Single Blog

LockBit Ransomware Group Augments Its Latest Variant

LinkedIn
LockBit Ransomware Group Augments Its Latest Variant

Overview

According to Trend Micro researchers, similarities have been found between the ransomwares LockBit 3.0 (aka LockBit Black) and BlackMatter during the debugging process. Portions of the BlackMatter code that has been found show the following similarities: API harvesting by hashing the API names of a DLL, implementation of the same anti-debugging technique, as well as threading employment when using an API instead of directly calling it. Additionally, both malwares use UACMe’s method of bypassing user account control, duplicate the Explorer.exe, and perform a 32-bit or 64-bit shellcode injection for token elevation. These findings suggest that since the critical bugs that where found in the LockBit 2.0 version, the infamous ransomware group has been expanding their network for product improvements. We can expect that this new variant will become more active and more sophisticated, especially after the launch of the LockBit bug bounty program. 

Virus Total Samples   https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/0d38f8bf831f1dbbe9a058930127171f24c3df8dae81e6aa66c430a63cbe0509/detection

DetailArtifact
File Name(s):0d38f8bf831f1dbbe9a058930127171f24c3df8dae81e6aa66c430a63cbe0509.exe, c:\windows\system32\2x4fxzx0p.dll, LBB_pass.exe
Autostart Locations:HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\2x4fxzx0p, HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\lh45w4afw

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/80e8defa5377018b093b5b90de0f2957f7062144c83a09a56bba1fe4eda932ce/detection

DetailArtifact
File Name(s):LockBit3.exe, 80e8defa5377018b093b5b90de0f2957f7062144c83a09a56bba1fe4eda932ce.exe
Autostart Locations:HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\axrxumc43

Microsoft Blocks Office Macros By Default

Overview

Microsoft resumed the rollout of VBA macro auto-blocking in downloaded Office documents. Now, when a user opens a file that came from the Internet the following message will be displayed: “Microsoft has blocked macros from running because the source of this file is untrusted”. This banner does not have the option to enable macros. The users will have to go to the Properties of the file, and select Unblock, which will remove Mark of the Web from the file and allow the content to run, as long as no policy or Trust Center setting is blocking. This change only affects only the applications Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word. 

(ref. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-starts-blocking-office-macros-by-default-once-again/)

Recommended Actions

Please follow Microsoft’s recommendations in the following links: 

Documentation for users: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/a-potentially-dangerous-macro-has-been-blocked-0952faa0-37e7-4316b61d-5b5ed6024216

Documentation for Admins: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/DeployOffice/security/internet-macros-blocked

GitHub Flooded With 35,000 Malicious Code Repos Clones

Overview

A tweet from the software developer Stephen Lacy on August 3rd was enough to create a disturbance between the GitHub users. Stephen left the GitHub community in shock when they tweeted about a “massive widespread attack on the platform that affects over 35k repositories”. The trigger for this discovery was the url:hxxp://ovz1.j19544519.pr46m.vps.myjino[.]ru that the developer observed in an open source project. GitHub Security team investigated this event and quarantined the clones. Furthermore, according to Github the malicious code was posted only to cloned repositories, and there was no evident compromise of GitHub. 

(ref. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/35-000-code-repos-not-hacked-but-clones-flood-github-to-serve-malware/)

Recommended Actions

It is recommended that the GitHub users watch for cloned repositories and only download the intended code straight from official repositories.

CISA Warns Of Critical Confluence Bug Exploited In Attacks

Overview

The Atlassian vulnerability tracked as CVE-2022-26138, has been added to CISA’s list of bugs. This flaw can be found in unpatched versions of the Questions for the Confluence application (a web-based corporate wiki) and it provides remote attackers with hardcoded credentials following successful exploitation. The cybersecurity agency has also given federal agencies three weeks (until August 19) to patch servers and block attacks targeting their networks. (ref. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-critical-confluence-bug-exploitedin-attacks/)

Recommended Actions

If this software is used in your environment, please apply updates per vendor’s instructions. 

(ref. https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/questions-for-confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html)

VMware Releases Patches For Critical Vulnerabilities

Overview

VMware has published a security advisory for critical bugs, that affect the products, VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager, and vRealize Automation. These vulnerabilities are authentication bypass, remote code execution, and privilege escalation vulnerabilities. The attacker who will exploit these flaws will be able to obtain administrator access, execute commands that aren’t authorized and become root on the virtual appliance. (ref. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/vmware-urges-admins-to-patch-critical-auth-bypass-bugimmediately/)

Recommended Actions

If this software is used in your environment, please apply updates per vendor’s instructions. 

(ref. https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0021.html)

(Q&A link https://core.vmware.com/vmsa-2022-0021-questions-answers-faq#section1)

References

https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/g/lockbit-ransomware-group-augments-its-latest-variant–lockbit-3-.html

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-starts-blocking-office-macros-by-default-once-again/

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/a-potentially-dangerous-macro-has-been-blocked-0952faa0-37e7-4316-b61d-5b5ed6024216

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/DeployOffice/security/internet-macros-blocked

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/questions-for-confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0021.html

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/vmware-urges-admins-to-patch-critical-auth-bypass-bug-immediately/)

Our Partners
Microsoft-Logo_Mesa-de-trabajo-1-01.svg
softchoice-logo-new.svg
Untitled design (1)
Invero-Digital-Work-Made-Simple-in-Microsoft-365-with-Orchestry
kyndryl logo
sycomp logo
2
Untitled design (2)

Penetration Testing Whitepaper

Get Your Copy!
Linkedin-in Twitter Youtube
Sign up for our newsletter
Company
Services
Locations
THREAT RESEARCH

Copyright © 2022 Difenda. All Rights Reserved.

Threat Intelligence

Subscribe to receive insider threat intelligence from Difenda’s front line security analysts in our 24/7/365 SOC.

Ken Perkins

Biography coming soon.

Linkedin

Megan Miller

Megan Miller’s energy and passion for learning flow into all aspects of her work. As the Growth Manager, North America, she brings a background in sciences which she has transitioned to the tech sector in her role at Difenda.

With a Bachelors of Science in Geology, Megan is a lifelong learner who is voracious about learning anything she can get her hands on about cybersecurity. Her positive energy has built a sales strategy with a focus on expanding in the United States while nurturing the Canadian presence. She is responsible for recruiting and training the sales team. Together with the company’s leadership, she creates the sales process and the company’s product strategy in order to better serve the customer base. This ensures that our customers have a highly trained and highly motivated team to help them every step of the way, Megan has completed Microsoft SC-900 training and working towards mastering Microsoft.

Whether at work or play, Megan is fully committed. She took her love of hockey all the way to the semi-professional level as a competitive hockey player. Megan loves all things sports including water skiing, scuba diving, cycling, and snowboarding. She also enjoys time with family and reading about alternative energy, innovation, and cybersecurity.

Linkedin

Natasha Phanor

As the Microsoft Partner Manager at Difenda, Natasha Phanor is responsible for driving growth within our Microsoft Partnership. With six years in the industry, she offers a fresh, energetic approach, and the ability to focus on our customer’s needs throughout the entire process. Natasha has the innate ability to foresee customer needs and solve problems before they arise, which creates a smooth road for each customer she encounters.

As the recipient of the Outstanding Services Partner of the Year Award in 2018, it is clear that Natasha responds quickly to customer needs, creates a platform for understanding a customer’s business requirements, and walks them through the process to ensure their complete satisfaction.

In her spare time, Natasha is as energetic and passionate as she is on the job. A self-proclaimed foodie-extraordinaire, she enjoys dinner parties, traveling, downhill skiing, hiking, biking, and reading. Natasha has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in Dance, from Ryerson University.

Linkedin

Lisa Templeton

Lisa Templeton is the perfect combination of human empathy and technological prowess. In her role as People Services Manager, she takes care of our team members to support them in their daily work, as well as on their personal life paths. Happy employees make for happy customers, and Lisa excels in giving our employees the tools they need for success in order to become the best possible versions of themselves. Along with employee formation, she shines in the service delivery support domain to continuously improve the process. Her 24 years of experience in IT Operations and Service Management help her create quality and efficiency at Difenda.

Having attended the Information Systems Management certificate program at Ryerson University, and with various other certifications to her credit, Lisa is perceptive and innovative when it comes to information technology, but also sensitive to the needs of her human constituents. Responsible for achieving the first privately owned company HDI Support Center certification in Canada, she has also designed and implemented Service Management excellence programs and 24×7 IT Operations departments for multiple IT organizations, and has created corporate rewards and recognition programs to keep her employees engaged and motivated.

On the personal side, Lisa passionately supports the cause of breast cancer research, having lost her mother to the disease. She reads voraciously in her spare time, and enjoys the art of home renovation. The summer months also bring time on her boat and exploring new hiking trails.

Linkedin

Miranda McCurdy

Miranda McCurdy uses her myriad super powers in all aspects of her job and personal life. As the Marketing Director at Difenda, Miranda McCurdy brings over a decade of experience to the table, which includes expertise in all facets of operations, brand management, and content marketing, as well as a multitude of successful strategies for the ever-expanding digital world. She is an expert at simplifying the message the company is trying to send, filling in gaps in the information, and strengthening the content in order to create compelling narratives that strengthen the brand and developing programs that bring teams together.

With several Addy Awards issued by the American Advertising Federation Cleveland to her credit, and her never say die attitude, Miranda understands both the broader picture and the minute details that are needed to successfully market a product. With her abilities to harness both the talent needed to spread the message, as well as to create the message itself, she is an integral cog in the company’s ability to communicate with customers and other stakeholders.

When she is not building a brand, she shares her ability to fill the gaps in her community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, and the Charleston Food Bank. In her spare time, Miranda spends time with her family, enjoys fitness and health, paddle boarding, reading, and arts and crafts.

Linkedin

Juliana Zaremba

Connections are the name of the game for Juliana Zaremba. As Strategic Partnerships Director, she is responsible for Difenda’s channel partnerships and the development and ownership of the channel partner program. She is also responsible for the global Microsoft Partnership, including the creation of strategic plans with MSFT contacts that will facilitate the continued growth of the business and establish certification and training protocols in all security technologies. Her role is multifaceted, as she acquires partners, manages relationships with them, and develops strategies that will provide cutting edge security solutions to our customer base. Another integral aspect of her job is to facilitate growth.

With a Bachelor’s in Math from the University of Waterloo and 14 years of experience from her previous roles at Herjavec Group and CDW, her cutting edge focus and ability to develop long-lasting relationships and strategies provides world class security solutions to our customer base.

Juliana thrives on connections outside of work as well. She is a philanthropist and contributor with Women4Change based in Hamilton. This group of local women is passionate about supporting local causes, and she focuses her efforts around Women in STEM. She is also a member of Club Italia in Niagara Falls and supports their youth events throughout the year.

When not managing the Microsoft Global partnership, Juliana enjoys reading, often reading several books at once. Juliana enjoys exploring the Niagara Escarpment with her family, as well as sharing meals and experiences with her extended family. Juliana’s competitive nature has her always trying new things, like Whoop band challenges and Peloton.

Linkedin

Jeffry Jacob

Biography Coming Soon

Linkedin