Shuckworm Intensifies Cyber Attacks On Ukraine

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the aggressor’s offensive forces have also launched an avalanche of cyber-espionage campaigns against Ukraine and its allies. 

Now, the Shuckworm espionage group is mounting multiple cyber attacks against Ukraine, with recent targets including security services, military, and government organisations. 

The persistent and focused online espionage campaigns by Shuckworm present the most severe threat yet observed to multiple Ukrainian organisations, mostly public sector.

Shuckworm, thought to be linked to the Russian FSB internal security agency, has succeeded in staging long-running intrusions, lasting for as long as three months. The attackers have repeatedly attempted to access sensitive information such as reports about the deaths of Ukrainian military service members, enemy engagements and air strikes, arsenal inventories, military training, and more.

These attacks were discovered by the Symantec (now part of Broadcom) Threat Hunter Team and have been using phishing emails with malicious attachments, deploying backdoors and tools, and spreading custom malware via USB drives. 

To avoid detection, Shuckworm has updated its toolset and exploited legitimate services for command-and-control infrastructure. Symantec have spotted up to 25 new variants of the group’s scripts observed per month between January and April 2023.

To mitigate such attacks, organisations are advised to assess the risk of using USB devices, scan them with antivirus software, and educate users to identify and report phishing attempts.

Broadcom:    Symantec:    Oodaloop:     Infosecurity Magazine:     SOCPrime:    Unified Guru:     @OODA:

You Might Also Read: 

The Evolution Of Russian Cyber Warfare:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 6,500-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.

• Individual £5 per month or £50 per year. Sign Up

• Multi-User, Corporate & Library Accounts Available on Request

• Inquiries: Contact Cyber Security Intelligence    

Cyber Security Intelligence: Captured Organised & Accessible