most prevalent malware currently active in the digital landscape. Therefore, you’re more likely to be infected by Qbot than any other piece of malware. It’s a serious feather in the cap for the developers behind Qbot’s latest incarnation, but it spells trouble for most PC users. This means it’s crucial that you know how to defend your IT systems. 

Staying Safe From Qbot 

The threat from Qbot is very real, but you can strengthen your IT defenses by employing the following best practices: 

  • Always install updates: make sure you install all updates as soon as they become available. Qbot thrives upon vulnerabilities in software, such as the Follina exploit, so keeping everything updated is an easy way to secure your network. It may feel time consuming for what is a small step, but allowing automatic updates ensures it makes a big difference in the long run.
  • Beware of phishing emails: email hijacking is very similar to spear phishing in that it attempts to trick your employees into clicking malicious links. Accordingly, you should you encourage your team to take their time and double-check emails for things like strange links and unusual writing styles. Even a quick 10-second check of an email will reduce your risk of being compromised. 
  • Backup: Qbot is often used to distribute ransomware and, as we know, ransomware can often rob you of your data. Often, it won’t even return your data if you pay the ransom fee. Therefore, protecting your data with regular and multiple backups is essential. With backups readily available, you will be able to navigate away from the threat actors and simply restore your data. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals. 

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Windows Update Being Used to Deliver Malware

anti malware, Lazarus, Ophtek, Security, spear phishing, Updates, , , , ,
08
Feb 2022

Updates are crucial for protecting your PC, so Windows Update is a useful ally in this objective. But what happens when it starts downloading malware?

News has emerged that hackers have exploited the Windows Update system to execute malicious code on users’ PCs. It’s an attack which is typical of hackers as it’s innovative, deceptive and dangerous. Currently, the perpetrators of the attack appear to be Lazarus, a hacking group who are backed by North Korea. Dozens of cyberattacks have been attributed to Lazarus – such as the ThreatNeedle hack – over the last decade, so it should come as no surprise that this latest attack is a serious threat.

At Ophtek, we’ve always advised you that updates are the best way to protect your PC. And this remains the case. However, this exploit of the Windows Update service provides a cautionary tale, so we’re going to take a closer look at it.

Why is Windows Update Downloading Malware?

Lazarus have chosen the Windows Update client as a facilitator in its attack as it’s a highly trusted piece of software. After all, the main consensus of updates is that they protect your PC, so why suspect Windows Update of anything else? However, it’s this type of assumption which leads to threats developing.

This latest attack employs a spear-phishing technique which uses infected Microsoft Word documents, these false email attachments claim to be offering job opportunities at the aerospace firm Lockheed Johnson. However, far from containing opportunities for the recipients, these infected documents only contain opportunities for Lazarus. Once the Word documents are opened, users are prompted to activate macros. And this allows Lazarus to automatically install a fake Windows Update link in the PCs startup folder as well as downloading a malicious .dll file.

This Windows Update link is then used to load the malicious .dll through the Windows Update client. The hackers use this approach as it’s innovative and won’t get picked up by anti-malware tools. Lazarus are then free to download as much malware as they like onto the infected PC.

How to Protect Your PCs Against this Threat

You may think that the simplest way to protect yourself is by turning off Windows Update, but we do not recommend this. The best approach involves ensuring that Windows Update can’t be exploited by Lazarus’ attack methods. And this requires you to understand the techniques involved in spear-phishing, so make sure you practice the following:

  • Awareness: the most important step you can take in tackling spear-phishing is by introducing awareness to your employees. Make sure that regular training is provided to educate your staff on what spear-phishing is and the ways in which it can manifest itself on a PC.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Defense Companies Under Attack from ThreatNeedle

Hackers, macros, Ophtek, spear phishing, threatneedle, Updates, , , , ,
13
Apr 2021

Defense firms in over a dozen countries have found themselves targeted by a new backdoor threat named as ThreatNeedle. And it’s hitting firms hard.

The last thing that a defense firm wants is for their networks to be breached. Not only does it damage their reputation as a defense firm, but it puts significant data at risk. Hackers, of course, love to cause trouble, so a defense organization is the perfect target. But the hackers behind the ThreatNeedle malware are more than just a minor hacking group. The threat is believed to come from Lazarus, a secretive hacking group with ties to the North Korean government.

As this is a major threat we’re going to put ThreatNeedle under the microscope for a closer look.

What is ThreatNeedle?

ThreatNeedle takes a spear phishing approach to begin its campaign and does this by faking email addresses that look as though they belong to the target company. This move, which is relatively easy with an email server and the right software, allows the victims to be lulled into a false sense of security. This scenario is then exploited by embedding malicious links or attaching infected documents. Often, these emails have been laced with a COVID-19 theme in order to fully engage the user, but any subject may be used to rush the recipient into action.

The attackers, once the ThreatNeedle payload has been unleashed, are then able to take control of the victim’s PC. Naturally, this means that they will carry out typical hacking attacks such as:

  • Executing remote commands to run applications and download further malware
  • Send workstations into hibernation mode to disrupt IT activities
  • Log data and transmit to a remote PC where it can be archived and exploited

However, ThreatNeedle also has an innovative ace up its sleeve. Generally, if a network is segmented then malware will be limited to the segment it infects. This limits the amount of damage that can be caused to an entire network. So, for example, a set of PCs which are not connected to a network by the internet should be safe from all hacks. Unfortunately, ThreatNeedle is able to take advantage of IT department’s administrator privileges. This grants them the opportunity to access all segmented areas of a network. And it maximizes the damage they can cause.

How Do You Protect Against ThreatNeedle?

As with all malware, you don’t have to fall victim to ThreatNeedle. You just need to keep your wits about you and understand its threat. You can do this by carrying out the following:

  • Educate Staff on Phishing Emails: It’s important that your staff are fully trained on the dangers of phishing emails. Social engineering is a popular technique employed by hackers, but it can be thwarted if you know what to look for.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Twitter Learns a Lesson in Spear Phishing

Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, spear phishing, Twitter, , ,
11
Aug 2020

Even the biggest tech companies are at risk of having their networks breached. Twitter, with 330 million users, is huge, but far from immune from hackers.

A recent spear phishing attack on Twitter managed to generate headlines around the world and seriously disrupt the platform’s service. The attack, which was carried out by three young men aged between 17 – 22, was remarkable in its scope and its execution. It was an unexpected breach of Twitter’s defenses and one which defied their technological prowess. But there was more to this attack than just disruption. There was also a financial sting in the tail.

You may not run a social media company, but it’s likely that your organization has a presence in this sphere. Therefore, it’s important to understand what happened.

Twitter is Breached

On the 15th July, a number of high-profile and verified Twitter accounts were taken over by hackers. The hackers used this control to not only access the accounts’ private message systems, but also download their data. Most dramatically, however, the accounts were used to post links to a Bitcoin scam. This scam claimed that if users sent Bitcoins to a specific account they would double their money. But this was far from true. Instead, the hackers made off with more than $100,000 in Bitcoin.

How did this Attack Take Place?

The Twitter breach was a textbook case of spear phishing, a strategy which involves targeting individuals and encouraging them to reveal confidential data. Graham Clark, one of the accused hackers, conducted a social engineering campaign to pass himself off as a member of Twitter’s IT team. A genuine Twitter employee fell for this deceptive ploy and handed over a set of credentials for Twitter’s customer service portal. These credentials allowed Clark and his fellow hackers to gain instant access to accounts such as Joe Biden, Elon Musk and Apple.

Lessons to be Learned

Twitter, upon discovering this attack, took immediate action by suspending all verified accounts. However, the damage had already been done and Twitter was left extremely embarrassed. Social engineering is, of course, a powerful hacking technique. And, if it’s pursued and executed numerous times, it will eventually pay off. But this doesn’t mean you are defenseless. You can easily protect your systems by reinforcing the following points:

  • Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Requesting a set of credentials to gain access to a system is a powerful defense. But requesting multiple sets of credentials is even better. And that’s why multi-factor authentication is so important. Rather than relying on just a username/password combination, it can also request a unique pin number generated to a registered phone number.
  • Understand the Spear Phishing Signs: It’s important to educate your staff on the signs of spear phishing.  Suspicious phone calls and emails requesting confidential information, for example, should immediately be challenged. It only takes a minute or two to contact a user on their direct phone or email to verify the request, so don’t fall victim to rushed demands.
  • Always Patch Your Systems: Operating systems are regularly issuing updates to address new and emerging phishing techniques. Therefore, a network which has all its software fully updated should be secure. However, many firms are guilty of leaving patches to the last minute due to time concerns. And it’s this complacency which allows hackers to get a foothold in your systems.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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