Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Malware & Threats

Backdoor Targeting Malaysian Government a “Mash-up” of Malware

A recently observed cyber-espionage toolkit that was used in targeted attacks against the Malaysian government in mid-2018 is made up of publicly available tools and leaked source code of backdoors, ESET says. 

A recently observed cyber-espionage toolkit that was used in targeted attacks against the Malaysian government in mid-2018 is made up of publicly available tools and leaked source code of backdoors, ESET says. 

The ‘mash-up’ toolkit was observed in June 2018, and it immediately piqued ESET security researchers’ interest due to the use of code from well-known malicious tools, including the Gh0st RAT and NetBot Attacker. 

As ESET’s Tomáš Gardoň and Filip Kafka explain, both of these malware families were developed in 2008 and have been previously used in high-profile attacks, with the source code of both leaked online. 

In addition to code pertaining to these backdoors, the newly discovered toolkit contained parts of Hacking Team’s infamous Remote Control System (RCS) surveillance tool. This malware also had its source code leaked, and has been used to build other malicious tools. 

While such code reuse is rather common when it comes to less skilled attackers and more banal attacks, highly targeted espionage attacks against a governmental targets almost always involve custom-made malicious tools, the researchers point out. 

“We could say that these attackers wanted to achieve a lot but were willing to do only very little. Even some of the customizations they added to the reused tools – probably in an attempt to fly under the radar – were “borrowed” from Hacking Team’s code,” Gardoň notes. 

Only one of the malware’s components, a standalone file stealer, wasn’t matched to known tools. 

The toolkit, the researchers explain, works as a backdoor, allowing the attackers to exfiltrate files from compromised machines, as well as to upload files. The malware also supports modification and deletion of files, can monitor and simulate mouse and keyboard activity, gather information on the infected system, execute or kill processes, and even shut down or restart an infected computer.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Although the malware was detected and blocked, the attackers did manage to infiltrate some systems, and ESET observed the attack attempts coming from computers in the target’s network. 

The researchers believe the attackers were able to compromise a computer or server in the network, and then use this compromise to spread through the network. 

The security researchers also noticed that the attackers made several changes to the evasion techniques employed by their malware, suggesting that the attack “wasn’t just a random incident, but organized espionage against the Malaysian government.”

Related: New Hacking Team Spyware Samples Detected: ESET

Related: New PowerShell Backdoor Resembles “MuddyWater” Malware

Written By

Ionut Arghire is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek.

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Learn how the LOtL threat landscape has evolved, why traditional endpoint hardening methods fall short, and how adaptive, user-aware approaches can reduce risk.

Watch Now

Join the summit to explore critical threats to public cloud infrastructure, APIs, and identity systems through discussions, case studies, and insights into emerging technologies like AI and LLMs.

Register

People on the Move

Matthew Cowell has assumed the role of VP of Strategic Alliances at Nozomi Networks. He previously served in the same role at Dragos.

Bret Arsenault is retiring from his full-time role after 35 years at Microsoft.

Social engineering defense platform Doppel has appointed Bobby Ford as Chief Strategy and Experience Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.