Babylon RAT Raises the Bar in Malware Multi-tasking
May 16, 2019 by Aaron Riley in Threat IntelligenceCiso Summary Ancient Babylon defeated its enemies with chariots, horses, and archers. Now Cofense IntelligenceTM has analyzed a phishing campaign delivering the powerful Babylon Remote Administration Tool (RAT). This malware is an open-source tool that can handle many tasks: encrypt command-and-control communication, hide from network security controls, trigger denial of service (DOS) attacks, and last but not least, steal data. Used skillfully, Babylon RAT would make the armies of Hammurabi proud. Full Details Cofense Intelligence has analyzed a phishing campaign delivering a multi-feature open source Remote Administration Tool (RAT) named Babylon RAT. Babylon RAT’s Command and Control (C2) communication is encrypted,...
Pretty Pictures Sometimes Disguise Ugly Executables
May 15, 2019 by Max Gannon in Threat IntelligenceCISO Summary Reaching deep into their bag of tricks to avoid detection, threat actors are using an oldie but goodie— packing image files (think tropical beach scenes) with malicious executables, usually a .jpg. The technique allows attackers to avoid detection by some anti-virus programs that merely recognize a file as an image, but don’t check its full contents. This vintage tactic works—threat actors still use it a lot. Anti-virus systems rely on file headers to detect malware. Tuning systems to rely less on file headers is difficult and sometimes impossible. One counter-measure that does work: educate employees not to fall...
The Cofense Phishing Defense Center Sees Threats That Most Don’t
May 8, 2019 by Marcel Feller in Cyber Incident ResponseThe CofenseTM Phishing Defense CenterTM analyzes suspicious emails reported by customers’ users and alerts their security teams when they need to take action. Because we live and breathe phishing analysis and response, and because we operate 24/7/365, we have visibility into threats most teams can’t see. Here’s a Real Example Involving Compromised Email Accounts A few months back, an organization exploring our services did a proof-of-concept trial, during which we analyzed emails its users found suspicious and reported for inspection. Soon enough, we saw emails sent from compromised email accounts within the organization. In fact, they utilized a technique known...
SMBs: 5 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Small Phish in a Big Pond
May 6, 2019 by Tonia Dudley in PhishingIn the fall of 2016, I watched a good friend get her business ready for opening in her first retail space. She had previously run everything from her home and now she was entering a whole new phase. I observed her interactions during a few visits and she knew when I gave her that “look,” there was something that needed improving. “What Wi-Fi network do you have your register assigned to in the shared retail space? You should put a password on that register device you’re using, so when you’re across the store someone can’t open your register.” The best...
Hey! I know I’ve never talked to you before – but can you send some money – QUICK!
April 22, 2019 by Tonia Dudley in PhishingBusiness Email Compromise (BEC), also known as CEO Fraud, is a type of phishing email designed to impersonate an executive. In a BEC campaign, the “executive” urgently instructs an employee to wire money, sometimes lots of money, to a bank account. The FBI reports that BEC scams hit businesses to the tune of $12.5 billion annually. What makes BEC campaigns different? In a BEC attack, the weapon of choice is simple words. Instead of tricking people into clicking a malicious link or attachment, a BEC attack tries to lure recipients into taking action. The threat actor will spend time researching...
Flash Update: Emotet Gang Distributes First Japanese Campaign
April 15, 2019 by Darrel Rendell in Threat IntelligenceCofense Intelligence™ has identified yet another change in Emotet’s behavior, this time distributing a campaign targeting Japanese-speaking recipients. The messages, which reference potentially overdue invoices and the payments thereof, deliver a macro-laden document, as per Emotet’s modus operandi. Figure one shows an example email from this campaign. Diversifying their target-base is the latest link in an ever-lengthening chain of updates and refinements being pushed by the actors behind Emotet. The targets in this campaign include Japanese academic institutions, demonstrating a keen interest in Emotet securing a presence in such networks worldwide. Appendix Subject Lines 特別請求書 三月發票 確認して承認してください。 請查看和 批准。 謝謝。...
When You Unsubscribe to these Emails, You ‘Subscribe’ to the Loda RAT
April 11, 2019 by Max Gannon in PhishingCISO Summary It’s critical that anti-phishing programs reflect the latest threats. Cofense IntelligenceTM has recently observed a phishing campaign that illustrates why. It entices users to download a malicious document from a seemingly legitimate source, an insurance company whose roots go back to 1896. Through a complex chain of abuse, including the exploitation of a legit subdomain hosted by Microsoft, this threat is capable of tricking users unfamiliar with wrinkles like multiple links to the same source and malicious “unsubscribe” links. If successful, the attack activates the Loda Remote Access Trojan, underscoring the importance of educating users to stop phishing...
Emotet Gang Switches to Highly Customized Templates Utilizing Stolen Email Content from Victims
April 9, 2019 by Jason Meurer in Threat IntelligenceBeginning the morning of April 9th, the Emotet gang began utilizing what appears to be the stolen emails of their victims. It was noted back in October of 2018 that a new module was added that could steal the email content on a victim’s machine. Up until now, no evidence of real widespread use was seen. This marks a major evolution in the way Emotet works.
DMARC Is NOT a Fail-Safe Defense against Phishing Attacks
April 4, 2019 by David Mount in PhishingDMARC, or Domain-based Authentication Reporting & Conformance, is an email authentication, policy and reporting protocol. It was conceived to prevent impersonation-based phishing attacks, but it doesn’t protect you 100%. Let’s examine why. What DMARC Can Do DMARC builds on the existing and widely deployed SPF and DKIM protocols. All mechanisms to protect the email infrastructure we so heavily rely upon should be gratefully received, but as with everything the benefits and limitations should be fully understood. It is this understanding that allows us to optimize our defenses against the perpetual menace of phishing attacks. DMARC has most promise to help...
This ‘Broken’ File Hides Malware Designed to Break Its Targets
April 2, 2019 by Max Gannon in Threat IntelligenceCISO Summary Cofense IntelligenceTM has identified a phishing campaign with a malicious attachment containing a “broken” file that actually works, in all the wrong ways. Under certain conditions, the file weaponizes in the target environment after evading both automated and manual analysis. The “break” is the lack of a file header, engineered to fool analysts into thinking the attachment is harmless, the work of threat actors too clumsy to be taken seriously. The headless file only appears when you open the attachment or use special programs in attempting to extract it. The campaign tries to exploit a common problem: information...