Research Saturday
Recent Episodes
This week we are joined by Silas Cutler, Principal Security Researcher at Censys, asking the important question of "Will the Real Volt Typhoon Please Stand Up?" The FBI's disruption of the KV Botnet in December 2023, attributed to the Chinese threat group Volt Typhoon, targeted infected systems but did not affect the botnet's control infrastructure. Despite law enforcement efforts and technical exposure, the botnet's infrastructure has remained largely stable, with only changes in hosting providers, raising questions about whether another party operates the botnet. Censys scanning data from 2024 shows a shift in the botnet's control servers, indicating a response to disruption attempts, while the botnet's operators have shown limited efforts to obscure their infrastructure.
Caught in the contagious interview.
This week we are joined by Phil Stokes, threat researcher at SentinelOne's SentinelLabs, discussing their work on "macOS FlexibleFerret | Further Variants of DPRK Malware Family Unearthed." Apple recently pushed an update to its XProtect tool, blocking several variants of the DPRK-linked Ferret malware family, which targets victims through the "Contagious Interview" campaign. The malware uses fake job interview processes to trick users into installing malicious software, and new variants, including FlexibleFerret, remain undetected by XProtect. SentinelOne's research reveals a deeper investigation into this malware, which uses social engineering to expand its attack vectors, including targeting developers through platforms like GitHub.
From small-time scams to billion-dollar threats.
This week, we are joined by Selena Larson from Proofpoint, and co-host of the "Only Malware in the Building" podcast, as she discusses the research on "Why Biasing Advanced Persistent Threats over Cybercrime is a Security Risk." The cybersecurity industry has historically prioritized Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) from nation-state actors over cybercrime, but this distinction is outdated as cybercriminals now employ equally sophisticated tactics. Financially motivated threat actors, especially ransomware groups, have evolved to the point where they rival state-backed hackers in technical capability and impact, disrupting businesses, infrastructure, and individuals on a massive scale. To enhance security, defenders must shift focus from an APT-centric mindset to a broader approach that equally prioritizes combating cybercrime, which poses an immediate and tangible risk to global stability.
Bot or not? The fake CAPTCHA trick spreading Lumma malware.
Nati Tal, Head of Guardio Labs, discusses their work on "“DeceptionAds” — Fake Captcha Driving Infostealer Infections and a Glimpse to the Dark Side of Internet Advertising." Guardio has uncovered a large-scale malvertising campaign dubbed “DeceptionAds,” which tricks users into running a malicious PowerShell command under the guise of proving they’re human. This fake CAPTCHA scheme delivers Lumma info-stealer malware while bypassing security measures like Google’s Safe Browsing. Even after disclosure and takedown efforts, the campaign resurfaced—raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing defenses against ad-driven cyber threats.
Mark Manglicmot, SVP of Security Services from Arctic Wolf, is sharing their research on "Cleopatra’s Shadow: A Mass Exploitation Campaign Deploying a Java Backdoor Through Zero-Day Exploitation of Cleo MFT Software." Arctic Wolf Labs discovered an ongoing exploitation campaign targeting Cleo Managed File Transfer (MFT) products, beginning on December 7, 2024. Threat actors used a malicious PowerShell stager to deploy a Java-based backdoor, dubbed Cleopatra, which features in-memory file storage and cross-platform compatibility across Windows and Linux. Despite Cleo's previous patch for CVE-2024-50623, attackers appear to have leveraged an alternative access method, exploiting the software's autorun feature to execute payloads and establish persistent access.
