All news with #group-ib tag

Bloody Wolf Expands Java-Based NetSupport Campaign Regionally

🐺 Group-IB and Ukuk report that the actor known as Bloody Wolf has conducted spear-phishing campaigns since June 2025 targeting Kyrgyzstan and, by October 2025, expanded into Uzbekistan to deliver NetSupport RAT. Attackers impersonate government ministries using malicious PDFs that host Java Archive (JAR) loaders built for Java 8, instructing victims to install Java so the loader can execute. The loader fetches the NetSupport payload and establishes persistence via scheduled tasks, registry entries, and a startup batch script in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.

Bloody Wolf APT Expands NetSupport Campaign in Central Asia

🔎 Researchers at Group-IB and UKUK have identified a widening campaign by the Bloody Wolf APT that uses streamlined Java-based loaders to deliver NetSupport remote administration software to government targets. The operation, active since late 2023 and observed in Kyrgyzstan from at least June 2025 before spreading to Uzbekistan in early October, relies on convincing PDF lures, spoofed domains and geofenced infrastructure. Simple Java 8 loaders fetch NetSupport over HTTP, add persistence via autorun entries and scheduled tasks, display fake error messages, and include a launch-limit counter to limit execution and avoid detection. The group has shifted from using STRRAT to deploying an older 2013 build of NetSupport Manager and uses a custom JAR generator to mass-produce variants.

Investment Scams Mimicking Crypto and Forex Surge in Asia

🔍 Group-IB's research warns of a rapid rise in fake investment platforms across Asia that mimic cryptocurrency and forex exchanges to defraud victims. Organized, cross-border groups recruit via social media and messaging apps, deploying polished trading interfaces, automated chatbots and complex back-end systems to extract payments. The report maps two analytical models — Victim Manipulation Flow and Multi-Actor Fraud Network — and urges banks and regulators to monitor reused infrastructure and tighten KYC controls.

Iranian MuddyWater Targets 100+ Governments with Phoenix

⚠ State-sponsored Iranian group MuddyWater deployed version 4 of the Phoenix backdoor against more than 100 government and diplomatic entities across the Middle East and North Africa. The campaign began on August 19 with phishing sent from a NordVPN-compromised account and used malicious Word macros to drop a FakeUpdate loader that writes C:\ProgramData\sysprocupdate.exe. Researchers observed Phoenix v4 using AES-encrypted embedded payloads, COM-based persistence, WinHTTP C2 communications and an accompanying Chrome infostealer, while server-side C2 was taken offline on August 24, suggesting a shift in operational tooling.

Sophisticated Investment Scam Impersonates Singapore Official

🔍 Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a large-scale investment scam that impersonated Singapore’s top officials, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister K Shanmugam, to promote a fraudulent forex platform. The campaign used verified Google Ads, hundreds of fake news domains and deepfake videos, funneling victims through multiple redirects to a Mauritius-registered trading site. Group-IB reported advanced evasion techniques and localized targeting to show scam pages only to Singaporean users, pressuring many to invest and then blocking withdrawals.

Spain Arrests Leader of GXC Team Phishing Operation

🚨 Spanish authorities have arrested a 25-year-old Brazilian national accused of leading the GXC Team, a Crime-as-a-Service operation that sold phishing kits, Android malware and AI-based tools to cybercriminals. The Guardia Civil detained the suspect known as "GoogleXcoder" after a year-long investigation and six coordinated raids across Spain. Investigators seized devices containing source code, client communications and cryptocurrency records, and identified six suspected accomplices. The probe, supported by Group-IB and Brazil's Federal Police, remains ongoing as authorities disable the group's online infrastructure.

Interpol Operation Dismantles Large African Scam Rings

🛡️ Interpol-led Operation Contender 3.0 swept through 14 African countries between 28 July and 11 August 2025, targeting romance scams and sextortion networks and resulting in 260 arrests. Law enforcement, aided by private firms Group-IB and Trend Micro, seized 1,235 electronic devices and took down 81 cybercrime infrastructures. Investigations in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola identified 1,463 victims and estimated losses near $2.8 million.