GootLoader malware is abusing malformed ZIP archives that bypass common tools like WinRAR & deliver JavaScript payloads via Windows’ default extractor
Category: cybercrime/malcode
LOTUSLITE Backdoor Targets U.S. Policy Entities Using Venezuela-Themed Spear Phishing
Security experts have disclosed details of a new campaign that has targeted U.S. government and policy entities using politically themed lures to deliver a backdoor known as LOTUSLITE.
The targeted malware campaign leverages decoys related to the recent geopolitical developments between the U.S. and Venezuela to distribute a ZIP archive (“US now deciding what’s next for Venezuela.zip”) containing a malicious DLL that’s launched using DLL side-loading techniques. It’s not known if the campaign managed to successfully compromise any of the targets.
The activity has been attributed with moderate confidence to a Chinese state-sponsored group known as Mustang Panda (aka Earth Pret, HoneyMyte, and Twill Typhoon), citing tactical and infrastructure patterns. It’s worth noting that the threat actor is known for extensively relying on DLL side-loading to launch its backdoors, including TONESHELL.
StealC hackers hacked as researchers hijack malware control panels
A cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw in the web-based control panel used by operators of the StealC info-stealing malware allowed researchers to observe active sessions and gather intelligence on the attackers’ hardware.
StealC emerged in early 2023 with aggressive promotion on dark web cybercrime channels. It grew in popularity due to its evasion and extensive data theft capabilities.
In the following years, StealC’s developer added multiple enhancements. With the release of version 2.0 last April, the malware author introduced Telegram bot support for real-time alerts and a new builder that could generate StealC builds based on templates and custom data theft rules.
Black Basta boss makes it onto Interpol’s ‘Red Notice’ list
The identity of the Black Basta ransomware gang leader has been confirmed by law enforcement in Ukraine and Germany, and the individual has been added to the wanted list of Europol and Interpol.
Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) identified Oleg Evgenievich Nefedov, a 35-year-old Russian national, as the leader of the Black Basta ransomware gang.
The Ukrainian police in collaboration with German authorities also identified two additional individuals allegedly working for the ransomware operation and conducted raids at two locations in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions.
Gootloader now uses 1,000-part ZIP archives for stealthy delivery
The Gootloader malware, typically used for initial access, is now using a malformed ZIP archive designed to evade detection by concatenating up to 1,000 archives.
In doing so, the malware, which is an archived JScript file, causes many tools to crash when trying to analyze it.
According to researchers, the malicious file is successfully unpacked using the default utility in Windows, but tools relying on 7-Zip and WinRAR fail.
The Quantum Security Problem No One Is Ready For
Quantum computers are expected to deliver dramatic gains in processing speed and capability, with the potential to reshape fields ranging from scientific research to commercial innovation.
However, those same advantages could also make these machines attractive targets for cyberattacks, according to Swaroop Ghosh, a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Ghosh and co-author Suryansh Upadhyay, who recently earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Penn State, examined these concerns in a new research paper that outlines key security weaknesses in current quantum computing systems. Published in the Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the study argues that protecting quantum computers will require more than software safeguards, emphasizing the importance of securing the underlying hardware as well.
Hackers Exploit c-ares DLL Side-Loading to Bypass Security and Deploy Malware
Security experts have disclosed details of an active malware campaign that’s exploiting a DLL side-loading vulnerability in a legitimate binary associated with the open-source c-ares library to bypass security controls and deliver a wide range of commodity trojans and stealers.
“Attackers achieve evasion by pairing a malicious libcares-2.dll with any signed version of the legitimate ahost.exe (which they often rename) to execute their code,” Trellix said in a report shared with The Hacker News. “This DLL side-loading technique allows the malware to bypass traditional signature-based security defenses.”
The campaign has been observed distributing a wide assortment of malware, such as Agent Tesla, CryptBot, Formbook, Lumma Stealer, Vidar Stealer, Remcos RAT, Quasar RAT, DCRat, and XWorm.
