Iranian Hackers Using Windows Kernel Driver
Iranian threat hackers have frequently been attacking entities in the Middle East using a new Windows kernel driver, according to a report by researchers at Fortinet. A threat group identified by SentinelOne and known as Agrius, has been using this advanced tool to conduct espionage campaigns and gain unauthorised access to targeted systems.
Called Wintapix by Fortinet's Fortiguard Labs, this driver uses the Donut, a position-independent code that enables in-memory loading of payloads through shellcode, using process hollowing or thread hijacking.
Wintapix appears to have been active since at least mid-2020, likely developed by the Agrius threat actor and primarily used in attacks against entities in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Microsoft have separately reported on Iranian state-backed hackers have joined in ongoing attacket targeting vulnerable PaperCut MF/NG print management servers.
Fortinet says that the Wintapix driver was likely used in some major campaigns in August and September 2022 and in February and March 2023, albeit it remained under the radar to date. Observed samples have compilation dates of May 2020 and June 2021, but were seen in the wild much later.
“Since Iranian threat actors are known to exploit Exchange servers to deploy additional malware, it is also possible that this driver has been employed alongside Exchange attacks. To that point, the compilation time of the drivers is also aligned with times when Iranian threat actors were exploiting Exchange server vulnerabilities,” Fortinet reports.
The kernel driver allows the hackers to bypass security mechanisms and execute malicious code, enabling them to carry out various malicious activities while remaining undetected.
The attacks primarily target organisations in the telecommunications, transport, industrial and government sectors, highlighting the ongoing cyber threats faced by entities in the Middle East and the need for robust security measures to defend against such sophisticated attacks.
Fortinet: SentinelOne: Oodaloop: Security Week: Hacker News: HackDojo:
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