Google TAG Detects State-Backed Threat Actors Exploiting WinRAR Flaw

A selection of condition-back danger actors from Russia and China have been observed exploiting a latest security flaw in the WinRAR archiver tool for Windows as part of their functions.

The vulnerability in query is CVE-2023-38831 (CVSS rating: 7.8), which permits attackers to execute arbitrary code when a user makes an attempt to check out a benign file inside of a ZIP archive. The shortcoming has been actively exploited considering the fact that at least April 2023.

Google Danger Examination Group (TAG), which detected the pursuits in current months, attributed them to three different clusters it tracks below the geological monikers FROZENBARENTS (aka Sandworm), FROZENLAKE (aka APT28), and ISLANDDREAMS (aka APT40).

The phishing attack linked to Sandworm impersonated a Ukrainian drone warfare training college in early September and dispersed a destructive ZIP file exploiting CVE-2023-38831 to provide Rhadamanthys, a commodity stealer malware which is provided for sale for $250 for a regular membership.

APT28, also affiliated with the Most important Directorate of the Common Employees of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) as it is the situation with Sandworm, is mentioned to have launched an email marketing campaign focusing on government corporations in Ukraine.

In these attacks, users from Ukraine were prompted to download a file that contains a CVE-2023-38831 exploit – a decoy document that masqueraded as an function invitation from Razumkov Centre, a public policy imagine tank in the region.

The end result is the execution of a PowerShell script named IRONJAW that steals browser login info and nearby point out directories and exports the data to an actor-controlled infrastructure on webhook[.]web-site.

The third risk actor to exploit the WinRAR bug is APT40, which unleashed a phishing marketing campaign concentrating on Papua New Guinea in which the email messages provided a Dropbox hyperlink to a ZIP archive containing the CVE-2023-38831 exploit.

The infection sequence in the end paved the way for the deployment of a dropper named ISLANDSTAGER that is responsible for loading BOXRAT, a .NET backdoor that uses the Dropbox API for command-and-control

The disclosure builds upon the latest results from Cluster25, which in depth attacks carried out by the APT28 hacking crew exploiting the WinRAR flaw to carry out credential harvesting functions.

Some of the other point out-sponsored adversaries that have joined the fray are Konni (which shares overlaps with a North Korean cluster tracked as Kimsuky) and Dark Pink (aka Saaiwc Team), according to conclusions from the Knownsec 404 workforce and NSFOCUS.

“The prevalent exploitation of the WinRAR bug highlights that exploits for known vulnerabilities can be hugely successful, irrespective of a patch currently being out there,” TAG researcher

Kate Morgan claimed. “Even the most sophisticated attackers will only do what is essential to achieve their goals.”

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Some parts of this article are sourced from:
thehackernews.com