Pro-Tibet organizations targeted by malwareApril 11, 2012 - 10:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Security experts are warning of yet another targeted malware campaign using socially engineered emails to infiltrate pro-Tibet organizations in a bid to covertly nab sensitive files, The Register reports. Trend Micro threat research manager Ivan Macalintal explained in a blog post that the attacks are linked to the same command and control server used in the Gh0st RAT (remote access Trojan) campaign most recently observed at the end of March. The Gh0st Trojan has been used by suspected Chinese hackers in several advanced persistent threat (APT) style attacks, most notably the ‘Nitro’ attacks against energy firms in 2011. Following the classic modus operandi for such attacks, the threat arrives as an innocuous looking email socially engineered to encourage the recipient to click on an embedded malicious link – in this instance it is an invitation to a Tibetan film festival. Macalintal explained that the user is then taken to a site which determines whether they are on a Mac or Windows system before loading a Java applet designed to exploit vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment. If successful, the exploit will then install a SASFIS backdoor for Windows or an OLYX backdoor for Mac OSX. Both backdoors report back to the same C&C server, which is the same as that used in Gh0st RAT attacks and the attacks uncovered by AlienVault recently. “Moreover, both backdoors have functionalities that include features to allow them to upload and download files and navigate through files and directories in the affected system, providing them further means for their lateral movement and data exfiltration activities,” explained Macalintal. The covert hacking of pro-Tibetan organisations is nothing new, given Communist China’s strained relationship with the country which it has asserted power over since the 1950s. However, this latest discovery goes some way further to uncovering the true scale and sophistication of such attacks and creating a clearer picture of the actors behind Gh0st RAT. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | IDBank, Dalma team up for Caucasian Deer Reintroduction Program IDBank has joined Dalma Garden Mall’s Green Challenge to support the Caucasian red deer reintroduction project. Through Ucom’s support the 12th Sunchild Festival concludes On May 24-28, with the support of Ucom, the 12th international environmental festival Sunchild took place in Yerevan. U.S., Turkey emphasize importance of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Jake Sullivan and Akif Cagatay Kilic have discussed the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia coach expects good football in Slovenia friendly The Armenian national team has left for Ljubljana a friendly match against Slovenia on June 4. |