TrueBot: Cyber Security Agencies Issue A Warning
Cyber security agencies are warning about the appearance of new variants of the TrueBot malware, which is now focusing on companies in the US and Canada with the aim of stealing private data from infiltrated systems. These attacks exploit a critical vulnerability in the widely used Netwrix Auditor server and its connected agents.
This vulnerability enables unauthorised attackers to execute malicious code with the SYSTEM user's privileges, granting them unrestricted access to compromised systems.
The TrueBot malware is connected to cyber criminal collectives FIN11 and Silence and is deployed to siphon off data and disseminate ransomware.The cyber criminals gain their initial foothold by exploiting the cited vulnerability, then proceed to install TrueBot. Once they have breached the networks, they install the FlawedGrace Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to escalate their privileges, establish persistence on the compromised systems, and conduct additional operations.
"During FlawedGrace's execution phase, the RAT stores encrypted payloads within the registry. The tool can create scheduled tasks and inject payloads into msiexec, which are command processes that enable FlawedGrace to establish a command and control (C2) connection…as well as load dynamic link libraries (DLLs) to accomplish privilege escalation," says the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
The cyber criminals initiate Cobalt Strike beacons within several hours of the first intrusion. These beacons facilitate post-exploitation tasks, including stealing data and installing ransomware or different malware payloads.
While previous versions of the TrueBot malware were typically spread through malicious email attachments, the updated versions leverage the CVE-2022-31199 vulnerability to gain initial access. This strategic shift allows the cyber threat actors to carry out attacks on a broader scale within infiltrated environments. Importantly, the Netwrix Auditor software is employed by more than 13K organisations worldwide, including notable firms such as Airbus, Allianz, the UK NHS, and Virgin.
The CISA advisory does not provide specific information about the victims or the number of organisations affected by the TrueBot attacks, although it does encourage organisations to implement appropriate security measures.
To safeguard themselves against TrueBot malware and similar threats, organisations should take the following recommendations into account:
- Install updates: Organisations using Netwrix Auditor should install the necessary updates to mitigate the CVE-2022-31199 vulnerability and update their software to version 10.5 or above.
- Enhance security protocols: Deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all employees and services.
- Be vigilant for signs of infiltration (IOCs): Security teams must actively scrutinise their networks for indications of TrueBot contamination. The joint warning provides guidelines to help in discovering and reducing the malware's impact.
- Report any incidents: If organisations detect IOCs or suspect a TrueBot infiltration, they must act swiftly in accordance with the incident response actions laid out in the warning and report the incident to CISA or the FBI.
CISA: NCSC: NCSC: Picus Security: Hacker News: Malwarertips: Image: kalhh
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