Stealthy BLOODALCHEMY Malware Targeting ASEAN Government Networks

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered that the malware known as BLOODALCHEMY used in attacks targeting government organizations in Southern and Southeastern Asia is in fact an updated version of Deed RAT, which is believed to be a successor to ShadowPad. "The origin of BLOODALCHEMY and Deed RAT is ShadowPad and given the history of ShadowPad being utilized in numerous APT

From PDFs to Payload: Bogus Adobe Acrobat Reader Installers Distribute Byakugan Malware

Bogus installers for Adobe Acrobat Reader are being used to distribute a new multi-functional malware dubbed Byakugan. The starting point of the attack is a PDF file written in Portuguese that, when opened, shows a blurred image and asks the victim to click on a link to download the Reader application to view the content. According to Fortinet FortiGuard Labs, clicking the URL

China-linked Hackers Deploy New 'UNAPIMON' Malware for Stealthy Operations

A threat activity cluster tracked as Earth Freybug has been observed using a new malware called UNAPIMON to fly under the radar. "Earth Freybug is a cyberthreat group that has been active since at least 2012 that focuses on espionage and financially motivated activities," Trend Micro security researcher Christopher So said in a report published today. "It has been observed to

Russian Hackers Use 'WINELOADER' Malware to Target German Political Parties

The WINELOADER backdoor used in recent cyber attacks targeting diplomatic entities with wine-tasting phishing lures has been attributed as the handiwork of a hacking group with links to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which was responsible for breaching SolarWinds and Microsoft. The findings come from Mandiant, which said Midnight Blizzard (aka APT29, BlueBravo, or

New Variant of DLL Search Order Hijacking Bypasses Windows 10 and 11 Protections

Security researchers have detailed a new variant of a dynamic link library (DLL) search order hijacking technique that could be used by threat actors to bypass security mechanisms and achieve execution of malicious code on systems running Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows 11. The approach "leverages executables commonly found in the trusted WinSxS folder and exploits them via the classic DLL

New PoolParty Process Injection Techniques Outsmart Top EDR Solutions

A new collection of eight process injection techniques, collectively dubbed PoolParty, could be exploited to achieve code execution in Windows systems while evading endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems. SafeBreach researcher Alon Leviev said the methods are "capable of working across all processes without any limitations, making them more flexible than existing process

Beware: Malicious Google Ads Trick WinSCP Users into Installing Malware

Threat actors are leveraging manipulated search results and bogus Google ads that trick users who are looking to download legitimate software such as WinSCP into installing malware instead. Cybersecurity company Securonix is tracking the ongoing activity under the name SEO#LURKER. “The malicious advertisement directs the user to a compromised WordPress website gameeweb[.]com, which redirects the

Quasar RAT Leverages DLL Side-Loading to Fly Under the Radar

The open-source remote access trojan known as Quasar RAT has been observed leveraging DLL side-loading to fly under the radar and stealthily siphon data from compromised Windows hosts. "This technique capitalizes on the inherent trust these files command within the Windows environment," Uptycs researchers Tejaswini Sandapolla and Karthickkumar Kathiresan said in a report published last week,

China-Linked Bronze Starlight Group Targeting Gambling Sector with Cobalt Strike Beacons

An ongoing cyber attack campaign originating from China is targeting the Southeast Asian gambling sector to deploy Cobalt Strike beacons on compromised systems.  Cybersecurity firm SentinelOne said the tactics, techniques, and procedures point to the involvement of a threat actor tracked as Bronze Starlight (aka Emperor Dragonfly or Storm-0401), which has been linked to the use of short-lived 

Dragon Breath APT Group Using Double-Clean-App Technique to Target Gambling Industry

An advanced persistent threat (APT) actor known as Dragon Breath has been observed adding new layers of complexity to its attacks by adopting a novel DLL side-loading mechanism. "The attack is based on a classic side-loading attack, consisting of a clean application, a malicious loader, and an encrypted payload, with various modifications made to these components over time," Sophos researcher

Chinese and Russian Hackers Using SILKLOADER Malware to Evade Detection

Threat activity clusters affiliated with the Chinese and Russian cybercriminal ecosystems have been observed using a new piece of malware that's designed to load Cobalt Strike onto infected machines. Dubbed SILKLOADER by Finnish cybersecurity company WithSecure, the malware leverages DLL side-loading techniques to deliver the commercial adversary simulation software. The development comes as