| New Threat Detection Added | 5 - Arechclient2, SocGholish, Specter Insight, Lumma Stealer, SvcStealer |
| New Threat Protections | 159 |
Weekly Detected Threats
The following threats were added to Crystal Eye this week:
Threat name: | Arechclient2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arechclient2 is a .NET RAT reported to have numerous capabilities including multiple stealth functions. We observed the acquired malicious executable profiling victim systems, stealing information such as browser and crypto-wallet data, and launching a hidden secondary desktop to control browser sessions, which aligns closely with reports from others such as the Center for Internet Security (CIS). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Threat Protected: | 01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Type: | Trojan-activity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Threat name: | SocGholish Malware | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SocGholish, also known as FakeUpdates, is a JavaScript-based malware framework primarily used for initial access in sophisticated cyberattacks. It’s heavily used by cybercriminals (especially initial access brokers) to compromise corporate environments. SocGholish is a social engineering-based malware that:
Initial Access (via SEO poisoning or compromised websites)
Execution
Post-exploitation
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Threat Protected: | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Type: | Exploit Kit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kill Chain: |
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Threat name: | Specter Insight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Specter Insight C2 is a sophisticated, cross-platform command-and-control (C2) framework designed for red team engagements, threat emulation, and training. It integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, making detection challenging for security systems. The framework supports multiple listeners and protocols, manages implants, and facilitates data exfiltration. Its adaptability enhances the effectiveness of hacking campaigns, particularly those employing tactics like ClickFix to exploit software vulnerabilities or user behaviour. Initial Access:
Execution:
Persistence:
Privilege Escalation:
Defence Evasion:
Credential Access:
Discovery:
Lateral Movement:
Collection:
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Threat Protected: | 01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Type: | Trojan activity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kill Chain: |
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Threat name: | Lumma Stealer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lumma Stealer (also known as LummaC2) is a high-speed, modular information-stealing malware sold on underground forums as Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS). It is known for exfiltrating credentials, session cookies, crypto wallet data, and system information. Written in C, it is highly obfuscated and often delivered via phishing or malicious advertising (malvertising). Lumma uses a custom C2 infrastructure and is regularly updated to evade detection. Initial Access: • T1566.002 – Spearphishing Link: Delivered via phishing emails containing links to malicious downloads. • T1189 – Drive-by Compromise: Victims are redirected through malicious ads or compromised websites to download the stealer. Execution: • T1204.002 – User Execution: Malicious File: Victims manually execute a disguised Lumma payload, often packed in a ZIP or disguised as a legitimate installer. Persistence: • T1547.001 – Registry Run Keys/Startup Folder: Modifies registry keys or startup folders to maintain persistence across system reboots. • T1053.005 – Scheduled Task: Creates scheduled tasks to ensure malware re-executes after a reboot. Privilege Escalation: • T1055 – Process Injection: Injects malicious code into legitimate processes to escalate privileges and evade detection. Defence Evasion: • T1027 – Obfuscated Files or Information: Uses code obfuscation and string encryption to hide functionality from antivirus tools. • T1497 – Virtualisation/Sandbox Evasion: Checks for virtual environments to avoid analysis and evade detection. Credential Access: • T1555.003 – Credentials from Web Browsers: Extracts saved credentials from Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. • T1555.004 – Credentials from Password Managers: Attempts to steal login data from locally stored password manager vaults. Discovery: • T1082 – System Information Discovery: Gathers host information including OS version, architecture, and installed software. Collection: • T1113 – Screen Capture: Takes screenshots of the desktop or browser activity. • T1552.001 – Steal Encrypted Wallets: Extracts local crypto wallet data like MetaMask and Electrum. • T1512 – Credentials from Web Cookies: Steals session cookies to enable account hijacking. • T1560.001 – Archive Collected Data: Compresses and prepares stolen data for exfiltration. Command-and-Control: • T1071.001 – Application Layer Protocol: HTTPS: Communicates with remote attacker-controlled servers using encrypted HTTP/S. • Custom Protocol: Uses a proprietary C2 protocol in some versions for stealth and reliability. Exfiltration: • T1041 – Exfiltration Over C2 Channel: Sends stolen data over the same encrypted communication channel used for C2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Threat Protected: | 39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Type: | domain-c2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kill Chain: |
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Threat name: | SvcStealer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SvcStealer is a stealthy information-stealing malware designed to exfiltrate browser credentials, Discord tokens, and system information from infected machines. It is often distributed via malicious executables disguised as cracked software or utility tools, primarily targeting Windows systems. Known for its lightweight structure and simple C2 communication, SvcStealer is typically used in low-sophistication, high-volume campaigns. Kill Chain: Initial Access: • T1204.002 – User Execution: Malicious File: Delivered as a disguised EXE, often bundled with cracked software or shared on forums. Execution: • T1059.003 – Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell: Executes commands and initiates malicious activity using PowerShell or batch scripts. Persistence: • T1547.001 – Registry Run Keys/Startup Folder: Writes itself to the startup folder or adds a registry entry to persist across reboots. Defence Evasion: • T1027 – Obfuscated Files or Information: The binary is packed or obfuscated to evade antivirus detection. Credential Access: • T1555.003 – Credentials from Web Browsers: Steals login credentials stored in Chromium-based browsers. • T1555.005 – Steal Application Access Tokens: Extracts Discord tokens for account hijacking. Discovery: • T1082 – System Information Discovery: Gathers basic system info such as hostname, OS, CPU, and user account data. Collection: • T1113 – Screen Capture (variant-dependent): Some versions may capture screenshots to gather additional visual intel. • T1560.001 – Archive Collected Data: Archives all harvested data before exfiltration. Command-and-Control: • T1071.001 – Application Layer Protocol: HTTPS: Sends exfiltrated data over HTTP or HTTPS to a hardcoded C2 URL. Exfiltration: • T1041 – Exfiltration Over C2 Channel: Transmits stolen data directly through the established C2 link | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Threat Protected: | 02 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Type: | Trojan-activity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (Week 4 - March 2025)
CISA (https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog)
Vulnerability | CVSS | Description | |
9.8 (High) | Cisco Smart Licensing Utility contains a static credential vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log in to an affected system and gain administrative credentials. | ||
8.4 (High) | Google Chromium Mojo on Windows contains a sandbox escape vulnerability caused by a logic error, which results from an incorrect handle being provided in unspecified circumstances | ||
7.5 (High) | Sitecore CMS and Experience Platform (XP) Deserialisation Vulnerability | ||
8.6 (High) | Sitecore CMS and Experience Platform (XP) Deserialisation Vulnerability | ||
9.3 (Critical) | reviewdog/action-setup GitHub Action Embedded Malicious Code Vulnerability |
Updated Malware Signatures (Week 4 - March 2025)
Threat | Description | |
zgRAT | This threat is a classic remote access trojan that allows its operator to gain remote control of a compromised machine, perform keylogging, steal sensitive data, and also upload/execute other threats. Note zgRAT is also capable of spreading via USB drives | |
ClipBanker | Trojan.ClipBanker is Malwarebytes’ detection name for a type of Trojan that tries to steal currencies from the affected system by stealing or manipulating the data on the Windows clipboard. | |
XWorm | XWorm is a relatively new versatile tool that was discovered in 2022. It enables attackers to carry out a variety of functions, which include accessing sensitive information, gaining remote access, and deploying additional malware. |
| Ransomware Report | |
The Red Piranha Team conducts ongoing surveillance of the dark web and other channels to identify global organisations impacted by ransomware attacks. In the past week, our monitoring revealed multiple ransomware incidents across diverse threat groups, underscoring the persistent and widespread nature of these cyber risks. Presented below is a detailed breakdown of ransomware group activities during this period. | |
| Name of Ransomware Group | Overall %age of total attack coverage |
Bianlian | 0.67% |
3.36% | |
Cicada3301 | 1.34% |
KillSec3 | 2.68% |
1.34% | |
Babuk-Bjorka | 11.41% |
Interlock | 1.34% |
Inc ransom | 3.36% |
Lynx | 4.03% |
CrazyHunter Team | 0.67% |
Qilin | 6.04% |
Frag | 18.12% |
2.68% | |
17.45% | |
Hellcat | 1.34% |
NightSpire | 4.03% |
2.01% | |
Akira | 0.67% |
Arkana Security | 1.34% |
1.34% | |
Zerolockersec | 1.34% |
Ransomware blog | 0.67% |
Ralord | 3.36% |
Everest | 0.67% |
Sarcoma | 4.7% |
VanHelsing | 0.67% |
RansomHouse | 0.67% |
Abyss-Data | 0.67% |
Stormous | 0.67% |
Leaked Data | 0.67% |
Latrodectus Ransomware
Latrodectus is a sophisticated Windows-based malware loader first identified in October 2023. Designed to infiltrate systems stealthily, it facilitates the deployment of additional malicious payloads, including ransomware, remote access trojans, and information stealers. Its advanced evasion techniques and ability to execute code within legitimate process memory make it particularly dangerous, enabling activities such as data theft, remote system control, and disruption of critical operations. By masquerading legitimate files and employing complex obfuscation methods, Latrodectus poses a significant threat to the cybersecurity of both individuals and organisations.
Detailed Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs):
- Initial Access and Execution:
- Latrodectus is primarily distributed through phishing emails containing malicious attachments or links. These emails often masquerade as legitimate communications, enticing recipients to open attachments or click on links that initiate the infection chain.
- Defence Evasion:
- The malware employs various techniques to evade detection, including:
- Debugger Evasion (T1622): Detects the presence of debugging tools to thwart analysis.
- Deobfuscation/Decode Files or Information (T1140): Deobfuscates encrypted strings to conceal its true functionality.
- The malware employs various techniques to evade detection, including:
- Persistence Mechanisms:
- Latrodectus establishes persistence through:
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution via Registry Run Keys/Startup Folder (T1547.001): Modifies registry keys to ensure execution upon system startup.
- Scheduled Tasks (T1053.005): Creates tasks to execute malicious payloads at specified intervals.
- Latrodectus establishes persistence through:
- Command-and-Control (C2) Communication:
- Utilises standard application layer protocols for C2 communication, including:
- Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols (T1071.001): Sends registration information to C2 servers via HTTP POST requests.
- Data Encoding: Standard Encoding (T1132.001): Employs Base64 encoding for data transmitted to C2 servers.
- Utilises standard application layer protocols for C2 communication, including:
- Discovery and Information Gathering:
- Conducts various discovery activities to gather system information:
- Account Discovery: Domain Account (T1087.002): Identifies domain administrator accounts by executing commands like net group "Domain Admins" /domain.
- System Information Discovery (T1082): Collects data on system configurations and settings.
- Conducts various discovery activities to gather system information:
- Impact:
- Capable of downloading and executing additional payloads, leading to:
- Data Encrypted for Impact (T1486): Facilitates ransomware deployment to encrypt critical data.
- Inhibit System Recovery (T1490): Disables system recovery features to prevent restoration of encrypted files.
- Capable of downloading and executing additional payloads, leading to:
Indicators of Compromise (IOCs):
File Hashes (MD5):
- 0a2b923be8aefb8e3cd0d2787183ef35
- 1f4f7c5154d73bbcfb88dbfd0a7b131c
- 1fd0fffa9b17a3351ed277c1cae23305
- 24740f0f2d658a5d863e93ab33029a41
- 2a14c25eff6022168936b847354335cf
- 2ec5ce52d41c58ec86bd6448c557d298
- 3b67ecc2f2ade1f1865aa384ed8de227
- 47aff6fc736afa4f4d677a776fcad230
- 51a202e07a388762720ff5d21da7996c
- 524a8891a7df50aa9ced2da9ef379929
Mitigation Strategies:
- Email Security:
- Advanced Filtering: Implement sophisticated email filtering solutions to detect and block phishing emails containing malicious attachments or links.
- User Awareness Training: Educate employees on recognising phishing attempts and the dangers of interacting with unsolicited attachments or links.
- Endpoint Protection:
- Antivirus and Anti-malware: Deploy robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify and mitigate malicious activities associated with Latrodectus. Regularly update antivirus definitions to detect and remove known Latrodectus variants.
- Application Control: Restrict the execution of unauthorised applications and scripts to prevent malware installation.
- Network Security:
- Traffic Monitoring: Monitor network traffic for signs of command-and-control (C2) communication, particularly unusual HTTP POST requests or Base64-encoded data transmissions.
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS): Implement IDPS to block known indicators of compromise (IOCs) and suspicious activities.
- System Hardening:
- Regular Patching: Keep operating systems and applications up to date with the latest security patches to mitigate vulnerabilities exploited by Latrodectus.
- Access Controls: Enforce the principle of least privilege, ensuring users have only the access necessary for their roles.
- Backup and Recovery:
- Regular Backups: Conduct regular backups of critical data and ensure backups are stored securely and are not accessible from the main network.
- Recovery Planning: Develop and regularly update incident response and disaster recovery plans to quickly address infections and restore operations.
By implementing these strategies, organisations can enhance their defences against Latrodectus and similar malware threats.
Ransomware Victims Worldwide
A recent ransomware analysis reveals that the United States continues to be the most heavily impacted nation, accounting for a staggering 56.38% of global incidents. This underscores the ongoing vulnerability of US-based entities across various sectors to sophisticated ransomware threats.
Canada follows as the second-most affected country, reporting 5.37% of incidents, while France accounts for 4.70%, highlighting growing ransomware risks across North America and Western Europe. The United Kingdom (3.36%), India (2.01%), Australia (2.01%), and Japan (2.01%) also reported notable incident volumes, reflecting a broadening global threat footprint.
Other nations with a moderate percentage of ransomware incidents include Spain (2.01%), Italy (2.01%), Turkey (2.01%), Germany (2.01%), and Brazil (1.34%). Countries such as Pakistan, Argentina, Colombia, China, Thailand, Mexico, Hungary, and Iraq each reported between 0.67% and 1.34% of global cases.
Additional countries impacted include Netherlands, Singapore, Slovakia, Chile, Korea, Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Israel, Dominican Republic, Sweden, and Antigua and Barbuda, each contributing 0.67% of global ransomware cases.
This analysis underscores the increasingly global nature of ransomware attacks, with a continued focus on North America, Europe, and Asia. The findings emphasise the urgent need for proactive cybersecurity defences, cross-border threat intelligence sharing, and resilient recovery planning to mitigate these growing threats.
Ransomware Victims by Industry
In the most recent industry-specific analysis of ransomware incidents, the Manufacturing sector once again emerged as the top target, accounting for 13.42% of global attacks. This highlights persistent vulnerabilities in industrial networks, production systems, and supply chain ecosystems.
Business Services followed closely at 12.08%, indicating the high risk to service-oriented and consulting sectors. The Construction industry reported 9.40% of incidents, underscoring continued exposure among infrastructure and development firms.
Other significantly affected industries include Retail (8.05%), Healthcare (6.04%), and Education (6.04%), illustrating the risks to sectors dealing with sensitive consumer, patient, and student data. Transportation, Finance, and Organisations each reported 4.70% of total ransomware incidents, while Hospitality accounted for 4.03%, reflecting cybercriminals’ focus on public-facing services and essential logistics.
Sectors like Law Firms (3.36%), Federal (3.36%), Energy (3.36%), and Real Estate (2.68%) also experienced notable targeting, showing attackers' interests in sensitive legal, operational, and strategic data.
Emerging trends show ransomware also targeting IT (2.01%), Telecommunications (2.01%), and Minerals & Mining (2.01%). Industries like Electronics, Consumer Services, Agriculture, and Insurance each saw 1.34% or less, indicating that no vertical is immune.
This analysis confirms that ransomware remains an indiscriminate threat, affecting both critical infrastructure and private enterprises. It highlights the urgent need for industry-specific threat modeling, enhanced detection frameworks, and resilience strategies to counteract ransomware's evolving tactics.
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