All news with #backdoor found tag

Storm-0501 Deletes Azure Data and Backups After Exfiltration

🔒 Microsoft Threat Intelligence details a campaign by Storm-0501 that exfiltrated data from a large enterprise’s Azure environment, then deleted backups and encrypted remaining resources to block recovery. The actor abused Entra Connect synchronization, elevated to Global Administrator, and used Azure Owner privileges to steal storage keys and transfer blobs via AzCopy. Microsoft recommends enabling blob backups, least privilege, logging, and Azure Backup to mitigate these cloud-native ransomware tactics.

BadCam: Reflashed Webcams Enable BadUSB-Style Attacks

🔒 Researchers demonstrated BadCam, a BadUSB-style attack presented at BlackHat that reflashes a webcam's firmware so a standard camera can act as a programmable HID device. The proof-of-concept targeted Lenovo 510 FHD and Lenovo Performance FHD models using a SigmaStar SoC, exploiting lack of cryptographic firmware verification and Linux USB Gadget support to present keyboard/network interfaces. Standard scans and OS reinstalls won't remove such implants, so organizations should apply firmware patches, USB control policies, and HID monitoring to mitigate the risk.

Storm-0501 Shifts to Cloud-Based Ransomware Tactics

🔒 Microsoft Threat Intelligence reports that financially motivated actor Storm-0501 has shifted from on‑premises endpoint encryption toward cloud‑native ransomware tactics emphasizing rapid data exfiltration, destruction of backups, and extortion. The actor leverages compromised Entra Connect sync accounts, DCSync, and hybrid‑joined devices to escalate to Global Administrator and gain full Azure control. In cloud environments they abuse Azure operations (listing storage keys, AzCopy exfiltration, snapshot and resource deletions) and create malicious federated domains for persistence and impersonation. Microsoft recommends hardening sync configurations, enforcing phishing‑resistant MFA, enabling Defender for Cloud and storage protections, and applying least‑privilege access controls.

ShadowSilk Campaign Hits Central Asian Governments

🔍 Group-IB links a broad cyber-espionage campaign, active since 2023 and ongoing into mid‑2025, to the ShadowSilk cluster targeting Central Asian and Asia‑Pacific government organizations. The operation, which has compromised at least 35 government victims, primarily seeks data theft and distributes stolen material on dark web forums. ShadowSilk uses phishing with password‑protected archives, commodity web panels such as JRAT and Morf Project, and post‑compromise tools like Cobalt Strike and Metasploit. Researchers found indicators of both Russian‑ and Chinese‑language operators and advise stronger email defenses, strict application control, regular patching and proactive threat hunting.

ShadowSilk Targets 35 Government Entities in APAC Region

🔎 Group-IB attributes a new cluster dubbed ShadowSilk to recent intrusions against 35 government and related organizations across Central Asia and APAC. The operators employ spear-phishing with password-protected archives to deploy a custom loader that conceals command-and-control traffic using Telegram bots and achieves persistence via Windows Registry modifications. Observed tooling includes web shells (ANTSWORD, Behinder, Godzilla, FinalShell), tunneling utilities, Cobalt Strike, and bespoke credential-stealing components used to exfiltrate data.

Joint Advisory: Countering PRC APT Compromise of Networks

🔒 CISA, the NSA, the FBI, and international partners issued a joint advisory describing People’s Republic of China state-sponsored APT actors compromising networks worldwide to support long-term espionage. Investigations through July 2025 reveal these actors exploit vulnerabilities in large backbone provider edge and customer edge routers—often modifying firmware and configurations to evade detection and maintain persistent access. Affected sectors include telecommunications, government, transportation, lodging, and defense. The advisory urges network defenders, especially in high-risk sectors, to actively hunt for intrusions and apply the recommended mitigations.

Citrix Patches NetScaler Zero-Days as Active Exploits Continue

🔒Citrix has released patches for three critical zero-day vulnerabilities in NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway (CVE-2025-7775, CVE-2025-7776, CVE-2025-8424), including pre-auth remote code execution observed in the wild. The vendor provided fixes for affected 14.1, 13.1 and 12.1-FIPS/NDcPP builds and said no workaround is available. Security researchers and CISA urged immediate patching and forensic checks for potential backdoors.

Hook Android Trojan Evolves with Ransomware Features

🛡️Researchers at Zimperium zLabs have detected a new variant of the Hook Android banking Trojan that expands beyond banking fraud to include ransomware-style overlays and advanced surveillance tools. The sample supports 107 remote commands, 38 of which are newly introduced, enabling fake NFC prompts, lock-screen bypasses, transparent gesture-capturing overlays and real-time screen streaming. Operators are distributing malicious APKs via GitHub repositories and continue to exploit Android Accessibility Services for automated fraud and persistent control. Industry observers warn the campaign is global and rapidly escalating, increasing risks to both enterprises and individual users.

Phishing Campaign Uses UpCrypter to Deploy Multiple RATs

🔒 FortiGuard Labs has detailed a global phishing campaign that uses personalized HTML attachments and spoofed websites to deliver a custom loader, UpCrypter, which installs multiple remote access tools. The operation uses tailored lures—voicemail notices and purchase orders—embedding recipient emails and company logos to appear legitimate. The delivered ZIPs contain obfuscated JavaScript that runs PowerShell, fetches further payloads (sometimes hidden via steganography) and ultimately loads RATs such as PureHVNC, DCRat and Babylon, while UpCrypter checks for sandboxes, enforces persistence and can force reboots to hinder analysis.

DSLRoot Proxies: Origins, Abuse Risks and 'Legal Botnets'

🔌The article profiles DSLRoot, a long-running residential proxy operator that pays U.S. residents to host laptops and mobile devices and then leases those IPs as dedicated proxies. It traces the service's origins on underground forums and links multiple aliases, domains and registration records to a small network operator. The piece highlights technical risks, including vendor-targeted exploits, remote device control and WiFi enumeration, and warns of potential misuse by nation-state actors and criminal groups.

MixShell Malware Targets U.S. Supply Chain via Contact Forms

⚠️ Cybersecurity researchers warn of a targeted social‑engineering campaign delivering an in‑memory implant called MixShell to supply‑chain manufacturers through corporate 'Contact Us' forms. The activity, tracked as ZipLine by Check Point, uses weeks of credible exchanges, fake NDAs and weaponized ZIPs containing LNK files that trigger PowerShell loaders. MixShell runs primarily in memory, uses DNS tunneling for C2 with HTTP fallback, and enables remote commands, file access, reverse proxying, persistence and lateral movement. Malicious archives are staged on abused Heroku subdomains, illustrating use of legitimate PaaS for tailored delivery.

Backdoor Weakness Found in TETRA Radio Encryption Standard

🔒 Security researchers from Midnight Blue have disclosed a critical weakness in an ETSI-endorsed TETRA end-to-end encryption implementation used in professional radios. After extracting and reverse-engineering a Sepura device, they found the E2EE algorithm compresses a 128-bit key to an effective 56 bits before encryption, drastically weakening confidentiality. The behavior looks like an intentional backdoor, and it is unclear which organizations use the vulnerable implementation or whether operators are aware of the risk.

UNC6384 Uses Captive Portal Hijacks to Deploy PlugX

🔐 Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) detected a March 2025 campaign attributed to UNC6384 that uses captive-portal hijacks to deliver a digitally signed downloader called STATICPLUGIN. The downloader (observed as AdobePlugins.exe) retrieves an MSI and, via DLL sideloading through Canon’s IJ Printer Assistant Tool, stages a PlugX variant tracked as SOGU.SEC entirely in memory. Operators used valid TLS and GlobalSign-signed certificates issued to Chengdu Nuoxin Times Technology Co., Ltd, aiding evasion while targeting diplomats and other entities.

Code Insight Expands to Cover Software Supply Chain Risks

🛡️ VirusTotal’s Code Insight now analyzes a broader set of software supply chain formats — including CRX, XPI, VSIX, Python WHL, NPM packages, and MCP protocol integrations. The tool inspects code logic to detect obfuscation, dynamic code fetching, credential theft, and remote command execution in extensions and packages. Recent findings include malicious Chrome and Firefox extensions, a deceptive VS Code extension, and compromised Python and NPM packages. This capability complements traditional signature- and ML-based classification by surfacing behavior-based risks.

Phishing Campaign Uses UpCrypter to Deploy RATs Globally

📧 Fortinet FortiGuard Labs has observed a phishing campaign using fake voicemail and purchase-order lures to direct victims to convincing landing pages that prompt downloads of JavaScript droppers. The droppers retrieve the UpCrypter loader, which conducts anti-analysis and sandbox checks before fetching final payloads, including various RATs such as PureHVNC, DCRat and Babylon. Attacks since August 2025 have targeted manufacturing, technology, healthcare, construction and retail/hospitality across multiple countries; defenders are urged to block malicious URLs, strengthen email authentication, and monitor anomalous M365 activity.

Deception in Depth: UNC6384 Hijacks Web Traffic Globally

🛡️ In March 2025, Google Threat Intelligence Group identified a complex espionage campaign attributed to the PRC‑nexus actor UNC6384 that targeted diplomats in Southeast Asia and other global entities. The attackers hijacked web traffic via a captive‑portal and AitM redirect to deliver a digitally signed downloader tracked as STATICPLUGIN, which retrieved a disguised MSI and staged an in‑memory deployment of the SOGU.SEC backdoor (PlugX). The operation abused valid code‑signing certificates, DLL side‑loading via a novel launcher CANONSTAGER, and indirect execution techniques to evade detection. Google issued alerts, added IOCs to Safe Browsing, and recommends enabling Enhanced Safe Browsing, applying updates, and enforcing 2‑Step Verification.

Chinese Developer Jailed for Deploying Malicious Code

⚖️ A software developer was sentenced to four years in prison after deploying malicious code inside his US employer's network, the Department of Justice said. The defendant, identified as Davis Lu, introduced infinite-loop logic, deleted coworker profile files and implemented a credential-dependent kill-switch that locked out thousands of users in September 2019. The sabotage followed a corporate realignment that reduced his access; investigators found deleted encrypted data and internet searches showing intent to escalate privileges and rapidly delete files while obstructing remediation.

Transparent Tribe Targets Indian Govt with Shortcut Malware

🔒 Transparent Tribe (APT36) has been observed delivering weaponized desktop shortcut files to compromise both Windows and BOSS Linux systems at Indian government organizations. Reports from CYFIRMA, CloudSEK, Hunt.io, and Nextron Systems describe Go-based droppers, hex-encoded ELF payloads, and cron-based persistence. The campaign uses spear-phishing lures and typo-squatted domains with decoy PDFs to harvest credentials and target Kavach two-factor authentication, while deploying backdoors such as Poseidon and MeshAgent to maintain long-term access.

GeoServer Exploits, PolarEdge, Gayfemboy Expand Cybercrime

🛡️ Cybersecurity teams report coordinated campaigns exploiting exposed infrastructure and known flaws to monetize or weaponize compromised devices. Attackers have abused CVE-2024-36401 in GeoServer to drop lightweight Dart binaries that monetize bandwidth via legitimate passive-income services, while the PolarEdge botnet and Mirai-derived gayfemboy expand relay and DDoS capabilities across consumer and enterprise devices. Separately, TA-NATALSTATUS targets unauthenticated Redis instances to install stealthy cryptominers and persistence tooling.

Linux Backdoor Delivered via Malicious RAR Filenames

🛡️ Trellix researchers describe a Linux-focused infection chain that uses a malicious RAR filename to trigger command execution. The filename embeds a Base64-encoded Bash payload that leverages shell command injection when untrusted filenames are parsed, allowing an ELF downloader to fetch and run an architecture-specific binary. The chain ultimately delivers the VShell backdoor, which runs in memory to evade disk-based detection.