Rewterz Threat Alert – Lazarus Hackers Steal Data Using MATA Malware
Severity
High
Analysis Summary
A recently discovered malware framework known as MATA linked to the North Korean-backed hacking group Lazarus was used in attacks targeting corporate entities from multiple countries since April 2018 for ransomware deployment and data theft.
MATA is a modular framework with several components including a loader, orchestrator, and multiple plugins, and it can be used to infect Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
During their attacks, the hackers can use MATA to load several plugins into the infected system’s memory running commands, manipulating files and processes, injecting DLLs, creating HTTP proxies and tunnels on Windows devices.
MATA plugins also allow the hackers to scan for new targets on macOS and Linux-based machines (routers, firewalls, or IoT devices). On the macOS platform, MATA can also load a plugin_socks module that can be used to configure proxy servers.