JavaGhost's Persistent Phishing Attacks From the Cloud
Summary:
Unit 42 researchers have identified phishing activity linked to the cyber threat actor JavaGhost, which has been active for over five years. Initially known for website defacement, the group shifted in 2022 to targeting cloud environments, specifically AWS, to conduct phishing campaigns for financial gain. Their attacks exploit misconfigurations in victim organizations rather than vulnerabilities in AWS itself, primarily by obtaining exposed long-term access keys. These keys allow them to access AWS services like Amazon Simple Email Service and WorkMail, leveraging legitimate infrastructure to send phishing emails while bypassing traditional security measures.
JavaGhost has refined its evasion tactics, adopting methods previously associated with Scattered Spider to obscure its presence in AWS CloudTrail logs. Instead of the typical GetCallerIdentity API call, which security teams often monitor, they use alternative calls such as GetServiceQuota, GetSendQuota, and GetAccount to avoid detection. After gaining access, they generate temporary credentials using GetFederationToken and then create a login URL via GetSigninToken, allowing them to maintain stealthy console access. Their ability to obfuscate identities and maintain persistent access makes their tactics increasingly sophisticated.
The group also builds extensive phishing infrastructure within compromised AWS environments by creating SES email identities, configuring DKIM settings, and modifying SES Virtual Delivery Manager attributes. Additionally, they establish AWS WorkMail organizations, create WorkMail users, and generate SMTP credentials to send phishing emails without incurring costs. By using preexisting SES resources, JavaGhost effectively bypasses email security protections, making their phishing attacks more difficult to detect.
Security Officer Comments:
Beyond phishing campaigns, JavaGhost maintains long-term access by creating IAM users with AdministratorAccess privileges. They also establish IAM roles with external trust policies, allowing them to access compromised AWS accounts from attacker-controlled accounts. This tactic differs from earlier campaigns, where they relied solely on stolen access keys. Their use of IAM roles helps them maintain persistence while reducing visibility in security logs. JavaGhost leaves a distinctive calling card in their attacks by creating EC2 security groups named Java_Ghost, with the description “We Are There But Not Visible,” matching their historic website slogan. Their continued evolution in cloud-based phishing demonstrates a growing sophistication in cyber threats targeting cloud environments.
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 their 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://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/javaghost-cloud-phishing/
Unit 42 researchers have identified phishing activity linked to the cyber threat actor JavaGhost, which has been active for over five years. Initially known for website defacement, the group shifted in 2022 to targeting cloud environments, specifically AWS, to conduct phishing campaigns for financial gain. Their attacks exploit misconfigurations in victim organizations rather than vulnerabilities in AWS itself, primarily by obtaining exposed long-term access keys. These keys allow them to access AWS services like Amazon Simple Email Service and WorkMail, leveraging legitimate infrastructure to send phishing emails while bypassing traditional security measures.
JavaGhost has refined its evasion tactics, adopting methods previously associated with Scattered Spider to obscure its presence in AWS CloudTrail logs. Instead of the typical GetCallerIdentity API call, which security teams often monitor, they use alternative calls such as GetServiceQuota, GetSendQuota, and GetAccount to avoid detection. After gaining access, they generate temporary credentials using GetFederationToken and then create a login URL via GetSigninToken, allowing them to maintain stealthy console access. Their ability to obfuscate identities and maintain persistent access makes their tactics increasingly sophisticated.
The group also builds extensive phishing infrastructure within compromised AWS environments by creating SES email identities, configuring DKIM settings, and modifying SES Virtual Delivery Manager attributes. Additionally, they establish AWS WorkMail organizations, create WorkMail users, and generate SMTP credentials to send phishing emails without incurring costs. By using preexisting SES resources, JavaGhost effectively bypasses email security protections, making their phishing attacks more difficult to detect.
Security Officer Comments:
Beyond phishing campaigns, JavaGhost maintains long-term access by creating IAM users with AdministratorAccess privileges. They also establish IAM roles with external trust policies, allowing them to access compromised AWS accounts from attacker-controlled accounts. This tactic differs from earlier campaigns, where they relied solely on stolen access keys. Their use of IAM roles helps them maintain persistence while reducing visibility in security logs. JavaGhost leaves a distinctive calling card in their attacks by creating EC2 security groups named Java_Ghost, with the description “We Are There But Not Visible,” matching their historic website slogan. Their continued evolution in cloud-based phishing demonstrates a growing sophistication in cyber threats targeting cloud environments.
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 their 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://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/javaghost-cloud-phishing/