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Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a new malware campaign that delivers Hijack Loader artifacts that are signed with legitimate code-signing certificates. French cybersecurity company HarfangLab, which detected the activity at the start of the month, said the attack chains aim to deploy an information stealer known as Lumma. Hijack Loader , also known as DOILoader, IDAT Loader, and SHADOWLADDER, first came to light in September 2023. Attack chains involving the malware loader typically involve tricking users into downloading a booby-trapped binary under the guise of pirated software or movies. Recent variations of these campaigns have been found to direct users to fake CAPTCHA pages that urge site visitors to prove they are human by copying and running an encoded PowerShell command that drops the malicious payload in the form of a ZIP archive. HarfangLab said it observed three different versions of the PowerShell script starting mid-September 2024 - A PowerShell script ...

Creating workflows around verifying password resets can be challenging for organizations, especially since many have shifted work due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. With the numbers of cyberattacks against businesses exploding and compromised credentials often being the culprit, companies have to bolster security around resetting passwords on user accounts. How can organizations bolster the security of password resets for remote workers? One security workflow might involve having manager approval before IT helpdesk technicians can change a remote worker's password. In this way, the user's manager is involved in the process. Additionally, some organizations might opt to allow managers themselves the ability to change end-user passwords. How can this be configured in Active Directory? Also, is there a more seamless solution for requiring manager approval for password resets? Why password reset security is critical This past year has undoubtedly created many IT helpdesk st...

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new campaign that's leveraging a combination of ClickFix lures and fake adult websites to deceive users into running malicious commands under the guise of a "critical" Windows security update. "Campaign leverages fake adult websites (xHamster, PornHub clones) as its phishing mechanism, likely distributed via malvertising," Acronis said in a new report shared with The Hacker News. "The adult theme, and possible connection to shady websites, adds to the victim's psychological pressure to comply with sudden 'security update' installation." ClickFix-style attacks have surged over the past year, typically tricking users into running malicious commands on their own machines using prompts for technical fixes or completing CAPTCHA verification checks. According to data from Microsoft, ClickFix has become the most common initial access method, accounting for 47% of attacks. The latest camp...

Cybersecurity researchers have detailed a "simple but efficient" persistence mechanism adopted by a relatively nascent malware loader called Colibri , which has been observed deploying a Windows information stealer known as Vidar as part of a new campaign. "The attack starts with a malicious Word document deploying a Colibri bot that then delivers the Vidar Stealer," Malwarebytes Labs  said  in an analysis. "The document contacts a remote server at (securetunnel[.]co) to load a remote template named 'trkal0.dot' that contacts a malicious macro," the researchers added. First documented by  FR3D.HK  and Indian cybersecurity company CloudSEK earlier this year, Colibri is a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) platform that's engineered to drop additional payloads onto compromised systems. Early signs of the loader appeared on Russian underground forums in August 2021. "This loader has multiple techniques that help avoid detection," CloudSEK r...

Today's admins certainly have plenty on their plates, and boosting ecosystem security remains a top priority. On-premises, and especially remote, accounts are gateways for accessing critical information. Password management makes this possible. After all, authentication should ensure that a user is whom they claim to be. This initial layer of security is crucial for protecting one's entire infrastructure. Unfortunately, the personal nature of passwords has its shortcomings. Passwords are easily forgotten. They may also be too simplistic; many companies don't enforce stringent password-creation requirements. This is where the Active Directory Password Policy comes in. Additionally, the following is achievable: Changing user passwords Recording password changes and storing them within a history log Active Directory accounts for any impactful changes across user accounts. We'll assess why and how administrators might leverage these core features. Why change user ...

As more people work remotely, IT departments must manage devices distributed over different cities and countries relying on VPNs and remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools for system administration.  However, like any new technology, RMM tools can also be used maliciously. Threat actors can establish connections to a victim's device and run commands, exfiltrate data, and stay undetected.  This article will cover real-world examples of RMM exploits and show you how to protect your organization from these attacks.  What are RMM tools?  RMM software simplifies network management, allowing IT professionals to remotely solve problems, install software, and upload or download files to or from devices.  Unfortunately, this connection is not always secure, and attackers can use malicious software to connect their servers to a victim's device. As these connections become easier to detect, however,  ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups have had to adjus...

Users searching for TeamViewer remote desktop software on search engines like Google are being redirected to malicious links that drop  ZLoader  malware onto their systems while simultaneously embracing a stealthier infection chain that allows it to linger on infected devices and evade detection by security solutions. "The malware is downloaded from a Google advertisement published through Google Adwords," researchers from SentinelOne  said  in a report published on Monday. "In this campaign, the attackers use an indirect way to compromise victims instead of using the classic approach of compromising the victims directly, such as by phishing." First discovered in 2016, ZLoader (aka Silent Night and ZBot) is a  fully-featured banking trojan  and a fork of another banking malware called ZeuS, with newer versions implementing a VNC module that grants adversaries remote access to victim systems. The malware is in active development, with criminal actors spa...

Active Directory account lockouts can be hugely problematic for organizations. There have been documented instances of attackers leveraging the account lockout feature in a type of denial of service attack. By intentionally entering numerous bad passwords, attackers can theoretically lock all of the users out of their accounts. But what do you do if you are experiencing problems with account lockouts? The Windows operating system is somewhat limited in its ability to troubleshoot account lockouts, but there are some things that you can do. For example, you can use Windows PowerShell to determine which accounts have been locked out. The command for doing so is: Search-ADAccount -LockedOut -UsersOnly | Select-Object Name, SamAccountName Incidentally, the UsersOnly parameter prevents computer objects from being included in the results, while the Select-Object command filters the results list to display only the user's name and their account name. If you find that accounts have been ...

Entities in Ukraine have been targeted as part of a phishing campaign designed to distribute a remote access trojan called Remcos RAT . "The file names use Russian words related to the movement of troops in Ukraine as a lure," Cisco Talos researcher Guilherme Venere said in a report published last week. "The PowerShell downloader contacts geo-fenced servers located in Russia and Germany to download the second stage ZIP file containing the Remcos backdoor." The activity has been attributed with moderate confidence to a Russian hacking group known as Gamaredon , which is also tracked under the monikers Aqua Blizzard, Armageddon, Blue Otso, BlueAlpha, Hive0051, Iron Tilden, Primitive Bear, Shuckworm, Trident Ursa, UAC-0010, UNC530, and Winterflounder.  The threat actor, assessed to be affiliated with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), is known for its targeting of Ukrainian organizations for espionage and data theft. It's operational since at least ...