SteelFox and Rhadamanthys Malware Use Copyright Scams, Driver Exploits to Target Victims
Summary:
Since July 2024, the "CopyRh-ight-adamantys" phishing campaign has been exploiting copyright infringement themes to trick victims into downloading a new version of the Rhadamanthys information stealer. Tracked by cybersecurity firm Check Point, this large-scale operation spans the U.S., Europe, East Asia, and South America. Attackers send highly targeted spear-phishing emails from Gmail accounts, each email tailored to a specific recipient. The campaign impersonates dozens of companies, mainly from the Entertainment, Media, Technology, and Software sectors, accusing recipients of brand misuse on social media platforms. The message urges victims to remove certain images or videos, claiming the removal instructions are within a password-protected file. However, the provided link redirects to appspot.com, which then connects to Dropbox or Discord, where the victim is tricked into downloading a password-protected archive containing the malware. The RAR archive contains three components: a legitimate executable vulnerable to DLL side-loading, a malicious DLL carrying the Rhadamanthys payload, and a decoy document. When executed, the benign-looking file loads the malicious DLL, which then deploys Rhadamanthys. This newer version of the malware includes advanced capabilities such as AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR), allowing it to more effectively recognize and interact with varied email contents, making its phishing tactics even more convincing. The widespread nature and scale of CopyRh(ight)adamantys suggest it is run by a financially motivated cybercrime group, utilizing automation and sophisticated phishing tactics to improve success rates.
Additionally, Kaspersky has uncovered another threat, SteelFox, a full-featured crimeware bundle active since early 2023. Distributed as cracked versions of popular software like Foxit PDF Editor, JetBrains, and AutoCAD, it mainly affects users in countries such as Brazil, China, Russia, Mexico, and India. SteelFox deploys sophisticated infection chains, using shellcoding and exploiting Windows services to gain control. When launched, it asks for administrator privileges and installs a next-stage loader, which establishes persistence and launches the SteelFox DLL. By abusing admin access, the malware creates a service to run an outdated, vulnerable version of WinRing0.sys, exploiting CVE-2020-14979 and CVE-2021-41285 to gain NT\SYSTEM privileges.
Security Officer Comments:
SteelFox’s ultimate goal includes cryptocurrency mining and data theft. After initializing the driver, it launches a modified version of the XMRig miner, which connects to a mining pool using hardcoded credentials. The miner, downloaded from a GitHub repository, also connects to a remote server using TLS 1.3 for secure exfiltration of sensitive information. SteelFox collects data from web browsers, such as cookies, credit card details, browsing history, and system metadata. Kaspersky highlights that the malware’s use of modern C++ combined with external libraries, TLSv1.3 encryption, and SSL pinning enables sophisticated data harvesting and secure communication.
Suggested Corrections:
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://thehackernews.com/2024/11/steelfox-and-rhadamanthys-malware-use.html
https://research.checkpoint.com/2024/massive-phishing-campaign-deploys-latest-rhadamanthys-version/
https://securelist.com/steelfox-trojan-drops-stealer-and-miner/114414/
Since July 2024, the "CopyRh-ight-adamantys" phishing campaign has been exploiting copyright infringement themes to trick victims into downloading a new version of the Rhadamanthys information stealer. Tracked by cybersecurity firm Check Point, this large-scale operation spans the U.S., Europe, East Asia, and South America. Attackers send highly targeted spear-phishing emails from Gmail accounts, each email tailored to a specific recipient. The campaign impersonates dozens of companies, mainly from the Entertainment, Media, Technology, and Software sectors, accusing recipients of brand misuse on social media platforms. The message urges victims to remove certain images or videos, claiming the removal instructions are within a password-protected file. However, the provided link redirects to appspot.com, which then connects to Dropbox or Discord, where the victim is tricked into downloading a password-protected archive containing the malware. The RAR archive contains three components: a legitimate executable vulnerable to DLL side-loading, a malicious DLL carrying the Rhadamanthys payload, and a decoy document. When executed, the benign-looking file loads the malicious DLL, which then deploys Rhadamanthys. This newer version of the malware includes advanced capabilities such as AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR), allowing it to more effectively recognize and interact with varied email contents, making its phishing tactics even more convincing. The widespread nature and scale of CopyRh(ight)adamantys suggest it is run by a financially motivated cybercrime group, utilizing automation and sophisticated phishing tactics to improve success rates.
Additionally, Kaspersky has uncovered another threat, SteelFox, a full-featured crimeware bundle active since early 2023. Distributed as cracked versions of popular software like Foxit PDF Editor, JetBrains, and AutoCAD, it mainly affects users in countries such as Brazil, China, Russia, Mexico, and India. SteelFox deploys sophisticated infection chains, using shellcoding and exploiting Windows services to gain control. When launched, it asks for administrator privileges and installs a next-stage loader, which establishes persistence and launches the SteelFox DLL. By abusing admin access, the malware creates a service to run an outdated, vulnerable version of WinRing0.sys, exploiting CVE-2020-14979 and CVE-2021-41285 to gain NT\SYSTEM privileges.
Security Officer Comments:
SteelFox’s ultimate goal includes cryptocurrency mining and data theft. After initializing the driver, it launches a modified version of the XMRig miner, which connects to a mining pool using hardcoded credentials. The miner, downloaded from a GitHub repository, also connects to a remote server using TLS 1.3 for secure exfiltration of sensitive information. SteelFox collects data from web browsers, such as cookies, credit card details, browsing history, and system metadata. Kaspersky highlights that the malware’s use of modern C++ combined with external libraries, TLSv1.3 encryption, and SSL pinning enables sophisticated data harvesting and secure communication.
Suggested Corrections:
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://thehackernews.com/2024/11/steelfox-and-rhadamanthys-malware-use.html
https://research.checkpoint.com/2024/massive-phishing-campaign-deploys-latest-rhadamanthys-version/
https://securelist.com/steelfox-trojan-drops-stealer-and-miner/114414/