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RUSSIAN STATE HACKERS HIT UKRAINE WITH NEW MALWARE VARIANTS
By
BILL TOULAS
* April 20, 2022
* 06:27 AM
* 1
Threat analysts report that the Russian state-sponsored threat group known as
Gamaredon (a.k.a. Armageddon/Shuckworm) is launching attacks against targets in
Ukraine using new variants of the custom Pteredo backdoor.
Gamaredon has been launching cyber-espionage campaigns targeting the Ukrainian
government and other critical entities since at least 2014.
The actor is known for its strong focus on Ukraine, being attributed over 5,000
cyberattacks against 1,500 public and private entities in the country.
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According to a report by Symantec, who tracks the group as Shuckworm, the actor
is currently using at least four variants of the “Pteredo” malware, also tracked
as Pteranodon
The backdoor's root are in Russian hacker forums from 2016 from where
Shuckworm took it and started to develop it privately with specialized DLL
modules and features for stealing data, remote access, and analysis evasion.
RECENT ACTIVITY
Symantec’s analysts report that all the different payloads deployed against
Ukrainian targets recently performed similar tasks, but each communicates with a
different command and control server (C2) server address.
This indicates that the threat actor is using multiple different payloads that
are slightly different from one another to achieve redundancy and establish
persistence that is resistant to malware cleaning actions.
Scheduled task added for persistence (Symantec)
In all four observed variants, the threat actors use obfuscated VBS droppers
that add Scheduled Tasks and then fetch additional modules from the C2.
* Pteredo.B – Modified self-extracting 7-Zip archive containing multiple
VBScripts that focus on data collection and persistence establishment.
* Pteredo.C – VBScript-ridden variant that launches with an API hammering
process to ensure it’s not running in an analyst’s sandbox. Relies on
fetching PowerShell scripts from external sources and executing them.
PowerShell used by Pteredo.C (Symantec)
* Pteredo.D – Another obfuscated VBScript dropper that flushes DNS before it
fetches payloads, executes commands, and wipes traces of early infection
stages.
* Pteredo.E – Another variant featuring a mix of the features of the previous
three, such as heavy obfuscation and API hammering.
Other tools employed and abused in recent Shuckworm attacks include the UltraVNC
remote access tool, and the Microsoft Process Explorer for handling the DLL
module processes.
SIMILARITIES TO JANUARY CAMPAIGN
By looking into Shuckworm's activity against Ukrainian targets from January
2022, it is easy to conclude that the tactics of the threat group haven't
shifted significantly.
In those previous attacks, Pteredo backdoor variants were dropped using VBS
files hiding inside DOC file attachments on spear-phishing emails.
The 7-Zip self-extracting binaries that minimize user interaction were also used
in January, while UltraVNC and Process Explorer abuse was also spotted.
While Shuckworm/Gamaredon is a rather sophisticated group, its toolset and
infection tactics have not improved in recent months, allowing for easier
detection and simpler defense tactics.
Pteredo backdoor is still under active development, though, and the threat group
could work at an overhauled and much more potent or stealthy version of the
malware, as well as modify their attack chain.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Ukraine: Russian Armageddon phishing targets EU govt agencies
Ukraine says local govt sites hacked to push fake capitulation news
OldGremlin ransomware gang targets Russia with new malware
Sandworm hackers fail to take down Ukrainian energy provider
Hackers use Conti's leaked ransomware to attack Russian companies
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BILL TOULAS
Bill Toulas is a technology writer and infosec news reporter with over a decade
of experience working on various online publications. An open source advocate
and Linux enthusiast, is currently finding pleasure in following hacks, malware
campaigns, and data breach incidents, as well as by exploring the intricate ways
through which tech is swiftly transforming our lives.
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COMMENTS
* AMIGO-A - 20 MINUTES AGO
*
*
You need to fix the link to the "Symantec Analyst Report" article
https://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/shuckworm-intense-campaign-ukraine
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