Gootkit Malware Continues to Evolve with New Components and Obfuscations

The threat actors associated with the Gootkit malware have made "Notable changes" to their toolset, adding new components and obfuscations to their infection chains. Google-owned Mandiant is monitoring the activity cluster under the moniker UNC2565, noting that the usage of the malware is "Exclusive to this group." Gootkit, also called Gootloader, is spread through compromised websites that victims are tricked into visiting when searching for business-related documents like agreements and contracts via a technique called search engine optimization poisoning. The purported documents take the form of ZIP archives that harbor the JavaScript malware, which, when launched, paves the way for additional payloads such as Cobalt Strike Beacon, FONELAUNCH, and SNOWCONE. FONELAUNCH is a.NET-based loader designed to load an encoded payload into memory, and SNOWCONE is a downloader that's tasked with retrieving next-stage payloads, typically IcedID, via HTTP. While the overarching goals of Gootkit have remained unchanged, the attack sequence in itself has received significant updates, wherein the JavaScript file within the ZIP archive is trojanized and contains another obfuscated JavaScript file that consequently proceeds to execute the malware. The new variant, which was spotted by the threat intelligence firm in November 2022, is being tracked as GOOTLOADER.POWERSHELL. It's worth noting that the revamped infection chain was also documented by Trend Micro earlier this month, detailing Gootkit attacks targeting the Australian healthcare sector. What's more, the malware authors are said to have taken three different approaches to obscure Gootkit, including concealing the code within altered versions of legitimate JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Chroma. It's not just Gootkit, as three different flavors of FONELAUNCH - FONELAUNCH.FAX, FONELAUNCH.PHONE, and FONELAUNCH.DIALTONE - have been put to use by UNC2565 since May 2021 to execute DLLs,.NET binaries, and PE files, indicating that the malware arsenal is being continuously maintained and updated. "These changes are illustrative of UNC2565's active development and growth in capabilities," Mandiant researchers Govand Sinjari and Andy Morales said.

This Cyber News was published on thehackernews.com. Publication date: Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:01:02 +0000


Cyber News related to Gootkit Malware Continues to Evolve with New Components and Obfuscations

Gootkit Malware Continues to Evolve with New Components and Obfuscations - The threat actors associated with the Gootkit malware have made "Notable changes" to their toolset, adding new components and obfuscations to their infection chains. Google-owned Mandiant is monitoring the activity cluster under the moniker UNC2565, ...
1 year ago Thehackernews.com
Affirm says cardholders impacted by Evolve Bank data breach - Buy now, pay later loan company Affirm is warning that holders of its payment cards had their personal information exposed due to a data breach at its third-party issuer, Evolve Bank & Trust. Evolve is a large financial services provider specializing ...
3 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
PixPirate: The Brazilian financial malware you can't see, part one - The constantly mutating PixPirate malware has taken that strategy to a new extreme. PixPirate is a sophisticated financial remote access trojan malware that heavily utilizes anti-research techniques. Within IBM Trusteer, we saw several different ...
8 months ago Securityintelligence.com
Types of Malware and How To Prevent Them - Malware is one of the biggest security threats to any type of technological device, and each type of malware uses unique tactics for successful invasions. Even if you've downloaded a VPN for internet browsing, our in-depth guide discusses the 14 ...
3 months ago Pandasecurity.com
How to Remove Malware + Viruses - Malware removal can seem daunting after your device is infected with a virus, but with a careful and rapid response, removing a virus or malware program can be easier than you think. We created a guide that explains exactly how to rid your Mac or PC ...
5 months ago Pandasecurity.com
How to Extract Malware Configurations in a Sandbox - The most sought-after source of these indicators is malware configurations. Malware Sandboxing Leader ANY.RUN handles the heavy lifting of phishing and malware analysis for SOC and DFIR teams and also helps 300,000 professionals use the platform to ...
8 months ago Gbhackers.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
5 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com

Latest Cyber News


Cyber Trends (last 7 days)


Trending Cyber News (last 7 days)