This collaborative research focuses on recent Smoke Loader malware activity observed throughout Ukraine from May to November 2023 from a group the CERT-UA designates as UAC-0006.
The SCPC SSSCIP has identified Smoke Loader as a prominent type of malware used in recent attacks.
Also known as Dofoil or Sharik, Smoke Loader is a backdoor targeting systems running Microsoft Windows.
Primarily a loader with added information-stealing capabilities, Smoke Loader has been linked to Russian cybercrime operations and is readily available on Russian cybercrime forums.
Ukrainian officials have highlighted a surge in Smoke Loader attacks targeting the country's financial institutions and government organizations.
While Ukraine has seen a rise in Smoke Loader attacks, this malware remains a global threat and continues to be seen in multiple campaigns targeting other countries.
While Smoke Loader can be distributed through web-based vectors, attacks using this malware against Ukraine have been detected in malicious emails from phishing campaigns.
To review the technical aspects of these Smoke Loader campaigns in Ukraine, refer to the SCPC SSSCIP report.
Readers can prevent Smoke Loader and similar malware attacks by prioritizing security measures and cultivating smart online habits.
These measures can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to malware like Smoke Loader.
Palo Alto Networks customers are better protected from the Smoke Loader samples in the SCPC SSSCIP report through Cortex XDR and XSIAM, as well as through our Next-Generation Firewall with Cloud-Delivered Security Services, including Advanced WildFire, DNS Security, Advanced Threat Prevention and Advanced URL Filtering.
Various sources have documented Smoke Loader activity since then, and numerous reports have been published, including an analysis on Smoke Loader we released in 2018.
We have even seen Smoke Loader distributed as a payload from other malware like Glupteba.
As well-known and currently active malware as a service, Smoke Loader is one of many ideal candidates for any attack, including those reported by Ukraine SCPC SSSCIP. The UAC-0006 Group.
While CERT-UA has not confirmed a specific threat actor behind these Smoke Loader attacks, various sources suspect UAC-0006 might be associated with Russian cybercrime.
The SCPC SSSCIP report documents 23 waves of Smoke Loader attacks from May through December 2023 based on our joint research.
Palo Alto Networks collaborated with the SCPC SSSCIP to provide actionable threat intelligence to mitigate Smoke Loader attacks targeting Ukrainian organizations.
Our joint research provides valuable insight into how attackers leverage Smoke Loader in real-world campaigns.
For a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of UAC-0006 Smoke Loader campaigns in Ukraine, read the SCPC SSSCIP report.
Such vigilance should significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to malware like Smoke Loader.
This Cyber News was published on unit42.paloaltonetworks.com. Publication date: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:28:06 +0000