Leveraging public email services along with corporate email accounts is a common practice among government employees, military personnel, and the staff of other Ukrainian enterprises and organizations. However, adversaries might abuse these services to launch phishing attacks. Defenders have recently uncovered a new offensive activity aimed at stealing user authentication data by luring victims into […]
Defenders have observed a sudden surge in the adversary activity of the UAC-0057 hacking group targeting Ukrainian local government agencies. Attackers distribute malicious files containing macros aimed at launching PICASSOLOADER on the targeted computers, which leads to the delivery of Cobalt Strike Beacon. Detect UAC-0057 Activity Covered in the CERT-UA#10340 Alert Since the full-scale war […]
Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, cyber defenders have identified the growing volumes of cyber-espionage campaigns aimed at collecting intelligence from the Ukrainian state bodies. Further, the same tactics, techniques, and procedures are applied to target broader geography, including North America, Europe, and Asia. Precisely, in May 2023, the UAC-0063 group launched […]
The Vermin hacking group, also known as UAC-0020, resurfaces, targeting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the latest “SickSync” campaign uncovered by CERT-UA in collaboration with the Cybersecurity Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adversaries once again employ SPECTR malware, which has been part of their adversary toolkit since 2019. SickSync Campaign Targeting the […]
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, there has been a significant rise in offensive operations, highlighting the profound impact of geopolitical tensions on global enterprises. Multiple hacking groups continue to use Ukraine as a testing ground to extend their attack surface into European and U.S. political arenas. CERT-UA has been lately reported […]
Threat actors frequently leverage remote management tools in cyber attacks via the phishing attack vector. For instance, the Remote Utilities software has been largely exploited in offensive campaigns against Ukraine. CERT-UA, in conjunction with CSIRT-NB, has recently identified a targeted cyber attack attributed to the UAC-0188 employing remote management software. Adversaries were observed gaining unauthorized […]
The financially motivated group identified as UAC-0006 has been actively launching phishing attacks targeting Ukraine throughout 2023. CERT-UA team reports the reemergence of UAC-0006 in the cyber threat landscape in spring 2024. In the ongoing campaigns, hackers attempt to distribute SMOKELOADER, the common malicious sample from the group’s adversary toolkit. UAC-0006 Latest Activity Analysis Spreading […]
For over a decade, the nefarious russia-backed Sandworm APT group (aka UAC-0133, UAC-0002, APT44, or FROZENBARENTS) has been consistently targeting Ukrainian organizations with a prime focus on the public sector and critical infrastructure. CERT-UA has recently unveiled the group’s malicious intentions to disrupt the information and communication systems of about 20 critical infrastructure organizations. UAC-0133 […]
The UAC-0184 hacking collective is back, once again setting its eyes on the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Adversaries attempt to gain access to the targeted computers to steal files and messaging data, according to the latest CERT-UA research. UAC-0184 Latest Attack Description Defenders have been observing a significant surge in the malicious activity of the […]
Two days before the 2nd anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion, CERT-UA researchers uncovered an ongoing phishing attack against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The adversary campaign linked to the UAC-0149 group has leveraged COOKBOX malware to infect targeted systems. UAC-0149 Attack Analysis Using COOKBOX Malware CERT-UA in coordination with the Cybersecurity Center of the Information […]