Rewterz Threat Alert – Shuckworm APT Group aka Armageddon – Active IOCs

Severity

High

Analysis Summary

Shuckworm APT – aka Actinium, Armageddon, Primitive Bear, Gamaredon, and Trident Ursa – is a Russia-backed advanced persistent threat (APT) that has been operating since at least 2013. This cyber-espionage group is known to target government, military, and other high-value targets, primarily in Ukraine and has been linked to several advanced persistent threats (APT) campaigns. The main goal of this APT is to use the malicious document to gain control of the target machine. The exploit document uses the template injection technique to infect the victim’s computer with further malware. When the document is opened, it connects to the hacker’s server and downloads the payload file. Gamaredon’s tools are simple and designed to collect sensitive information from hacked systems and propagate it further. Its information-gathering efforts are nearly comparable to those of a second-tier APT, whose primary purpose is to collect and disseminate information with their units. The Gamaredon APT group’s recent attack leverages a decree document from the Russian Federation government as bait. In July, this APT group targets Ukrainian entities with PowerShell info-stealer malware dubbed GammaLoad.

source.

Gamaredon APT is particularly known for its ability to steal sensitive information from its targets, including intellectual property, confidential documents, and login credentials. In some cases, the group has also been observed exfiltrating large amounts of data from its targets over extended periods of time.

It is important for organizations to be aware of the threat posed by Gamaredon APT and to implement appropriate security measures to protect against this group and other advanced persistent threats. This may include implementing strong security controls, regularly monitoring network activity for signs of compromise, and using advanced threat detection and response technologies.

Impact

• Template Injection 
• Exposure of Sensitive Data

Indicators of Compromise

MD5

• 8021460702777318a468e62cb10be252
• 3ef4b957cbd8922f5bba0cfc031a6c94
• 908a00fa64599d1f3e40e5926bb77548

SHA-256

• c32e08dd9502c6f42d7c553f1115984d1958c859f428381cff4cc17fbf5b2498
• ff6ef98e1aa7b4db979b96058a05ba107a7938546f66ce5012921a0cf5592259
• 0c480c5b85acca820cc14ca9d9fd55ea5ba106228a44f5ec1123bc796d63a786

SHA-1

• fc90f57d99a60a507d1ac9b40a851c7c9c744f3e
• 50a7f4258f6eb1795c59b3799c70ff240022626a
• 0a9295ab7a2db702c7188e2b7e2574d8db9927b8

Remediation

• Block all threat indicators at your respective controls.
• Search for Indicators of compromise (IOCs) in your environment utilizing your respective security controls
• Do not download documents attached in emails from unknown sources and strictly refrain from enabling macros when the source isn’t reliable.
• Enable antivirus and anti-malware software and update signature definitions in a timely manner. Using multi-layered protection is necessary to secure vulnerable assets
• 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.