Jobs are getting axed at Waze as the navigation platform starts using Google’s ad system

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Jobs are getting axed at Waze as the navigation platform starts using Google’s ad system
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CNBC reported on Tuesday that an email from Chris Phillips, who runs Google’s Geo maps division, said that Waze is moving to Google’s ad system. As a result, Waze will no longer need a separate ad system which will lead to layoffs at Waze. Google owns both Google Maps and Waze; the former not only gets you from “A” to “B” safely, it also tells you where you should stay at “B,” places to go while there, and also recommends places to eat.
Waze is more focused on the journey itself and uses crowdsourced information to help users avoid accidents, heavy traffic, police speed traps, and more. The email from Phillips said, “We have decided to transition Waze’s ads monetization to be managed by the Global Business Organization (GBO), similar to Google Maps. Unfortunately, this will result in a reduction of Waze Ads monetization-focused roles in sales, marketing, operations, and analytics.”
Google will layoff Waze employees related to the platform's own ads product - Jobs are getting axed at Waze as the navigation platform starts using Google's ad system

Google will layoff Waze employees related to the platform’s own ads product

Phillips added that Google will “wind down the current Waze Ads product while we focus on building new Waze Ads powered by Google Ads.” He stated that advertisers and partners will be notified today and that it will answer questions about the future of the navigation platform on July 11th which is when Waze will hold its next Town Hall.

Google purchased Waze for $1.3 billion in 2013 and documentation read by CNBC shows that it has 500 employees. The number of Waze employees that will be laid off is not known and Google has not revealed that number. The platform has 140 million active users. Discussing the layoffs in his email, Phillips wrote, “Decisions like these are incredibly difficult. Each one of these Wazers contributed to Waze’s success and culture, and I want to express my gratitude and respect for what they have achieved.”
Waze offers features not found on Google Maps such as celebrity guest voices who will read driving instructions to you. You can even add your own voice to listen to. If you don’t have Waze on your phone, you can install it by clicking on this link for Android, or this link for iOS.

Google says it has been focusing on becoming more efficient and parent company Alphabet said that it would cut its workforce by 6% or 12,000 employees. It also canceled and downsized some of its projects.


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Most Enterprise SIEMs Fail Against MITRE ATT&CK

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Most Enterprise SIEMs Fail Against MITRE ATT&CK
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SIEM (Security Incident and Event Management) tools are being used in most organizations for monitoring, analyzing, and preventing threat actors.

Organizations are trying to build more and more in terms of security to protect against ransomware attacks, data breaches, and many other types of cybercriminal activities.

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However, Security is a continuous process. These SIEM tools can help prevent threat actors only to a certain extent.

The detection mechanisms of SIEMs are far less when compared to the sophisticated attacks that threat actors use to infiltrate organizations.

MITRE ATT&CK & SIEMs

MITRE has nearly 194 techniques in its framework, which are taken as a baseline for building SIEM tools.

According to report from Cardinalops, Enterprise SIEMs are covering only 24% of detections of the overall MITRE attack techniques.

Image: Enterprise security. Source: CardinalOps

Enterprise SIEMs currently have enough data to cover these techniques, which accounts for nearly 94% of all the MITRE ATT&CK techniques that only need a scale-up for detecting much faster and more efficiently.

The report also indicated that 12% of all the SIEM rules that are currently built are broken due to misconfigured data sources and missing field elements.

According to RedHat reports, Organisations using containers account for more than 68%. However, container security lags a lot, with only 32% in detection.

Common Security Layers

Most of the common security layers covered by SIEM are,

  1. Windows – 96%
  2. Network – 96%
  3. IAM – 96%
  4. Linux/Mac – 87%
  5. Cloud – 83%
  6. Email – 78%
  7. Productivity Suites – 63%
  8. Container – 32%
layers
Image: Most Common Security layers. Source: CardinalOps

The most commonly used SIEMs were Splunk, IBM QRadar, Sentinel, and Sumologic. Analyzing these tools provided over 4000 rules in SIEMs, with the largest SIEM having more than 600 rules. 

The analyzed sectors include financial services, banking, insurance, energy, media and telecommunications, professional & legal services, and MSSP(Managed Security Service Provider) / MDR (Managed Detection and Response).

Recommendations for SIEM

Organizations are advised to review the current SIEM process and check for threats and techniques or behaviors that it is currently missing.

The ad-hoc combination of use case management must include manual pentesting, red teaming, breach and attack simulation tools (BAS), threat intelligence, and much more.

Measure and improve the SIEM with various detecting engineering process approaches in terms of IT management, DevOps, SOC, and other quality metrics that contribute to the security side of the organizations.

With increasing threats day by day, it is necessary for organizations to effectively manage and monitor the threats in every aspect of security. A single loophole can bring the entire organization down.

Hence, Security professionals are advised to take necessary security measures to protect against threat actors.

“AI-based email security measures Protect your business From Email Threats!” – Request a Free Demo.


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Ex-Samsung exec who stole chip secrets planned to help Foxconn

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Ex-Samsung exec who stole chip secrets planned to help Foxconn
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A couple of weeks back, a former Samsung executive was indicted on charges of stealing chip secrets and leaking them to a rival company in China. Prosecutors didn’t name the person when they announced the indictment on June 12, nor they revealed the Chinese firm in question. We now have both details, as well as more information about the whole matter. According to a Reuters report, the accused former Samsung executive is Choi Jinseog. He reportedly tried to use the stolen secrets to set up a chip factory for Foxconn.

Choi Jinseog worked at Samsung for 17 years before stealing chip secrets

Choi Jinseog is a 65-year-old semiconductor expert who worked at Samsung for 17 years. He oversaw the development of DRAM memory chips and also worked on wafer processing technology. He won several internal awards from the company before leaving in 200. Choi subsequently joined another South Korean semiconductor firm SK Hynix (formerly Semiconductor). He worked there for more than eight years, serving as the chief technology officer and helping the company return to profitability.

But it has since been downhill for Choi, who was once seen as a star in South Korea’s chip industry. In 2018, his Singapore-based consultancy Jin Semiconductor won a contract to help build a chip factory for Foxconn in China. To make his work easier, Choi tapped Samsung’s supplier network to steal secrets. He got in contact with “a large number” of Samsung employees, including some from its affiliates. He managed to obtain information related to building a chip factory from two of the company’s contractors.

Cho Young-sik, who worked at Samsung subsidiary Samoo Architects & Engineers, provided Choi with confidential information on semiconductor cleanroom management. Cleanrooms are enclosed areas where chips are manufactured. These areas are free of dust and other impurities. Samoo helped Samsung in the construction of its chip plant in Xian, China, in 2012. Chung Chan-yup, an employee at HanmiGlobal, which supervised the construction, helped Choi obtain blueprints of the factory.

Foxconn’s chip factory was never built

Choi planned to use the stolen data and secrets to help its client Foxconn build a chip factory in China. The factory was supposed to have a capacity of 100,000 wafers per month for 20nm DRAM memory chip production. Foxconn had set aside a budget of over 8 trillion won ($6 billion) for the factory, with Choi’s consultancy firm earning several million dollars every month for its services. However, Foxconn ended the contract just a year after signing it. The company eventually pulled out of the plan and did not complete the construction.

However, Samsung considers the information that Choi obtained “strictly confidential.” South Korea also considers sub-20nm chip technologies “national core technology” and prohibits the transfer of such technologies overseas unless legally approved through licensing or partnership. Choi’s actions may have helped the Chinese chip industry. But the former Samsung executive denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer Kim Pilsung suggested that Choi may be a scapegoat caught in the rivalry between the US and China.

South Korea is trying to strengthen its semiconductor industry amid the growing tensions between the two countries, seeking to slow China’s progress. Kim argued that engineering standards to make cleanrooms are already available publicly. Samsung isn’t the only company doing it. “A factory layout? You can take a snapshot from Google Maps, and experts would know what is inside which building,” Kim said, showing a satellite snapshot of Samsung’s plant in Xian, China. Choi, who has been in jail since late May, did not steal a secret, Kid suggested.

Foxconn, Samoo, and HanmiGlobal are not accused of any wrongdoing

The indictment doesn’t accuse Foxconn, Samoo, and HanmiGlobal of any wrongdoing. Samoo’s former employee Cho Young-sik was also not charged, but HanmiGlobal’s Chung Chan-yup has been charged with leaking business secrets. In total, South Korean lawmakers have indicted seven individuals in the case. The other five are former and current Jin Semiconductor employees.

All of the companies said that they are aware of the ongoing case in South Korea and maintain that they have no involvement. “We abide by laws and regulations governing jurisdictions we operate in,” Foxconn added. Samsung declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing investigations. A trial of the case will begin on July 12. We will let you know as we have more information on the matter.


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Netflix kills Basic plan for new subs in Canada forcing them to choose Basic with ads or to pay more

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Netflix kills Basic plan for new subs in Canada forcing them to choose Basic with ads or to pay more
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You may remember when last year, Netflix introduced a cheaper ad-supported plan in an attempt to gain more subscribers amidst a wave of people leaving the streaming service.

However, alongside the ad-supported plan, Netflix also has a basic plan without ads. Now, it seems this plan will be no more, reports 9to5Mac. At least in Canada, Netflix has quietly removed the plan from the subscription options. This way, you can either choose an ad-supported tier or go for a more expensive tier.

Netflix has removed its Basic plan without ads in Canada


Right now, Netflix’s website in Canada doesn’t offer the basic plan without ads as an option for new subscribers. There’s no information right now on whether or not this is a permanent decision or a temporary one, but it looks pretty permanent. It also isn’t clear what happens to the subscribers who currently have the basic plan without ads. In most countries, the streaming service is available with four options: Basic with ads, Basic, Standard, and Premium. On the basic plans, you can watch movies and TV shows in 720p resolution, and you can use a single device only. The Standard plan allows for 1080p resolution and two devices. Premium gives you access to 4K content, and support for up to four different devices.

In Canada, the “Basic with ads” plan has now been rebranded as “Standard with ads”. It supports 1080p resolutions and two devices.

Prices in Canada right now are as follows:
  • 5.99 CAD / month for Standard with ads plan
  • 16.49 CAD / month for the Standard plan
  • 20.99 CAD / month for the Premium plan

The Basic plan without ads (which now does not exist) used to cost 9.99 CAD. This change pretty much means that if you don’t want to watch ads, you’ll have to pay extra.

For now, in the U.S., Netflix plans have remained Standard with ads for $6.99 / month, Basic: $9.99 / month, Standard: $15.49 / month, and Premium: $19.99 / month. It is unclear whether Netflix plans to remove the Basic plan in other countries at the moment and when. When we know more, we’ll let you know. 


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Flipper Hacking Device Gained Popularity

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Flipper Hacking Device Gained Popularity
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The Flipper Zero hacking device plans on selling $80 million worth of gadgets this year, up from preorders on Kickstarter that totaled over $5 million. It also claims to have sold $25 million of the devices last year.

The business, established in Russia in 2020, departed the nation at the outbreak of the conflict and has since relocated. It claims to no longer be connected to Russia.

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What is a Flipper Zero?

Flipper Zero is a “portable gamified multi-tool” designed for anybody interested in cybersecurity, including penetration testers, intellectual people on the internet, students, and anyone with deeper motives.

The tool offers a variety of ways to control your environment, such as wireless devices (like garage openers), RFID card systems, remote keyless entry systems, Flipper Hacking Devices, key fobs, and barrier access. In essence, you may program it to mimic a variety of lock systems.

Additionally, it’s a fun experimentation tool that reveals how insecure the majority of the globe is in reality. The company also emphasizes that the firmware is open source and available for anybody to review.

 “Current events will not affect the Flipper Zero production in any way, and all ordered devices will be shipped to backers and those who have pre-ordered, though there may be delays for customers from the CIS countries [the Commonwealth of Independent States] due to logistics disruptions in the region,” the company said in an Instagram post.

Flipper Devices, a firm that employs both Ukrainians and Russians, released a statement in which it declared that it strongly objects to the continuing “special military operation” and that neither of our team members supports it.

The firm is not Russian, according to a corporate representative. Its CEO and more than 10% of the crew are both Ukrainian.

According to TechCrunch report, the Flipper Zero device is on track to sell $80 million worth of its products this year 

Further, Flipper Devices is a distributed business that is expanding its London headquarters. Additionally, it adds that Flipper Gadgets works to relocate all of its personnel outside of Russia, doesn’t hire there, and doesn’t export gadgets to Russia.

Some of their workers may travel there to visit family or for other personal reasons as they hold Russian passports.

Tech Specifications of the Tool

  • ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit 64 MHz (application processor)
  • ARM Cortex-M0+ 32 MHz (network processor)
  • Flash: 1024 KB
  • SRAM: 256 KB
  • 1.4-inch 128 x 64 LCD monochrome display
  • 5-button joystick with back button
  • 2000 mAh rechargeable battery
  • Sub-1 GHz frequencies: 315 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, and 915 MHz (depending on regions)
  • 13.56 MHz NFC
  • 125 kHz RFID
  • 18 GPIO connector
  • Infrared (TX/RX range: 800-950 nm, TX power: 300 mW)
  • iButton 1-Wire support (Dallas DS1990A/CYFRAL compatible)
  • USB 2.0 port, type C

Finally, it’s one of the simplest, most affordable methods to use RFID and NFC. It’s also an excellent instructional tool that introduces individuals of all ages to cybersecurity.

“AI-based email security measures Protect your business From Email Threats!” – Request a Free Demo.


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SupremeBot and Mario cross the finish line together

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SupremeBot and Mario cross the finish line together
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Download your games from trusted sources or you may get more than you bargained for…

Researchers have reported how popular game installers like Super Mario Games are being used to deliver malware. The malicious components include cryptominers, the SupremeBot mining client, and the open-source Umbral stealer.

The game installers route offers some very distinct advantages to the cybercriminals:

  • The games are very popular and downloads are highly sought after, which increases the chances of people downloading them
  • Game installers are large files which means they can’t be uploaded to most online malware scanners
  • The game install finishes, so the user trusts the installer did what it promised to do and the extras get ignored
  • The targeted systems are high performance machines suitable for playing games. Which means they can be expected to be useful in the intended mining activity

The researchers looked at a trojanized version of a Super Mario game installer which came as an NSIS installer. NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is a professional open source system to create Windows installers. In this case it was used to combine three executable files, one of which was the legitimate Super Mario Forever game.

But while the victim is going through the steps of the installation wizard for their game, in the background two secretly dropped files are executed by the same installer.

  1. An XMR (Monero) miner which operates stealthily in the background to mine cryptocurrency for the cybercriminal without authorization and while using system resources in amounts that could be harmful
  2. SupremeBot, a mining client which also downloads a file from a Command & Control (C2) server. In this case an information-stealer identified as the Umbral Stealer

The SupremeBot malware uses some techniques to stay under the radar. First it creates a copy of itself called Super-Mario-Bros.exe and drops that in a randomly named subfolder of the ProgramData folder. It also creates a new scheduled task that runs every 15 minutes to run that copy. When that persistence is set up it kills the process and deletes the original file.

The new copy sends the victim system’s CPU and GPU versions as identifiers to a C2 server to verify if the client is registered. If not, the new client is added and receives XMRig CPU and GPU mining configuration details from the C2 server.

When all that is set up it downloads a Themida packed file. Upon execution, this file unpacks itself and loads the Umbral Stealer into the process memory. The Umbral Stealer is a Windows-based information stealer, which is available on GitHub as an open-source project. It uses Discord webhooks to send collected data to the cybercriminal.

The collected data is obtained from the affected system by:

  • Capturing screenshots
  • Retrieving browser passwords and cookies
  • Capturing webcam images
  • Obtaining telegram session files and discord tokens
  • Acquiring Roblox cookies and Minecraft session files
  • Collecting files associated with cryptocurrency wallets

Advice

To prevent falling victim, here are some guidelines:

  • Only download from trusted sources
  • Monitor your system for high CPU usage and other performance issues
  • Use an updated and real-time anti-malware protection

C2 servers:

silentlegion[.]duckdns[.]org

shadowlegion[.]duckdns[.]org

Malwarebytes blocks silentlegion.duckdns.orgMalwarebytes blocks shadowlegion.duckdns.org

Malwarebytes EDR and MDR remove all remnants of ransomware and prevent you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.

TRY NOW


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Adding music to your YouTube Music playlist just a little faster

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Adding music to your YouTube Music playlist just a little faster
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In your journey to customize your listening experience, you’ve probably made quite a few playlists in your day. You can do the same thing easily on YouTube’s music streaming platform, but the company made a slight change. YouTube Music will automatically save songs to your most recent playlist, according to 9To5Google.

Adding playlists to YouTube Music is an easier affair. When you find the song that you want, simply tap on the three-dot menu to summon some options. About halfway down the menu, you’ll see the Add to playlist button. When you do that, you’ll see a UI with previously created playlists.

The most recently created ones will appear at the top in a carousel while the others will sit below in an alphabetical list. If there aren’t any, tap on the + New Playlist button on the bottom right of the screen. You can also add an entire album to a playlist in the very same way.

YouTube Music will automatically save songs to your most recent playlist

If you’re on a spree and you’re adding songs to a specific playlist, then this feature will make the process just a little bit faster. When you tap the Add to playlist option, that song or album will be sent to your most recent playlist. Instead of opening up the playlist selection UI, you’ll just see a little notification at the bottom of the screen telling you what playlist it was saved to.

If you didn’t want to save it to that playlist, you can tap on the Change button on that notification. Then, you’ll be able to choose another playlist.

If this functionality sounds familiar, it’s the same way that things are handled on the main YouTube app. It seems that the company wants to make for a more consistent experience. This is the same thing for both the web version of YouTube Music and the mobile apps.

There’s a difference, however. Using the website, you’re able to toggle functionality from the settings. As for the app, there’s no setting. It’s on by default.


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Meta may be giving away a free Quest 2 accessory for users

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Meta may be giving away a free Quest 2 accessory for users
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Who doesn’t like free stuff? According to a report from a Redditor (via Techradar), it seems that Meta is giving a certain Meta Quest 2 accessory away to its users. You might be able to get a free Elite Strap.

Since this wasn’t officially announced by the company, you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt. We’re not sure if the company accidentally sent this out or if it’s an early promo meant for a certain region. We expect the company to eventually say something about it if this was a mistake.

Quest 2 users might get a free Elite Strap

The Redditor in question posted a screenshot of an email from the company to the r/oculus community. It shows an image of the strap along with the text “Get a free Meta Quest 2 Elite Strap, no strings attached.”

Under that, it just gave the user the code to redeem on the website. That’s it; there was nothing else the user needed to do. It seems odd that the company just came out of the blue and presented this offer. If this is a gradual rollout of a promotion, then we expect to see more people getting this email.

If you do get the email, then you’ll have until August 4th to redeem the code. According to the email, you’ll want to log in to your account and go to the Elite Strap order screen. When you check out, the promo code will be automatically applied, knocking your price down to $0.

You’ll want to be on the lookout for an email from Meta. Check your primary inbox and your Updates inbox. If you don’t see anything, take a look at your spam inbox. If you still don’t see the email, then you might just want to wait a few days. There’s still the chance that this email was sent out in error.


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Bad news for all Stitcher followers: the podcast app is shutting down

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Bad news for all Stitcher followers: the podcast app is shutting down
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Podcasts have become really popular, with over 4 million different ones available to stream. And, of course, these podcasts need a place where people can find them. Well, now one of the podcast apps, Stitcher, is getting out of the game.

As 9to5Google reported, the popular podcasting app will shut down on August 29th after being around for 15 years and attracting millions of listeners in the US. Stitcher changed hands a few times over the years and ended up being owned by SiriusXM, who bought it for $325 million.

Two years after acquiring Stitcher, SiriusXM decided to shut down the platform with both the app and web listening going down.All Stitcher subscribers can use the SiriusXM app to continue listening to their favorite podcasts. If you already have a Stitcher subscription, you should know that starting from June 27, 2023, they won’t automatically renew any Premium subscriptions. If you’re an annual subscriber and your renewal date is after August 29, 2023, you’ll get a refund after the platform shuts down.

Stitcher also suggests that you follow your favorite podcasters on social media or other places to find out where they’ll continue podcasting if they decide not to continue with SiriusXM. There are lots of other podcast platforms available, but the most popular ones are Spotify and Apple Podcasts. They not only have the most listeners but also offer a wide range of shows.


With over 160 million monthly podcast listeners in the US, Stitcher accounted for approximately 6% of the market share, a significant figure in its own right. The platform served as a home for popular podcasts like Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Comedy Bang Bang, LeVar Burton Reads, Quentin Tarantino’s Video Archives podcast, and many others.

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Andariel APT Employ Weaponized Word Doc to Drop Malware

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Andariel APT Employ Weaponized Word Doc to Drop Malware
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Andariel

The latest research discovered Andariel, a part of the Lazarus group, introduced several new malware families, such as YamaBot and MagicRat, updated versions of NukeSped and DTrack. 

Andariel group executed the Maui ransomware attack using the DTrack backdoor by exploiting the Log4j vulnerability to gain access.

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US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported that Maui ransomware targets mainly companies and government organizations in the US healthcare sector.  

As a result, researchers uncovered a previously undocumented malware family and an addition to Andariel’s set of TTPs. 

DTrack Backdoor

Andariel infects Windows machines by executing a Log4j exploit that downloads further malware from the C2 server. 

The Andariel group’s primary tool is the long-established malware DTrack. It collects information about a victim and sends it to a remote host.  

DTrack collects browser history and saves it to a separate file. The variant used in Andariel attacks sends the harvested information to the cybercriminals’ server via HTTP and stores it on a remote host in the victim’s network. 

Kaspersky found most of the commands during the attack was executed manually; it did not leave any ransom notes on victim machines. 

Also, it found a set of off-the-shelf tools, Andariel, that were installed and run during the command execution phase and then used for further exploitation of the target. Below are some examples: 

  • Supremo remote desktop 
  • 3Proxy 
  • Powerline 
  • Putty 
  • Dumpert 
  • NTDSDumpEx 
  • ForkDump 

Early RAT

Andariel also uses Early RAT to target the victim machine delivered through phishing emails. The malicious attachment delivers a warning message to the users to enable macros. 

Once the user has enabled the macros, it executes a command to ping a server associated with the HolyGhost / Maui ransomware campaign. 

EarlyRat, just like many other RATs (remote access Trojans), collects system information upon starting and sends it to the C2 using the following template: 

The request has two different parameters: “id” and “query.” Next, the “rep0” and “page” parameters are also supported. They are used in the following cases: 

  • id: unique ID of the machine used as a cryptographic key to decrypt value from “query” 
  • query: the actual content. Is Base64 encoded and rolling XORed with the key specified in the “id” field. 
  • rep0: the value of the current directory 
  • page: the value of the internal state 

There are several high-level similarities between EarlyRat and MagicRat. Both are written using a framework: QT is used for MagicRat and PureBasic, for EarlyRat. Also, the functionality of both RATs is very limited. 

Although an APT group, Lazarus is notorious for carrying out traditional cybercrime operations, such as executing ransomware, which complicates the cybercrime scene. The gang also employs various unique tools, frequent updates and creates new viruses. 

Concentrating on TTPs reduces attribution time and aids in the early detection of attacks. With the aid of this knowledge, preventive efforts can be taken to avert incidents. Andariel APT Group uses weaponized Word Documents to Drop new Malware.

Look for Best Business Email Protection? Try Trustifi, An AI-Based Email security Solution – Request a Free Demo.


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