SambaSpy Targets Italian PC Users with Phishing Emails

banking_trojans, BBTok, Brazil, Italy, malware, Mekotio, Ophtek, phishing_email, SambaSpy, , , , , , , ,
15
Oct 2024

Italian PC users have become the target of SambaSpy, a new strain of malware which appears to originate from Brazil and employs phishing emails.

First detected by Kaspersky in May 2024, SambaSpy currently only seems to have targeted PC users in Italy. This is unusual as threat actors tend to focus their attacks on a more global range to maximize potential victims. However, it’s being speculated that SambaSpy may be using Italy as a test run before going global. Regardless of its future plans, SambaSpy utilizes a multifunctional attack, and can log keystrokes, harvest data, take screenshots, download files, and take control of process management on infected PCs.

With its strong range of weaponry, SambaSpy represents a significant threat to PC users and needs investigating further.

Say Ciao to SambaSpy

The SambaSpy attack originates within a phishing email, one which contains either an embedded link or an HTML attachment. Once the HTML attachment has been activated, one of either a malware dropper or downloader is executed from a ZIP archive. The malware dropper will load the main payload of SambaSpy from the same ZIP archive whereas the downloader will retrieve it from a remote server. The dropper is used to retrieve the malware payload from a remote location. The embedded link route sends users on a convoluted journey to a malicious site hosting the downloader or dropper.

Once SambaSpy is fully activated, it has the potential to launch all of the attack threats previously mentioned. Therefore, it’s capable of compromising every single activity taking place on your PC. SambaSpy is also clever enough to load plugins when an infected PC starts up, this allows it to shape and change its activities as required. Also of note is that SambaSpy will actively seek out web browsers in order to steal data, putting login credentials and financial information at risk of being harvested.

The attack is believed to have originated from a Brazilian threat actor as one of the malicious webpages involved features JavaScript code with Brazilian Portuguese comments. A number of recent banking trojans – including BBTok and Mekotio – have recently targeted Latin American users with phishing scams, so there may be a connection between these and SambaSpy.

Navigating the Threat of SambaSpy

While SambaSpy has only been detected in Italy, this could change very quickly as the malware becomes more powerful and widespread. Therefore, to safeguard your PCs against this and other similar threats, you need to keep your team up to date with these best practices:

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

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SmokeLoader Trojan Used to Deliver Phobos Ransomware 

anti-malware tools, offline backups, Ophtek, Phobos ransomware, SmokeLoader, social engineering, Trojans, , , , , ,
09
Jan 2024

Be aware, your files are under threat from a new variant of the Phobos ransomware. And it’s being distributed by threat actors using the SmokeLoader trojan.  

The Phobos ransomware was first detected in 2017 and, since then, has gone on to be used in numerous cyber-attacks. This new variant, however, is slightly different and more sophisticated than previous incarnations. The threat actors behind the new variant are believed to be the same team behind the 8Base ransomware syndicate, a powerful cybercrime operation. 

As you know, any form of ransomware is dangerous, but one which is as clever and cunning as Phobos requires special attention. Luckily, Ophtek are here to provide you with all the advice you need. 

The SmokeLoader Campaign 

The SmokeLoader trojan is typically used to deliver the 8Base team’s variant of Phobos. A trojan is employed as the launchpad as Phobos, on its own, does not have the capability to breach a PC’s defenses. SmokeLoader operates by disguising itself within spam email campaigns and relies on social engineering techniques to unleash its malicious payload. Once SmokeLoader has been activated, it begins loading the Phobos ransomware. 

And Phobos presents a very persistent and effective threat. It starts by identifying target files and automatically ends any processes which are accessing the files. From here, Phobos’ next step is to disable the PC’s system recovery tool, which ensures the victim is unable to roll back their PC to a pre-infection stage. Finally, before encrypting any files, Phobos makes a point of deleting any backups and shadow copies. Rest assured that Phobos doesn’t want to give you any chance of retrieving your files without paying a ransom. 

What’s notable about this strain of Phobos is its encryption speed. Instead of fully encrypting all files, it only focuses on completing this on files under 1.5MB in size. Anything over this file size is only partially encrypted. Phobos alerts its victims to its encryption activities by issuing a ransom note on the infected system. This ransom note explains that the only way to decrypt the files is by making a payment in Bitcoin. And this payment is dependent on how quickly contact is made. 

Staying Safe from SmokeLoader and Phobos 

The financial damages arising from ransomware continue to rise and rise, so it’s crucial that you keep one step ahead of these attacks. The best way to stay safe is by following these best practices: 

  • Understand social engineering: the Phobos attack, and many other ransomware attacks, are only able to initiate themselves due to victims falling for social engineering scams. Therefore, it’s vital your staff understand what social engineering is and how to combat it. For example, if an email sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And the best thing to do with a suspicious email is to take a deep breath and think long and hard before clicking any links. 

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

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ZuoRAT Malware: A New Threat to Routers

malware, Ophtek, router, security, Trojans, Updates, ZuoRAT Malware, , , , , , ,
05
Jul 2022

Small businesses rely on routers to keep themselves and their customers connected. But this relationship could now be at risk due to the ZuoRAT malware.

For online communication to work, data needs to move from one computer network to another. And this is exactly what a router does. By directing traffic across the internet, a router can be used to deliver emails, transfer files and stream videos between PCs. Without a router, you simply won’t be able to send or receive data. So, as you can see, they’re an essential part of any small organization’s IT network. Unfortunately, this is the type of IT necessity which hackers love to interfere with. And the ZuoRAT malware does this with a disturbingly sophisticated ease.

The Lowdown on ZuoRAT

ZuoRAT is a strain of malware which takes advantage of vulnerabilities in routers produced by the popular manufacturers Cisco, Netgear, DrayTek and Asus. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, ZuoRAT can access local area networks (LAN) and harvest network traffic from the infected devices. This information is then transmitted to a remote ‘command and control’ server, so, for example, any login credentials which pass through your router will be transmitted to the hacker’s server.

However, ZuoRAT doesn’t stop at hijacking LAN traffic; it downloads additional malware in the form of two further remote access trojans (RAT). These RATs are used to infect devices connected to the network and facilitate the spread of the infection even further. This could, in theory, lead to the infected network being converted into a botnet or, worse still, allow the spread of ransomware across the network.

Although ZuoRAT is relatively new, it has been active in the digital wild since April 2020, and this has given it plenty of time to exploit a wide range of routers. It’s also important to point out that ZuoRAT made its debut at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that it targets SOHO (small office/home office) routers, ZuoRAT was perfectly placed to attack employees who were working at home with limited IT support. As a result, it has been presented with an opportunity to steal sensitive data with relative ease.

Protecting Your Network from ZuoRAT

Due to the way in which it was designed – a custom build through the complex MIPS architecture – ZuoRAT is not detected by conventional anti-malware software. Therefore, if you own a router made by the affected manufacturers, it’s crucial that you make sure the associated software is up-to-date and fully patched. As ever, monitoring network traffic is a smart move as this will allow you to flag up any suspicious activity.

Final Thoughts

Threats such as ZuoRAT present numerous problems to organizations, most notably due to their multi-pronged attack strategy and stealthy nature. However, it also demonstrates a perfect example of why you need to manage updates relating to your IT equipment. Implementing an upgrade strategy which takes advantage of automated processes has never been more important.

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

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Emotet: A Clever and Dangerous Brand of Malware

Emotet, malicious code, malware, Security, Security Threats, Trojans, , , , ,
11
Dec 2018

There’s no such thing as good malware, but some is certainly less trouble than others. And, when it comes to the Emotet malware, some are very dangerous.

First discovered in Europe in 2014, Emotet soon began to spread around the world and, before long, was infecting PCs in the US. Comprising several different functions and methods of attack, Emotet is a type of malware which has persisted in the digital landscape due to its constant evolution. Taking advantage of user errors and vulnerable systems, the hackers behind Emotet have managed to infect huge numbers of systems over the last four years. And it would appear that those who are coding Emotet are getting even cleverer.

Due to the severity of Emotet, and the lessons you can learn from it, I’m going to take you through the basics of Emotet.

What is Emotet?

Emotet is known as a banking Trojan due to the way it specializes in stealing user credentials including banking data as well as numerous other credentials. This is achieved by the injection of malicious code into infected computers which allows Emotet to transmit sensitive information.

As with numerous other brands of malware, Emotet delivers its payload through a combination of malicious URLs and infected attachments. Key to spreading the Emotet malware throughout a network is the way that Emotet takes advantage of the EternalBlue vulnerability, an exploit which affects unpatched versions of Windows XP through to Windows 7.

There is, however, more to Emotet than just stealing sensitive data. Adding another string to its bow, Emotet is also responsible for downloading other types of malware to infected PCs. These can include further banking Trojans such as TrickBot or modules as diverse as Outlook address book grabbers and spambots.

Why is Emotet So Clever?

The hackers behind Emotet are highly talented and this is why Emotet is so difficult to detect. Dedicated to their software, the hackers regularly update the code behind Emotet and this is then communicated to compromised systems. This change in Emotet’s DNA allows it, therefore, to remain undetected. Just as security experts believe they had identified the key signature of Emotet, they’re faced with a new variant which renders their work redundant.

New research has also revealed that Emotet’s Command and Control (C&C) server is split into two separate clusters. By designing their C&C server in this manner, the hackers can ensure that the source of Emotet is harder to track down. Additionally, this split of the C&C server allows Emotet to keep functioning if either of the clusters suffers a technical issue. For authorities, disabling this setup is highly difficult and underlines why Emotet has been so successful.

How Do You Protect Your PC from Emotet?

It’s important to protect your organization from malware at all times and variants such as Emotet are the perfect demonstration of why it’s crucial. So, if you want to maximize your defenses, make sure you follow these best practices:

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

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