TA577 Hackers Attacking Hundreds of Organizations to Steal NTLM Hashes

by Esmeralda McKenzie
TA577 Hackers Attacking Hundreds of Organizations to Steal NTLM Hashes

TA577 Hackers Attacking Hundreds of Organizations to Steal NTLM Hashes

TA577 Attacking a total bunch of organizations to Steal NTLM Authentication Files

A cybercriminal likelihood actor identified as TA577 has been identified as employing a new assault intention to rob NT LAN Supervisor (NTLM) authentication recordsdata.

This delicate process is designed to win sensitive recordsdata and facilitate subsequent malicious actions.

EHA

Proofpoint uncovered two certain campaigns orchestrated by TA577 on February 26 and 27, 2024.

These campaigns inspiring tens of hundreds of messages targeting a host of organizations worldwide.

Technical Analysis

The attackers utilized thread hijacking, the place messages were disguised as replies to old emails and contained zipped HTML attachments tailored for each recipient.

Example message using thread hijacking containing a zipped attachment containing an HTML file.
Example message using thread hijacking containing a zipped attachment containing an HTML file.

The malicious attachments, each with a certain file hash, triggered system connection makes an attempt by task of HTML files to an exterior Server Message Block (SMB) server.

By shooting NTLMv2 Mission/Response pairs from the SMB server, TA577 aimed to rob NTLM hashes for skill password cracking or “Dash-The-Hash” assaults inner targeted organizations.

The train of the birth-supply toolkit Impacket on the SMB servers indicated the attackers’ intent to exploit vulnerabilities and switch laterally inner compromised environments.

Proofpoint’s review highlighted the increasing pattern of likelihood actors using file map URIs to impart victims to exterior file shares for malware supply.

Example HTML containing the URL (starting place with “file://”) pointing to the SMB useful resource.
Example HTML containing the URL (starting place with “file://”) pointing to the SMB useful resource.

Implications and Mitigation

Permitting connections to these compromised SMB servers posed dangers of compromising NTLM hashes and exposing sensitive recordsdata love usernames and domains.

Notably, the attackers delivered the malicious HTML inner zip archives to evade detection by Outlook mail clients.

Disabling customer entry to SMB did no longer cease the assault, emphasizing the need for proactive safety measures.

Noticed packet capture (PCAP) from the TA577 marketing campaign.
Noticed packet capture (PCAP) from the TA577 marketing campaign.

TA577, a successfully-identified cybercrime likelihood actor beforehand related to ransomware infections love Shaded Basta, has no longer too long within the past shifted in opposition to using Pikabot as an preliminary payload.

This shift in ways underscores the evolving nature of cyber threats and the significance of staying vigilant in opposition to rising assault vectors.

Emerging Threats and Suggestions

Organizations are suggested to dam outbound SMB connections to mitigate dangers related to such assaults and protect abreast of rising likelihood signatures.

TA577’s innovative ways underscore the evolving panorama of cyber threats, necessitating continuous vigilance and proactive cybersecurity measures to safeguard in opposition to delicate assaults.

  • 2044665 – ET INFO Outbound SMB NTLM Auth Strive to External Take care of
  • 2051116 – ET INFO Outbound SMB2 NTLM Auth Strive to External Take care of
  • 2051432 – ET INFO [ANY.RUN] Impacket Framework Default SMB Server GUID Detected
  • 2051433 – ET INFO Impacket Framework Default SMB NTLMSSP Mission

With the ANY RUN malware sandbox, you would perhaps perhaps well be ready to analyze malware files, networks, modules, and registry process. It also lets you engage with the OS at as soon as from the browser.

IOCs

Indicator Description
file://89[.]117[.]1[.]161/mtdi/ZQCw[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]2[.]33/hvwsuw/udrh[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://146[.]19[.]213[.]36/vei/yEZZ[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://176[.]123[.]2[.]146/vbcsn/UOx[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]1[.]160/4bvt1yw/iC[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]2[.]34/4qp/8Y[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://104[.]129[.]20[.]167/xhsmd/bOWEU[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://146[.]19[.]213[.]36/dbna/H[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]2[.]33/7ipw/7ohq[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]2[.]34/3m3sxh6/IuM[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://103[.]124[.]104[.]22/zjxb/bO[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]1[.]161/epxq/A[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://176[.]123[.]2[.]146/5aohv/9mn[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://66[.]63[.]188[.]19/bmkmsw/2[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://89[.]117[.]1[.]160/zkf2r4j/VmD[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://103[.]124[.]104[.]76/wsr6oh/Y[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://103[.]124[.]105[.]208/wha5uxh/D[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://103[.]124[.]105[.]233/yusx/dMA[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://103[.]124[.]106[.]224/uuny19/bb1nG[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://85[.]239[.]33[.]149/naams/p3aV[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets
file://155[.]94[.]208[.]137/tgnd/zH9[.]txt File Scheme URL Redirect Targets

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Source credit : cybersecuritynews.com

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