Cyber warfare

Cuba ransomware affiliate targets Ukraine, CERT-UA warns

The Ukraine Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) warns of Cuba Ransomware attacks against critical networks in the country.

The Ukraine Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) warns of potential Cuba Ransomware attacks against local critical infrastructure.

On October 21, 2022, the Ukraine CERT-UA uncovered a phishing campaign impersonating the Press Service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The phishing messages included a link to a third-party website for downloading a document titled ‘Наказ_309.pdf’.

The web page was crafted to trick the reader into updating the software (PDF Reader) to read the document.

Upon clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button, the executable file named “AcroRdrDCx642200120169_uk_UA.exe” will be downloaded to the machine.

Running the above executable will decode and run the “rmtpak.dll” DLL file which is the ROMCOM RAT.

The researchers associated the use of the RomCom backdoor with threat actor Tropical Scorpius (aka UNC2596), tracked by CERT-UA as UAC-0132, which is responsible for the distribution of the Cuba Ransomware.

Considering the use of the RomCom backdoor, as well as other features of the related files, we believe it is possible to associate the detected activity with the activity of the group Tropical Scorpius (Unit42) aka UNC2596 (Mandiant), which is responsible for the distribution of Cuba Ransomware; CERT-UA monitors activity under the identifier UAC-0132.” reads the alert published by Ukraine CERT.

Considering the use of the RomCom backdoor, as well as other features of the related files, we believe it is possible to associate the detected activity with the activity of the group Tropical Scorpius (Unit42) aka UNC2596 (Mandiant), which is responsible for the distribution of Cuba Ransomware; CERT-UA monitors activity under the identifier UAC-0132.

Beginning in early May 2022, the Palo Alto Network’s Unit 42 observed the Tropical Scorpius threat actor deploying Cuba Ransomware using novel tools and techniques, including the custom backdoor RomCom.

The alert also includes Indicators of Compromise for this campaign.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Cuba ransomware)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.

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