Cloudy With a Chance of RATs: Unveiling APT36 and the Evolution of ElizaRAT
Summary:
Pakistan's APT36 threat group has been observed by Check Point Research utilizing a new and improved ElizaRAT malware in a growing number of successful attacks against Indian government agencies and military entities in the past year. ElizaRAT is a custom implant deployed by Transparent Tribe (aka APT36) in targeted attacks on high-profile entities in India. Check Point Research highlights the evolution of ElizaRAT by analyzing its capabilities and evolution throughout three recent APT36 campaigns. The latest ElizaRAT variant includes new evasion techniques, enhanced command-and-control (C2) capabilities, and an additional dropper component that makes it harder for defenders to detect the malware. APT36, who security vendors variously track as Transparent Tribe, Operation C-Major, Earth Karkaddan, and Mythic Leopard, is a Pakistani threat group that, since around 2013, has primarily targeted Indian government and military entities in numerous intelligence-gathering operations. Heightening this threat is an additional payload deployed in the infection chain called ApolloStealer. The analysis from Check Point reveals continuous enhancements in the malware’s evasion techniques. The three campaigns emphasizing the changes in ElizaRAT are the Slack campaign, Circle ElizaRat campaign, and Google Drive campaign detailed in Check Point’s report. The group leverages legitimate software, LoLBins, and cloud services like Telegram, Slack, and Google Drive for C2 communications, making detection and tracking more challenging.
Security Officer Comments:
In some attack instances, APT36 has been targeting Linux devices and using Android malware like CopraRAT in the past, demonstrating their adaptability and expanding threat landscape. The addition of ElizaRAT to APT36’s attack kit coupled with the group's focus on Indian targets and use of advanced techniques underscores their dedication to improving their tactics. Introducing new payloads like ApolloStealer marks a significant expansion of APT36’s malware arsenal and suggests the group is adopting a more flexible, modular approach for their payload deployment. By integrating cloud services like Google Drive, Telegram, and Slack into their command and control infrastructure they can abuse and better mask their activities within benign network traffic utilizing commonly used platforms. Their methods primarily focus on data collection and exfiltration, underscoring their sustained emphasis on intelligence gathering and espionage. APT36's persistent and evolving tactics in this malicious activity underscore the increasing volume of nation-state threat actor activity. Organizations should prioritize endpoint security, network security, and user awareness training to mitigate the risks posed by this threat actor.
Suggested Corrections:
IOCs for these recent campaigns are published here.
Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from its customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.
Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.
As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.
Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.
Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.
Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.
Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.
Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.
Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.
Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.
It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.
If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.
Link(s):
https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/apt36-refines-tools-attacks-indian-targets
https://research.checkpoint.com/2024/the-evolution-of-transparent-tribes-new-malware/
Pakistan's APT36 threat group has been observed by Check Point Research utilizing a new and improved ElizaRAT malware in a growing number of successful attacks against Indian government agencies and military entities in the past year. ElizaRAT is a custom implant deployed by Transparent Tribe (aka APT36) in targeted attacks on high-profile entities in India. Check Point Research highlights the evolution of ElizaRAT by analyzing its capabilities and evolution throughout three recent APT36 campaigns. The latest ElizaRAT variant includes new evasion techniques, enhanced command-and-control (C2) capabilities, and an additional dropper component that makes it harder for defenders to detect the malware. APT36, who security vendors variously track as Transparent Tribe, Operation C-Major, Earth Karkaddan, and Mythic Leopard, is a Pakistani threat group that, since around 2013, has primarily targeted Indian government and military entities in numerous intelligence-gathering operations. Heightening this threat is an additional payload deployed in the infection chain called ApolloStealer. The analysis from Check Point reveals continuous enhancements in the malware’s evasion techniques. The three campaigns emphasizing the changes in ElizaRAT are the Slack campaign, Circle ElizaRat campaign, and Google Drive campaign detailed in Check Point’s report. The group leverages legitimate software, LoLBins, and cloud services like Telegram, Slack, and Google Drive for C2 communications, making detection and tracking more challenging.
Security Officer Comments:
In some attack instances, APT36 has been targeting Linux devices and using Android malware like CopraRAT in the past, demonstrating their adaptability and expanding threat landscape. The addition of ElizaRAT to APT36’s attack kit coupled with the group's focus on Indian targets and use of advanced techniques underscores their dedication to improving their tactics. Introducing new payloads like ApolloStealer marks a significant expansion of APT36’s malware arsenal and suggests the group is adopting a more flexible, modular approach for their payload deployment. By integrating cloud services like Google Drive, Telegram, and Slack into their command and control infrastructure they can abuse and better mask their activities within benign network traffic utilizing commonly used platforms. Their methods primarily focus on data collection and exfiltration, underscoring their sustained emphasis on intelligence gathering and espionage. APT36's persistent and evolving tactics in this malicious activity underscore the increasing volume of nation-state threat actor activity. Organizations should prioritize endpoint security, network security, and user awareness training to mitigate the risks posed by this threat actor.
Suggested Corrections:
IOCs for these recent campaigns are published here.
Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from its customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.
Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.
As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.
Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.
Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.
Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.
Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.
Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.
Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.
Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.
It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.
If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.
Link(s):
https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/apt36-refines-tools-attacks-indian-targets
https://research.checkpoint.com/2024/the-evolution-of-transparent-tribes-new-malware/