Nov 07 2023
Welcome to Gone Phishing, your daily cybersecurity newsletter thatโs โtough on cybercrime, tough on causes of cybercrimeโ ๐ Showing our age? ๐
Todayโs hottest cybersecurity news stories:
๐ SecuriDropper-as-a-service storms new Google Play defences ๐ฅ
โ ๏ธ Google warns of how hackers could abuse its calendar service ๐
๐คท Russian woman sanctioned by U.S. for laundering virtual currency ๐จโ๐ป
๐ข Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new Android threat, known as SecuriDropper, a Dropper-as-a-Service (DaaS) that's causing a stir in the cyber world! ๐ฑ
๐พ What is a DaaS? It's a sneaky tool which can be purchased by anyone (hence โas-a-service) that helps cybercriminals install malware on your Android device, all while (in this case, at least!) bypassing Google's latest security measures. ๐จ
๐ก๏ธ Google's Android 13 brought new security features, including "Restricted Settings" to prevent malicious apps from hijacking your device. But SecuriDropper cleverly sidesteps this safeguard by disguising itself as harmless apps. ๐
๐ก๏ธ What's more, SecuriDropper uses a different Android API to mimic marketplace installations, making it harder to detect. ๐ฒ
๐ผ Cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric warns that this malware can lead to the distribution of nasty banking trojans like SpyNote and ERMAC. ๐ก
๐ก Stay safe: Avoid downloading apps from sketchy websites and third-party sources. Stick to trusted app stores. ๐ก๏ธ
๐ Keep yourself informed about the latest cybersecurity threats, and remember that Android users have control over their app permissions. Google is also working tirelessly to protect users. ๐
Stay safe out there, and keep those devices secure! ๐๐ป
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๐ Google has issued a warning about a potential threat involving its Calendar service being used for cyber attacks. ๐ฑ
๐ ๏ธ The exploit, called Google Calendar RAT (GCR), was publicly shared on GitHub in June 2023. It cleverly uses Google Calendar Events as a command-and-control (C2) mechanism, with events hosted through a Gmail account.
๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ The developer behind this tool, known as MrSaighnal, explains that GCR creates a "Covert Channel" by manipulating event descriptions in Google Calendar, allowing a direct connection with the target. ๐ฎ
๐ Google hasn't seen GCR used in real-world attacks, but its Mandiant threat intelligence unit has noticed threat actors sharing this proof-of-concept on underground forums.
๐ก๏ธ GCR can periodically check the event description for new commands, execute those commands on the target device, and update the event description with the command output. Because it operates on legitimate infrastructure, detecting suspicious activity becomes challenging.
๐ฅ๏ธ This incident emphasises how cyber threats are evolving, with attackers using cloud services to hide in plain sight. Even a nation-state actor has been caught using a .NET backdoor, codenamed BANANAMAIL, for Windows, which uses email for command-and-control operations.
๐ Google is actively addressing these threats, taking down attacker-controlled Gmail accounts linked to such malware. Stay vigilant and follow best security practices to protect your data and devices. ๐ป๐ ๐
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The U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken action against Ekaterina Zhdanova, a Russian individual, for her involvement in laundering virtual currency for Russia's elites and cybercriminal groups, including the notorious Ryuk ransomware gang. ๐ฐ
๐ Zhdanova is accused of facilitating large cross-border transactions to help Russian individuals access Western financial markets and evade international sanctions. She utilises entities lacking Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) controls, like the OFAC-designated Russian crypto exchange Garantex Europe OU (Garantex). ๐ผ
๐ธ To move funds internationally, Zhdanova employs various methods, including cash and connections to international money laundering associates and organisations. It's worth noting that Garantex was previously sanctioned in April 2022, alongside the takedown of the dark web marketplace Hydra. ๐
๐ต๏ธ She's also accused of assisting the Ryuk ransomware group by laundering over $2.3 million of suspected victim payments in 2021. Ryuk, a precursor to Conti ransomware, has targeted governments, healthcare, and more since 2018.
๐ฎโโ๏ธ In a related case, a Russian citizen named Denis Mihaqlovic Dubnikov pleaded guilty to money laundering charges connected to Ryuk ransomware attacks earlier this year.
๐ผ As ransomware attacks continue to rise, organisations are urged to adopt comprehensive defence strategies, including robust backups, security software, user training, and proactive incident response plans. ๐ก๏ธ๐๐ธ๐
Donโt get caught with your pants down folks; ransomware is the cyber-scourge of our time. Stay safe out there, true believers โ
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So long and thanks for reading all the phish!