Rewterz Threat Alert – Qakbot aka Pinkslipbot or Qbot Malware Campaign – Active IOCs

Severity

Medium

Analysis Summary

QBot, often known as QakBot, is modular information malware. It has been operational since 2007. This banking Trojan, QakBot steals financial data from infected systems, and a loader using C2 servers for payload targeting and download. Qakbot can propagate to other computers on the same network and allow it to mask its existence and build persistence on infected computers. A malware attachment to a phishing email is commonly used in QakBot attacks. This particular campaign includes an xls file that contains macros. These macros run a script that fetches the Qakbot payload from a list of URLs. To get the victim to activate macros, the attackers employ a common trick, like when the target downloads the file, it is asked to allow changes and then content before viewing the document.

In addition to stealing information, QakBot can also download and install additional malware on the infected system, making it a potent threat that can cause significant damage. It is also capable of propagating itself across networks, making it a persistent threat that is difficult to remove.

During the past months, it is observed that attackers are employing a number of strategies to avoid detection, using Excel (XLM) 4.0 and ZIP file extensions. They are utilizing sophisticated strategies to evade automated detection and increase the likelihood that their attack will succeed, such as obfuscating code, using numerous URLs to deliver the payload and others. Threat actors are disguising attachments intended to spread malware using a variety of different common file names with typical keywords for finance and business operations

To protect against QakBot and similar threats, individuals and organizations should implement robust cybersecurity measures, including regularly updating software and systems, backing up data, and providing security awareness training for employees. It is also important to be vigilant when opening email attachments or visiting unfamiliar websites, as these are common methods used by attackers to spread malware.

Impact

• Unauthorized Access
• Financial Theft
• Information Theft

Indicators of Compromise

IP

• 77.126.99.230
• 24.234.220.88
• 151.62.238.176
• 85.57.212.13
• 199.27.66.213
• 12.172.173.82
• 105.184.209.117
• 193.80.73.200
• 93.187.148.45
• 37.189.89.196
• 182.75.189.42
• 65.95.141.84
• 84.216.198.201

MD5

• 179d4849f8d096122d05de3c7bebb4bd
• 69917067f6e8bb8c0cf931206b9dd9ec

SHA-256

• 2f6ae770a5d56ed8a2cfe262e196363b5c80e58468c66ff36cdf9c75306c2c55
• 311a7bf05a590a55c2d24e7a16d7b1ae0a85dcd0cb46cd3f379b8ecaafdca2a6

SHA-1

• ee3ead69ec6801721cde4ca6480f30ecff948c08
• ac331d5296eebe099ada969c26b9f3bbab986a42

Remediation

• Block all threat indicators at your respective controls.
• Search for Indicators of compromise (IOCs) in your environment utilizing your respective security controls
• Maintain cyber hygiene by updating your anti-virus software and implementing a patch management lifecycle.
• Maintain Offline Backups – In a ransomware attack, the adversary will often delete or encrypt backups if they have access to them. That’s why it’s important to keep offline (preferably off-site), encrypted backups of data and test them regularly.
• Emails from unknown senders should always be treated with caution.
• Never trust or open ” links and attachments received from unknown sources/senders.
• Patch and upgrade any platforms and software timely and make it into a standard security policy. Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities and zero-days.
• Along with network and system hardening, code hardening should be implemented within the organization so that their websites and software are secure. Use testing tools to detect any vulnerabilities in the deployed codes.
• Enable antivirus and anti-malware software and update signature definitions in a timely manner. Using multi-layered protection is necessary to secure vulnerable assets