Check Point Research reported that multipurpose Trojan Qbot has been the most prevalent malware so far in 2023. Meanwhile, SpinOk mobile Trojan took top spot in June for the first time and ransomware was rife following MOVEit zero-day vulnerability
Our latest Global Threat Index for June 2023 saw researchers report that Trojan Qbot has been the most prevalent malware so far in 2023, ranking first in five out of the six months to date. Meanwhile, mobile Trojan SpinOk made its way to the top of the malware list for the first time, after being detected last month, and ransomware hit the headlines, following a zero-day vulnerability in file sharing software, MOVEIt.
Qbot, which initially emerged in 2008 as a banking Trojan, has undergone consistent development, acquiring additional functionalities for the purpose of stealing passwords, emails, and credit card details. It is commonly propagated through spam emails and employs various techniques such as anti-VM, anti-debugging, and anti-sandbox methods to impede analysis and avoid detection. Presently, its primary role is to act as a loader for other malware and establish a presence within targeted organizations, serving as a stepping stone for ransomware group operators.
Meanwhile, researchers discovered a prolific mobile malware that has so far amassed 421 million downloads. Last month, for the first time, Trojanized Software Development Kit (SDK) SpinOk made its way to the top of the mobile malware families. Used by numerous popular apps for marketing purposes, this malicious software has infiltrated highly popular apps and games, some of which were available on the Google Play Store. Capable of stealing sensitive information from devices and monitoring clipboard activities, SpinOk malware poses a serious threat to user privacy and security, underscoring the need for proactive measures to protect personal data and mobile devices. It also serves as a stark reminder of the devastating potential of software supply chain attacks.
Last month also saw the launch of a large-scale ransomware campaign that impacted organizations worldwide. In May 2023, Progress Software Corporation disclosed a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer and MOVEit Cloud (CVE-2023-34362) that could allow unauthorized access to the environment. Despite it being patched within 48 hours, cybercriminals associated with Russian-affiliated ransomware group Clop exploited the vulnerability and launched a supply chain attack against MOVEit users. To date, 108 organizations – including seven US universities – have been listed publicly, following the incident, with hundreds and thousands of records obtained.
The MOVEit exploit proves that 2023 is already becoming a significant year in ransomware. Prominent groups like Clop are not operating tactically to infect a single target, but instead, making their operations more efficient by exploiting software that is widely used in professional environments. This means they can reach hundreds of victims in a single attack, emphasizing the importance for companies to implement a multi-layered cyber security strategy and to prioritize patching when vulnerabilities are disclosed.
CPR also revealed that “Web Servers Malicious URL Directory Traversal” was the most exploited vulnerability last month, impacting 51% of organizations globally, followed by “Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution,” with 46% of organizations worldwide. “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” was the third most used vulnerability, with a global impact of 44%.
Top malware families
*The arrows relate to the change in rank compared to the previous month.
Qbot was the most prevalent malware last month with an impact of 7% worldwide organizations, followed by Formbook with a global impact of 4% and Emotet with a global impact of 3%.
- ↔ Qbot – Qbot AKA Qakbot is a multipurpose malware that first appeared in 2008. It was designed to steal a user’s credentials, record keystrokes, steal cookies from browsers, spy on banking activities, and deploy additional malware. Often distributed via spam email, Qbot employs several anti-VM, anti-debugging, and anti-sandbox techniques to hinder analysis and evade detection.
- ↔ Formbook – Formbook is an Infostealer targeting the Windows OS and was first detected in 2016. It is marketed as Malware as a Service (MaaS) in underground hacking forums for its strong evasion techniques and relatively low price. FormBook harvests credentials from various web browsers, collects screenshots, monitors and logs keystrokes, and can download and execute files according to orders from its C&C.
- ↑ Emotet – Emotet is an advanced, self-propagate and modular Trojan. Emotet once used to be employed as a banking Trojan, and recently has become a distributor for other malware or malicious campaigns. It uses multiple methods for maintaining persistence and Evasion techniques to avoid detection. In addition, it can be spread through phishing spam emails containing malicious attachments or links.
- ↔ GuLoader – Guloader is a downloader that has been widely used since December 2019. When it first appeared, GuLoader was used to download Parallax RAT but has been applied to other remote access trojans and info-stealers such as Netwire, FormBook, and Agent Tesla.
- ↑ XMRig – XMRig is open-source CPU mining software used to mine the Monero cryptocurrency. Threat actors often abuse this open-source software by integrating it into their malware to conduct illegal mining on victims’ devices.
- ↓ AgentTesla – AgentTesla is an advanced RAT functioning as a keylogger and information stealer, which is capable of monitoring and collecting the victim’s keyboard input, system keyboard, taking screenshots, and exfiltrating credentials to a variety of software installed on a victim’s machine (including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and the Microsoft Outlook email client).
- ↑ Remcos – Remcos is a RAT that first appeared in the wild in 2016. Remcos distributes itself through malicious Microsoft Office documents, which are attached to SPAM emails, and is designed to bypass Microsoft Windowss UAC security and execute malware with high-level privileges.
- ↑ Nanocore – NanoCore is a Remote Access Trojan that targets Windows operating system users and was first observed in the wild in 2013. All versions of the RAT contain basic plugins and functionalities such as screen capture, crypto currency mining, remote control of the desktop and webcam session theft.
- ↓ Lokibot – First identified in February 2016, LokiBot is a commodity infostealer with versions for both the Windows and Android OS. It harvests credentials from a variety of applications, web browsers, email clients, IT administration tools such as PuTTY and more. LokiBot is sold on hacking forums, and it is believed that its source code was leaked, thus allowing numerous variants to appear. Since late 2017, some Android versions of LokiBot include ransomware functionality in addition to their infostealing capabilities.
- ↓ NJRat – NJRat is a remote accesses Trojan, targeting mainly government agencies and organizations in the Middle East. The Trojan has first emerged in 2012 and has multiple capabilities: capturing keystrokes, accessing the victim’s camera, stealing credentials stored in browsers, uploading and downloading files, performing process and file manipulations, and viewing the victim’s desktop. NJRat infects victims via phishing attacks and drive-by downloads, and propagates through infected USB keys or networked drives, with the support of Command & Control server software.
Top Attacked Industries Globally
Last month, Education/Research remained in first place as the most exploited industry globally, followed by Government/Military and Healthcare.
- Education/Research
- Government/Military
- Healthcare
Top exploited vulnerabilities
Last month, “Web Servers Malicious URL Directory Traversal” was the most exploited vulnerability, impacting 51% of organizations globally, followed by “Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution” with 46% of organizations worldwide. “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” was the third most used vulnerability, with a global impact of 44%.
- ↔ Web Servers Malicious URL Directory Traversal – There exists a directory traversal vulnerability on different web servers. The vulnerability is due to an input validation error in a web server that does not properly sanitize the URI for the directory traversal patterns. Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated remote attackers to disclose or access arbitrary files on the vulnerable server.
- ↔ Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution (CVE-2021-44228) – A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Apache Log4j. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- ↔ HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-10826, CVE-2020-10827, CVE-2020-10828, CVE-2020-13756) – HTTP headers let the client and the server pass additional information with an HTTP request. A remote attacker may use a vulnerable HTTP Header to run arbitrary code on the victim machine.
- ↑ Dasan GPON Router Authentication Bypass (CVE-2018-10561) – An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in Dasan GPON routers. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information and gain unauthorized access into the affected system.
- ↓ MVPower CCTV DVR Remote Code Execution (CVE-2016-20016)- A remote code execution vulnerability exists in MVPower CCTV DVR. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- ↑ F5 BIG-IP Remote Code Execution (CVE-2021-22986) – A remote code execution vulnerability exists in F5 BIG-IP devices. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- ↑ PHP Easter Egg Information Disclosure (CVE-2015-2051) – An information disclosure vulnerability has been reported in the PHP pages. The vulnerability is due to incorrect web server configuration. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted URL to an affected PHP page.
- ↔ Command Injection Over HTTP (CVE-2021-43936, CVE-2022-24086) – A command Injection over HTTP vulnerability has been reported. A remote attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to the victim. Successful exploitation would allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target machine.
- ↑ WordPress portable-phpMyAdmin Plugin Authentication Bypass (CVE-2012-5469) – An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in WordPress portable-phpMyAdmin Plugin. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information and gain unauthorized access into the affected system.
- ↓ OpenSSL TLS DTLS Heartbeat Information Disclosure (CVE-2014-0160, CVE-2014-0346) – This vulnerability, aka Heartbleed, is due to an error when handling TLS/DTLS heartbeat packets. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose memory contents of a connected client or server.
Top Mobile Malwares
Last month SpinOk rose to first place in the most prevalent Mobile malware, followed by Anubis and AhMyth.
- SpinOk – SpinOk is an Android software module that operates as spyware. It collects information about files stored on devices and is capable of transferring them to malicious threat actors. The malicious module was found present in more than 100 Android apps and downloaded more than 421,000,000 times until May 23.
- Anubis – Anubis is a banking Trojan malware designed for Android mobile phones. Since it was initially detected, it has gained additional functions including Remote Access Trojan (RAT) functionality, keylogger, audio recording capabilities and various ransomware features. It has been detected on hundreds of different applications available in the Google Store.
- AhMyth – AhMyth is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) discovered in 2017. It is distributed through Android apps that can be found on app stores and various websites. When a user installs one of these infected apps, the malware can collect sensitive information from the device and perform actions such as keylogging, taking screenshots, sending SMS messages, and activating the camera, which usually used to steal sensitive information.
Check Point’s Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence. ThreatCloud provides real-time threat intelligence derived from hundreds of millions of sensors worldwide, over networks, endpoints and mobiles. The intelligence is enriched with AI-based engines and exclusive research data from Check Point Research, the intelligence and research Arm of Check Point Software Technologies.