DarkGate and NetSupport Malware is Surging 

anti-malware tools, BattleRoyal, DarkGate, install updates, malicious websites, malware, NetSupport, Ophtek, Phishing Email, Windows SmartScreen, , , , , , , , ,
13
Feb 2024

A new threat actor has spent the last few months ramping up attacks involving the DarkGate and NetSupport malware, and this is set to increase further. 

The name of this new threat actor is BattleRoyal, and between September and November 2023, they launched numerous attacks. These attacks featured the DarkGate and NetSupport malware, both powerful strains of malware. DarkGate employs multiple malicious activities such as keylogging, data theft, and cryptocurrency mining. Meanwhile, NetSupport – which is a legitimate application – is being exploited and repurposed as a remote access trojan, which gives threat actors unauthorized access to IT systems. 

DarkGate and NetSupport both have the potential to cause great damage to your IT infrastructure and the security of your data. This means you need to know how to identify and deal with them. 

BattleRoyal’s Malware Campaign 

BattleRoyal appears to have launched its first wave of attacks in September 2023. This campaign involved email techniques to unleash the DarkGate malware on unsuspecting victims. At least 20 instances of this attack have been recorded, but it’s highly likely that more users were infected. Perhaps due to the noise that DarkGate was creating, BattleRoyal quickly switched its choice of weaponry to NetSupport in November. As well as using email campaigns to spread NetSupport, BattleRoyal also employed malicious websites and fake updates to infect PC users. 

DarkGate is also notable for taking advantage of a vulnerability located in Windows SmartScreen. The main objective of SmartScreen is to protect users from accessing malicious websites. However, BattleRoyal were able to work around this by using a special URL which, due to the vulnerability in SmartScreen, gave users access to a malicious website. Clearly a sophisticated threat actor, BattleRoyal had discovered this vulnerability – logged as CVE-2023-36025 – long before Microsoft acknowledged its existence. 

How to Stay Safe from BattleRoyal 

Microsoft has since launched a security patch to combat the CVE-2023-36025 vulnerability, and installing this remains the surest way to combat the activity of DarkGate. However, given that BattleRoyal has used a multi-pronged attack, with NetSupport being used to download further malware, you can’t rely on patches alone. Vigilance, as ever, is vital. Therefore, you need to practice these best security tips to prevent any infections: 

  • Beware of phishing emails: one of the most popular ways to breach the defenses of IT infrastructures involves phishing emails. Not only can these emails be used to steal confidential information through social engineering techniques, but they can also be used to direct recipients towards malicious websites and files. Therefore, it’s important that everyone in your organization can identify phishing emails. 
     
  • Always install updates: although BattleRoyal was able to identify the SmartScreen vulnerability before the availability of a patch, this doesn’t mean you should minimize the importance of updates. All updates should be installed as soon as they’re available, activating automatic updates is the best way to guarantee that your defenses are fully up-to-date. 
     
  • Use security software: reputable security software is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to protect your IT systems against malware. Capable of identifying and removing malware before it’s activated, anti-malware tools should be an essential part of your IT defenses. As well as carrying out automatic scans of your system, many of these security suites feature screening tools to warn against malicious websites and emails. 

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

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New EarlyRAT Malware Linked to North Korea Emerges 

EarlyRAT, educate, Hackers, install updates, malicious websites, malware, North Korea, Ophtek, Remote Access Trojan, Safety, , , , , , , , ,
19
Sep 2023

State-sponsored hacking remains a serious problem for PC users around the world, and the latest headline grabber – with links to North Korea – is EarlyRAT. 

A remote access trojan (RAT) is nothing new in the world of cybercrime, with the earliest examples believed to have been released in the late 1980s. However, their impact has grown significantly over the last 30 years, and this means they need to be taken seriously. There’s a culture of evolution in the world of hacking and, as a result, new RATs are always more powerful than the previous generation. And that’s why the emergence of EarlyRAT has got so many IT professionals concerned. 

What is a Remote Access Trojan? 

You may not be familiar with the ins and outs of a RAT, so we’re going to take a second to explain what they are and why they are so dangerous. A RAT is a malicious software program designed to provide unauthorized remote access and control over a targeted PC. They tend to be disguised as genuine files – this is why RATs are often distributed through phishing emails – but are nothing short of digital chaos. 

Once installed, a RAT allows attackers to gain control of the victim’s computer, and this is all carried out remotely. This allows the threat actors to steal sensitive information, monitor user activity, execute commands, and even activate the webcam or microphone to carry out surveillance. All of these dangers put the victim at risk of data theft and further cyber-attacks. 

How Does EarlyRAT Work? 

EarlyRAT was first detected by security experts at Kaspersky, who were analyzing a hacking campaign from 2022. The attack was made possible due to a flaw discovered in Log4j, a Java library used to log error messages generated by applications. This vulnerability was exploited by the Andariel hacking group, a team believed to be sponsored by North Korea. Once Log4j had been compromised, Andariel was able to download malware to the victims’ PCs. 

Part of this initial attack also included a phishing campaign, and it was here that EarlyRAT was first detected. Phishing documents, once activated, would download EarlyRAT from servers well known for having connections to threat actors. EarlyRAT’s first objective was to start logging system information and, after this, it would begin downloading additional malware, affecting the productivity of infected machines and stealing user credentials. 

Keeping Safe from EarlyRAT 

It’s important that you protect your IT infrastructure and your data, so staying one step ahead of threats like EarlyRAT is vital. To achieve this, make sure you always practice the following: 

  • Identify malicious websites: a large number of RATs are located on malicious websites, so it’s important that you know how to spot one of these. With this knowledge at your disposal, you will be able to not only identify a malicious website, but you’ll be able to realize a link is malicious before you even click it. 

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

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Office Macros Disabled: What the Hackers Did Next

email security, malicious websites, Office Macros, Ophtek, threatneedle, , , ,
09
Aug 2022

One of the best ways to infect a PC has, until now, been through Office macros. But, now that they’re disabled by default, what are the hackers going to do?

The numbers of hacks that have involved Office macros over the last 20 years is mindboggling. And they have involved some major attacks, such as ThreatNeedle, during this period. Accordingly, Microsoft decided that 2022 would be the year the security risk of macros was put to bed once and for all. This, as you would imagine, has put a major thorn in the side of hackers. Nonetheless, hackers are as determined as they are malicious. Therefore, they have had to refine their attack strategies and adopt new methods.

And it’s crucial that you know what they have up their sleeves.

How Have Hackers Adapted their Attacks?

Now the exploits offered by internet macros have been greatly diminished, hackers have evolved their techniques to maintain a sting in their tail.

Most notably, a significant rise in container-based attacks has been observed, but what are container-based attacks? Well, container files are any files which allow multiple data sources to be embedded in one file e.g. a .zip or .rar file can contain numerous files which are all compressed into one ‘container’ file. So, a threat actor could, for example, deliver a .zip file packed full of malware as an email attachment.

HTML smuggling has also been adopted as a popular alternative to Office macros. This form of attack involves a threat actor ‘smuggling’ infected scripts into web pages and/or associated HTML attachments. All it takes for the scripts to be activated on a victim’s PC is for the HTML to be loaded into their browser. Therefore, simply visiting a website is enough to download and activate malware, and the innocent party would have no idea an attack was unfolding in front of them.

Another increase in popularity has been noted in the form of infected .lnk files. These are files which act as shortcuts/links and, while they can be used to direct users to safe URLs, they have the potential to forward victims onto malicious websites and initiate unsafe downloads.

How Can You Keep Pace With These Techniques?

You may be able to breathe slightly easier now that macros have been disabled by default, but you need to remain alert. Make sure you counter the new threats above by practicing the following:

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

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Chrome Users Targeted by Malicious Websites

anti malware, Google Chrome, malicious websites, Ophtek, Security, , , ,
16
Nov 2021

Google’s Chrome browser is one of the most popular choices for accessing the internet, but this popularity makes it an enticing target for hackers.

A substantial number of business activities are conducted online in the 21st century. Accordingly, most organizations find themselves accessing the internet with a browser almost every minute of the day. But each time we venture online we open ourselves up to numerous security threats. Malicious websites, of course, are a well-known security risk. At the heart of these threats is a determined effort to conceal their malicious payload. And that’s why a malicious website can be difficult to spot.

Chrome has an estimated userbase of 2.65 billion users and, as such, presents the perfect opportunity for hackers to cast their net far and wide.

How Chrome is Targeted

This latest malware attack specifically targets Chrome users who are running the browser on the Windows 10 operating system. Upon visiting an infected website, Chrome’s legitimate ‘advertising service’ delivers an advert which claims that Chrome requires updating. However, the advert contains a malicious link. Clicking this link will take you to a website entitled ‘chromesupdate’ which is designed to look like an official Google site. Unfortunately, it’s far from genuine.

The only thing that you will be able to download from this malicious website is malware. The payload in question is typical of modern malware, its main objective is to harvest sensitive data and steal cryptocurrency. Therefore, any login credentials you enter, while your PC is infected, can be logged and then transmitted to a remote server. Worst of all, the malware also grants remote access to your workstation. This opens you up to further malware downloads and, potentially, harnessing your machine into a DDoS attack.

How to Protect Your Browsing

Chrome is targeted by this latest campaign due to the manipulation of a Windows environment variable which allows Chrome’s advertising service to be exploited. The simplest way to avoid this attack is by using a different browser. But there’s a much bigger picture at play here. A better approach is to use the browser you are most comfortable with but remain vigilant. To do this, make sure you follow these best practices:

  • Use Anti-Malware Software: Malicious websites can be detected prior to accessing them thanks to the power of anti-malware software. Backed by huge databases, which are regularly updated, anti-malware software can instantly alert users when they try to access websites known to be malicious.
  • Don’t Be Rushed: The main strategy employed by malicious websites will be to instill a sense of urgency into their call-to-actions. For example, the threat of an imminent infection if a Chrome update is not installed is designed to create urgency. And it’s this urgency which can catch you off guard. So, if you feel that a website is rushing you into making a decision, always make sure you speak to an IT professional before going any further.

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

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Malware Links Are Being Spread Through YouTube

antivirus software, malicious links, malicious websites, malware, Ophtek, Updates, YouTube, , , , , ,
02
Nov 2021

YouTube is one of the most popular destinations online thanks to the entertainment it offers. But where there are lots of people, there are always hackers.

Close to 43% of internet users visit YouTube at least once a month, so this is a significant amount of traffic. Accordingly, this presents hackers with a huge audience to target. Hacking YouTube directly is difficult, so hackers are unlikely to succeed in embedding malware into videos. However, you can embed URLs into video descriptions. These are usually used to redirect the viewer to a destination that is related to the contents of the video. For example, a video advertising a brand’s product may include a link to that product in the video description. But the truth is, this link could take you anywhere.

Spreading Malware on YouTube

Using malicious links on YouTube is nothing new, but security researchers have noted that this technique has been growing in popularity recently. In particular, two specific Trojans have been detected: Raccoon Stealer and RedLine. One of the main reasons that hackers have been targeting YouTube is down to the Google accounts they have already stolen. Setting up a YouTube channel requires you to have a Google account, so it makes sense for hackers to take advantage of YouTube.

The fake YouTube channels are then used to host videos related to topics such as VPNs, malware removal and cryptocurrency. Each video will center around a particular call-to-action, most likely involving the download of a tool e.g. a malware removal application. Viewers will be encouraged to download this from the link in the video description. These links appear to either use a bit.ly or taplink.cc address to redirect users to malicious websites. The users are then instructed to download the relevant tool. Unfortunately, all it will download is malware.

This malware is used to scan PCs for login credentials, cryptocurrency wallets and credit card details before transmitting it to a remote server. The hacker behind the attack can then harvest this data and continue to steal further data from the victim.

Remaining Vigilant Online

The number of threats we face daily seems to be rising daily and it may feel that being vigilant online is an exhausting job. However, it’s crucial for your safety that you remember the basics of online security:

  • Be Wary of All Online Links: Even the biggest and most secure websites are at risk of being compromised. YouTube is one of the most popular sites online and yet it still houses hackers in plain view. Therefore, the likelihood of coming across malicious links online is highly likely. Therefore, verify all links before clicking them. A good way to do this is by highlighting the link, copying it and then posting it into Google to see if it brings up any red flags.
  • Always Use Antivirus Software: It’s likely, at some point, that you will fall for an infected link at some point. But this doesn’t mean you should remain at the mercy of the malware. You can limit the damage caused by malware by always using antivirus software. This will automatically scan your PC throughout the day and identify any malware. In many cases it will even check all downloaded files and scan them before opening.

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

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