Category Archives: Threat Research

Bringing threat intelligence and adversary insights to the forefront: X-Force Research Hub

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Today defenders are dealing with both a threat landscape that’s constantly changing and attacks that have stood the test of time. Innovation and best practices co-exist in the criminal world, and one mustn’t distract us from the other. IBM X-Force is continuously observing new attack vectors and novel malware in the wild, as adversaries seek […]

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Attacker exploits vulnerability in Active Directory Certificate Services to take control of domain

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This post was made possible through the contributions of Joseph Spero and Thanassis Diogos. In June 2023, IBM Security X-Force responded to an incident where a client had received alerts from their security tooling regarding potential malicious activity originating from a system within their network targeting a domain controller. X-Force analysis revealed that an attacker […]

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BlotchyQuasar: X-Force Hive0129 targeting financial intuitions in LATAM with a custom banking trojan

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In late April through May 2023, IBM Security X-Force found several phishing emails leading to packed executable files delivering malware we have named BlotchyQuasar, likely developed by a group X-Force tracks as Hive0129. BlotchyQuasar is hardcoded to collect credentials from multiple Latin American-based banking applications and websites used within public and private environments. Similar operations […]

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Your BOFs Are gross, Put on a Mask: How to Hide Beacon During BOF Execution

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In this post, we’ll review a simple technique that we’ve developed to encrypt Cobalt Strike’s Beacon in memory while executing BOFs to prevent a memory scan from detecting Beacon. Picture this — you’re on a red team engagement and your phish went through, your initial access payload got past EDR, your beacon is now living […]

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The Trickbot/Conti Crypters: Where Are They Now?

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Despite Conti shutdown, operators remain active and collaborative in new factions In IBM Security X-Force, we have been following the crypters used by the Trickbot/Conti syndicate, who we refer to as ITG23, since 2021 and demonstrated the intelligence that can be revealed through tracking their use in a blog we published last May. One year […]

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ITG10 Likely Targeting South Korean Entities of Interest to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)

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In late April 2023, IBM Security X-Force uncovered documents that are most likely part of a phishing campaign mimicking credible senders, orchestrated by a group X-Force refers to as ITG10, and aimed at delivering RokRAT malware, similar to what has been observed by others. ITG10’s tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) overlap with APT37 and ScarCruft. […]

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Poor Communication During a Data Breach Can Cost You — Here’s How to Avoid It

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No one needs to tell you that data breaches are costly. That data has been quantified and the numbers are staggering. In fact, the IBM Security Cost of a Data Breach estimates that the average cost of a data breach in 2022 was $4.35 million, with 83% of organizations experiencing one or more security incidents. […]

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Ransomware Renaissance 2023: The Definitive Guide to Stay Safer

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Ransomware is experiencing a renaissance in 2023, with some cybersecurity firms reporting over 400 attacks in the month of March alone. And it shouldn’t be a surprise: the 2023 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index found backdoor deployments — malware providing remote access — as the top attacker action in 2022, and aptly predicted 2022’s backdoor failures […]

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BlackCat (ALPHV) Ransomware Levels Up for Stealth, Speed and Exfiltration

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  This blog was made possible through contributions from Kat Metrick, Kevin Henson, Agnes Ramos-Beauchamp, Thanassis Diogos, and Diego Matos Martins. BlackCat ransomware, which was among the top ransomware families observed by IBM Security X-Force in 2022, according to the 2023 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, continues to wreak havoc across organizations globally this year. BlackCat (a.k.a. […]

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Ex-Conti and FIN7 Actors Collaborate with New Backdoor

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Former Conti syndicate and FIN7 members have collaborated to use a new backdoor dubbed “Minodo” to deliver the Project Nemesis infostealer. Explore the intricate nature of cooperation among cybercriminal groups and their members with in-depth analysis from IBM Security X-Force experts.

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