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Microsoft 365
Command and Control(C2) Crypto Cryptojacking Cyber Security LOL bins MFA Microsoft 365

Microsoft Facing a Growing Threat by Cryptojackers

 

Cryptojackers, are still invading computers all over the world while also getting more discreet and skilled at evading detection. The data was released by Microsoft's 365 Defender Research Team, which on Thursday posted a new analysis of cryptojackers on its blog.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects cryptojackers on more than 200,000 devices per day using a variety of sensors and innovative detection techniques, including its connection with Intel TDT. In campaigns, hackers strongly favor the exploitation of notepad.exe over several valid system utilities.

What are Cryptojackers?

Cryptojackers are mining viruses that hijack and use a target's device resources for the former's gain without the user's knowledge or approval. They are one of the threat categories that have emerged and thrived since the advent of cryptocurrencies. The threat data indicates that over the past year, companies have encountered millions of cryptojackers.

Furthermore, as per Microsoft, Javascript is frequently used in the creation of cryptojackers, which in this instance use browsers to infiltrate systems. The tech titan also cautioned against fileless cryptojackers, who mine in a device's memory and maintain persistence by abusing legal programs and LOLBins.

Cryptojacking operation

Among several legitimate system utilities, notepad.exe abuse is heavily favored by attackers in campaigns that have been observed. An improved version of the cryptojacker known as Mehcrypt was employed in this campaign. 
  • This is a significant improvement over the previous version, which used a script to access its command-and-control (C2) server and download additional components that later carried out malicious deeds. 
  • The new version also condenses all of its routines into a single script and connects to a C2 server in the final stage of its attack chain.
  • An archive file containing autoit.exe and a heavily obscured, arbitrarily named.au3 script serves as the threat's delivery vehicle. 
  • Autoit.exe is started when the archive file is opened, and it decodes the.au3 script in memory. 
  • When the script is executed, it continues to decode more obfuscation layers and loads more decoded scripts into memory.
  • The script then places a copy of itself and autoit.exe in a folder with an arbitrary name under C:ProgramData.
  • To run the script each time the device begins, the script inserts autostart registry entries and generates a scheduled task to destroy the original files.
  • The software then incorporates persistence methods, loads malicious code into VBC.exe using process hollowing, and establishes a connection to a C2 server to wait for commands. 
  • The software loads its cryptojacking code into notepad.exe using process hollowing based on the C2 answer.

The warning was issued just a few weeks after Microsoft released a study describing how a widespread phishing effort managed to steal sign-in credentials, hijack sign-in sessions, and bypass the authentication step even when multi-factor authentication (MFA) was turned on.
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Windows
Cryptomining Scam Cyber Attacks DLL LOL bins Microsoft Excel Trojan Windows

Hackers are Now Utilizing Office Documents to Launch the Regsvr32 Utility

 

Regsvr32, a Windows living-off-the-land binary (LOLBin) used to propagate trojans like Lokibot and Qbot, is seeing a surge in abuse recently, according to researchers. 

LOLBins are genuine, native utilities which are used on a regular basis in a variety of computing settings, yet are utilized by cybercriminals to avoid detection by merging in with typical traffic patterns. Regsvr32 is a Windows command-line program signed by Microsoft which lets users register and unregister DLLs (Dynamic Link Library). Information about a DLL file is uploaded to the centralized registry so the Windows may use it. 

This makes things simpler for other programs to take advantage of the DLLs' features. This broad reach is appealing to cybercriminals, who may exploit the utility through Squiblydoo, which has been a utilized malware by known APT groups, such as in spear-fishing efforts against Russian firms, and more recently in certain crypto mining events. 

Unlawful utilization of Regsvr32 has been on the rise recently in the Uptycs data, with cybercrooks attempting to register specifically. As a group, we. ActiveX controls are code blocks designed by Microsoft that allow applications to perform specified functions, such as showing a calendar, using OCX files. 

Uptycs EDR employs a multi-layered detection strategy that not only analyzes threats using the Squiblydoo technique but also prioritizes them according to a specific composite score and severity. This helps analysts focus on key situations first, reducing alert fatigue. 

The majority of such Microsoft Excel files found in the attacks have the.XLSM or.XLSB prefixes, which indicate files contain embedded macros. Using the formulas in the macros, hackers normally download or operate a malicious payload from the URL during the campaign. 

Conventional security systems and security personnel tracking this operation for malicious actions face a problem because regsvr32 is frequently utilized for regular daily tasks. The following aspects can be monitored by security teams: 

  • The parent/child program relations where regsvr32 is run alongside a Microsoft Word or Excel parent process. 
  • Locating  regsvr32.exe operations that load the scrobj.dll, which performs the COM scriptlet, to identify it.
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password stealing trojans
Astaroth Cyber Crime LOL bins password stealing trojans

Astaroth- The Tojan That Abuses Anti-Virus Software To Steal Data




A new Trojan has surfaced which disguises itself as GIF and image files and tries to exploit the anti-virus software to harvest the data on the user’s PC.

A security research team brought the situation to everyone’s notice that this variant supposedly makes use of the modules in the cyber-security software.

The exploitation of the modules leads to the cyber-con getting hold of the victim’s data including online credentials

The Trojan in the guise of an extension-less files tries to move around the victim’s PC undetected.

By the use of spam emails and phishing messages, the victim’s lured into downloading the malicious file and then the actual Microsoft Windows BITSAdmin tool is used to download the full payload from a command-and-control (C2) server.

The malware then launches an XSL script and finalizes a channel with the C2 server. The script is obfuscated and contains functions to shroud itself from the anti-virus software.

The same script is responsible for the process which influences BITSAdmin to download payloads which include Astaroth from a different C2 server.

The old version of this Trojan used to launch a scan to look for the anti-virus programs, and in case of the presence of “Avast”, the malware used to quit.



But as it turns out with Astaroth, the antivirus software would now be abused and a malicious module would be injected into one of its processes.

The exploitation of these systems is called LOL bins, Living Off the Land binaries. GAS, an anti-fraud security program could be abused in the same way.

This Trojan first surfaced in the year 2017 in South America. It targets machines, passwords and other data. Astaroth is also capable of Keylog and could intercept calls and terminate processes.

The malware employs a “ fromCharCode() deobfuscation ” method to conceal code execution, which is an upgrade on older versions of Astaroth.

LOLbins seem to have a lot of malicious potential including stealing credentials and personal data. This method is highly attractive to cyber-cons and hence needs to be prepared against.

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