Date: 3/21/2022
There has been a recent pattern of State-Sponsored Russian attackers utilizing the “PrintNightmare” vulnerability to exfiltrate emails and files and gain unauthorized access to networks. This is achieved by leveraging weak Multifactor authentication configurations and allowing them to register a new device where the “PrintNightmare” vulnerability executes code and gains access to the system without detection.
The previous Windows Print Spooler Vulnerability has not been properly patched. It affects every version of Windows, as Microsoft had attempted to create patches for Windows 7 and Server 2012. As a result, Russian hackers can work within the active directory and gain control of the system. American government agencies and private agencies are at risk as Russian hackers continuously attempt to obtain intelligence.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Talos researchers have observed threat actors using email lures with themes related to the conflict, including humanitarian assistance and various types of fundraising. This activity has been increasing since the end of February. These emails are primarily related to scam activity but have also delivered a variety of threats, including remote access trojans (RATs).
The global interest in the ongoing war in Ukraine makes it a convenient and effective news event for cybercriminals to exploit. Cisco Talos saw the same type of activity when the COVID-19 pandemic started and we are now seeing it with Ukraine. Criminals, especially cybercriminals, are opportunistic. If a certain topic of lure is going to increase the chances of a potential victim installing their payload, they will use it.
We expect this type of behavior to continue and likely increase in the days and weeks ahead. As this conflict wears on, an increasing number of criminals are going to try and exploit it. We’ve already seen a huge amount of scam activity in addition to malware delivery via traditional means like email. This particular conflict is unique in that a vigilante cyber army is conducting attacks using software they don’t understand, something else we’ve found abused.
Organizations need to be working to detect this type of activity in your environment. While there may be protections in place to stop the malware attacks from occurring, the risk of scams is significant and can be difficult to block, especially in the case of BEC, where trusted accounts are sending malicious emails. One way to address this is hunting in your own telemetry, if applicable, to try and find these threats as they are occurring. We recommend building a word list to search on, making sure to include cyrillic versions in both Ukrainian and Russian, as they are also being widely targeted by attackers.
Sources
https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2022/03/ukraine-invasion-scams-malware.html
This has given key insight into the behaviors of the trojan including its primary second and third stage payloads. Lampion spreads primarily through phishing emails containing fake/malicious Office documents/PDF files. Within those files sits a VBS (visual basic script) which contains the Trojan loader and C2 communication address(es).
Additionally, the VBS file has been inflated to roughly 56MB to bypass junk detection filters in modern email security tools. This is in stark contrast to its previous size of ~13KB. The inflation also helps to reduce the accuracy of Hash-based blocking as it allows for modification of the junk space.
After the initial VBS script is loaded, the malware will then begin pulling additional VBS files such as 2nd_stage_vbs followed by (normally) two DLLs from a randomized AWS S3 bucket IP.
Once all files are loaded the Trojan will begin de-obfuscating its commands and moving into the installation stage.
Lampion is an incredibly efficient malware and should not be taken lightly. While primarily impacting the banking industry, Lampion can easily be adjusted to run as an all-purpose Trojan to attack any industry. The sophistication of the malware is attributed to Russian APT activity and thus can be considered more dangerous than other APT group activity.
Partnering Email security solutions with an EDR platform is the best prevention strategy for this malware to both prevent its initial access and prevent it from gaining a foothold on an endpoint.
However, additional steps can be taken to implement a more defense-in-depth approach. Blocking the current well-known VBS file and hash is advised:
Along with that blocking of the filenames of the normal 2nd and 3rd stage attacks can also be implemented – the hashes of these files differ wildly which makes hash-blocking not a valid pathway:
BITB attacks simulate a browser windows within a browser window to entirely spoof legitimate domains. This methos takes advantage of third-party single sign-on options.
Security awareness training teaches users to inspect the URLs for suspicious indicators but BITB attacks allow threat actors to spoof legitimate domains and include trustworthy URLs. However, users would need to first be directed to a phishing domain that would execute a BITB attack.
Ensure security awareness training includes current tactics and techniques used by threat actors.
Sources
https://thehackernews.com/2022/03/new-browser-in-browser-bitb-attack.html
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-phishing-toolkit-lets-anyone-create-fake-chrome-browser-windows/
What is the current or potential problem?
Cybercrime groups based in Russia and some Eastern European countries act largely with impunity. Recent analysis of leaked information of the Conti ransomware group suggests that these criminal groups may have ties to the Kremlin.
How do you know if you are vulnerable?
The ransomware tsunami of 2021 should have every organization considering themselves a potential target for cybercrime.
What is likelihood/impact?
Organizations are constantly under attack from cybercriminals, and the likelihood of a compromise is high. Whether or not that compromise leads to serious problems for an organization depends on the strength of its security program.
Implement a security program that includes continuous vulnerability management and network monitoring capabilities.
Sources
Inside Conti leaks: The Panama Papers of ransomware – The Record by Recorded Future
Conti Leaks Reveal the Ransomware Group’s Links to Russia | WIRED
For strategic clients, your vCISO will add this to your next Office Hours for further discussion. However, if you have an immediate need, concern, or question, please reach out to them directly.
For non-strategic clients, please reach out to your Advisor for further discussion.
Offerings
Industries
Compliance
Copyright © 2023 GreyCastle Security. All Rights Reserved
800-403-8350Copyright © 2022 GreyCastle Security. All Rights Reserved
Ho Chin is Chief Financial Officer at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Ho leads Finance, HR, IT and Professional Development. As part of the executive leadership team, Ho works to establish the company’s overall strategy and ensure proper execution of the supporting initiatives pertaining to the above areas of responsibility.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Ho led finance and administrative functions at multiple private equity and venture-backed portfolio companies across multiple industries. Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University in Centre County, Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dan Kalil is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Chairman at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Dan provides vision, leadership and strategies that drive GreyCastle Security’s position as an industry leader. With an emphasis on customer success, Dan’s profitable growth model leverages a customer-centric business approach that balances employee wellbeing and social responsibility.
Prior to becoming CEO, Dan served as the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, during which he supported multiple acquisitions and helped the organization achieve substantial sales growth. In addition to serving as CEO at GreyCastle Security, Dan continues to hold the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Assured information Security (AIS) in Rome, New York, a company he co-founded in 2001.
Over the course of the last 22 years, Dan has been committed to advancing the state of cybersecurity and has played an instrumental role in the identification and development of critical, next-generation cyber capabilities. He has held positions in almost every facet of cybersecurity, beginning as a computer forensic examiner and progressing through the management and executive leadership ranks. In addition to co-founding AIS, Dan has facilitated multiple cybersecurity startups, raised investment capital and has served in various lead and support roles toward the acquisition of five companies in the last eight years.
Dan has a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Utica College in Utica, New York.
Michael Stamas is an entrepreneur, board member, Vice President and a founder of GreyCastle Security. With more than two decades of experience in the technology sector, Mike pairs his management and business development skills with a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Mike brings a unique brand of risk-based advising to GreyCastle clients and prospects.
Mike holds certifications in numerous security and technology related areas, including the Department of Homeland Security and other security technologies like Symantec, Cisco and Microsoft.
Mike plays an active role in his community and serves as a board member and Vice President of InfraGard Albany as well as an advisory board position with the Capital Region YMCA.
Mike has been recognized for his numerous achievements through various honors including the Albany Business Review’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award.
Dan Maynard serves as GreyCastle Security’s Chief Operating Officer, where he currently leads Sales, Marketing and Legal.
Dan has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry, during which time he has held various leadership positions for organizations such as Rochester Tel/RCI, Citizens Communications (Frontier), PAETEC Communications, IntegraOptics, tw telecom/Level3 and Centurylink.
In addition to various voice and data technology platforms, he possesses a strong background in leadership development, sales and marketing leadership, transformational leadership and strategic planning. Dan has a thirst for knowledge and as a committed lifelong learner, he encourages and supports professional development initiatives for his teams and continues his involvement with Vistage International.
Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he was selected as a member of their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
When not at work, Dan enjoys traveling, golfing, attending Utica Comets hockey games and relaxing in the Adirondacks on beautiful Canada Lake with family and friends.
Dan Didier is the Vice President of Solutions and board member at GreyCastle Security.
Dan has been a cybersecurity practitioner for more than 20 years and uses his knowledge and experience to develop cybersecurity solutions that ensure readiness and preparedness.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in Information Assurance from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
Our Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) have responded to hundreds of breaches, intrusions, malware infections, thefts, employee investigations, fraud cases and other incidents. Our highly-certified experts have extensive experience in command, coordination and correction of incidents in nearly every industry throughout North America, from local businesses to Fortune 500 international conglomerates.
800-403-8350Francesca LoPorto-Brandow is Director of Culture at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Francesca leads all social responsibility efforts and partnerships and develops effective strategies that promote organizational-wide behaviors and attitudes consistent with a culture of safety, inclusion, teamwork, motivation and high-performance.
Prior to this role, Francesca was Director of People & Culture at GreyCastle and with her leadership, the company’s culture has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Nationally recognized Best Workplace, Albany Business Review Best Places to Work and Albany Times Union Top Workplaces.
Before joining GreyCastle Security, Francesca worked as an OD consultant and focused on strategic culture change at The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. for more than six years. There, she facilitated client education sessions, coached leaders and teams, developed and executed consulting interventions and served as strategy project leader on various client engagements. Her work has taken her into Fortune 100 companies and across borders including Panama, Singapore and beyond.
Francesca is a Lean Six Sigma–certified Green Belt, a proud YWCA-GCR board member and in 2013, she coordinated and emceed the inaugural TEDx Troy—a livestream of TEDCity 2.0. Since 2012, she has coordinated and emceed the Troy 100 Forum, a biannual forum for government, religious and community leaders to discuss issues vital to the future of Troy, New York.
Bilingual in English and Italian, Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management & Technology. She was awarded Cybersecurity Recruiter of the year North America in 2017 by the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.
Jamie Aiello is Senior Vice President of Services and Product Management at GreyCastle Security. In this position, Jamie is responsible for leading a high performing and well-balanced team that is ultimately responsible for the identification, selection, execution and successful performance of our company’s diverse portfolio of cybersecurity offerings.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Jamie has held leadership positions with Annese and Associates, ConvergeOne and BlueSky IT Partners with a focus on delivering cost effective information technology solutions for companies across multiple verticals.
Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
