Horns&Hooves Campaign Delivers RATs via Fake Emails and JavaScript Payloads
Summary:
A newly uncovered malware campaign, Horns&Hooves, primarily targets private users, retailers, and service businesses in Russia to deploy NetSupport RAT and BurnsRAT. Active since March 2023, the campaign has impacted over 1,000 victims and uses trojans to install data-stealing malware such as Rhadamanthys and Meduza. The attackers rely on phishing emails with ZIP attachments containing malicious JScript scripts disguised as business requests. They adapt their payloads frequently, incorporating elements like organization-specific documents to enhance credibility and increase success rates. Initial stages involve downloading a decoy PNG image alongside scripts that fetch additional files, including NetSupport RAT, using tools like BITSAdmin.
Analyst Comments:
The malware infection chain evolved mid-2023, with variants using JavaScript mimicking legitimate libraries like Next.js to deploy RATs or dropping NSIS installers to install BurnsRAT. These tools allow attackers to execute commands, transfer files, and manage infected systems remotely. The campaign's methods continued to evolve through mid-2023, introducing new installation techniques.The campaign is linked to threat actor TA569 (also known as Gold Prelude or Mustard Tempest), which previously deployed SocGholish malware and acted as an initial access broker for ransomware like WastedLocker. Depending on the buyer of the stolen access, the impact ranges from data theft to ransomware deployment, causing significant harm to victims.
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/2024/12/horns-campaign-delivers-rats-via-fake.html
A newly uncovered malware campaign, Horns&Hooves, primarily targets private users, retailers, and service businesses in Russia to deploy NetSupport RAT and BurnsRAT. Active since March 2023, the campaign has impacted over 1,000 victims and uses trojans to install data-stealing malware such as Rhadamanthys and Meduza. The attackers rely on phishing emails with ZIP attachments containing malicious JScript scripts disguised as business requests. They adapt their payloads frequently, incorporating elements like organization-specific documents to enhance credibility and increase success rates. Initial stages involve downloading a decoy PNG image alongside scripts that fetch additional files, including NetSupport RAT, using tools like BITSAdmin.
Analyst Comments:
The malware infection chain evolved mid-2023, with variants using JavaScript mimicking legitimate libraries like Next.js to deploy RATs or dropping NSIS installers to install BurnsRAT. These tools allow attackers to execute commands, transfer files, and manage infected systems remotely. The campaign's methods continued to evolve through mid-2023, introducing new installation techniques.The campaign is linked to threat actor TA569 (also known as Gold Prelude or Mustard Tempest), which previously deployed SocGholish malware and acted as an initial access broker for ransomware like WastedLocker. Depending on the buyer of the stolen access, the impact ranges from data theft to ransomware deployment, causing significant harm to victims.
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/2024/12/horns-campaign-delivers-rats-via-fake.html