Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Trojan Tied to RSA SecureID Breach Linked to Multiple Cyber-Campaigns

    Written by

    Brian Prince
    Published August 1, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Dell SecureWorks has connected malware used in the RSA SecureID breach to attack campaigns going back several years that have targeted companies in countries around the globe.

      Using a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) known as “Comfoo,” the attackers have been traced to at least 64 campaigns, according to Joe Stewart, director of malware research at Dell SecureWorks, who noted that development of the Trojan goes back as far as 2006.

      Some of the victims were government organizations, media companies and corporations specializing in audio and video conferencing technology. Other victims included the networks of mineral exploration, electronic and telecommunication companies.

      The largest numbers of victims were found in Japan, India and South Korea, though other targets were found in the United States, Taiwan and Europe. Once Comfoo was on the victims’ systems, it was able to gather system and network information as well as log keystrokes, upload files and take screenshots.

      To stay persistent on the system’s it infects, Comfoo replaces the path to the DLL of an existing unused service as opposed to installing a new service that might be noticed during system audits. In addition, the malware starts the existing “ipnat” system service, which causes remote inbound connections to the infected system to fail, thereby blocking remote maintenance by network administrators. In some instances, Comfoo is also delivered with a rootkit that hides its files on disk.

      “The malware slipped under the radar because the attackers choose to tweak it to ensure the target’s antivirus won’t detect it before they deploy it,” Stewart said. “The rest of the time when it is detected, targets may not even realize it’s anything other than ordinary commodity malware, because AV doesn’t really tell you that information. Finally, those that do recognize the threat for what it is don’t often share the indicators because they don’t want to publicize a breach.”

      In a blog post, Dell SecureWorks’ researchers explain that they also found a “rendezvous-type traffic relay program” that passes traffic between Comfoo victims and the Comfoo master console operated by the attackers.

      “Unlike ‘dumb’ traffic relay servers such as HTran, the Comfoo relay server does not know the location of the master console,” according to the blog post by Stewart and senior security researcher Don Jackson. “Instead, the master console program connects to the relay server on-demand, and any incoming victim data is passed to the master console connection.”

      “The unauthenticated nature of the Comfoo relay server’s administrative connections makes it possible to take control of the C2 [command and control] server and all victims’ systems, armed only with knowledge of the protocol, the encryption method and the static encryption key hard-coded into every Comfoo binary,” according to the blog.

      “Researchers can passively monitor victims’ logins to the relay servers (sending no commands) by connecting to the correct port on the correct IP address at the right time. This technique is analogous to viewing Web server log data stored in a publicly accessible directory on a C2 server.”

      To help identify and notify victims of Comfoo-related espionage, the researchers set up a passive monitoring system for dozens of active Comfoo C2 relays that has been running since January 2012. To date, Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit has identified more than 200 variants of the malware developed by the Comfoo gang.

      “We are going public now because the activity of this one RAT has fallen off significantly, so tipping the attackers off about how we were able to monitor it for the last 18 months is now a non-issue,” Stewart said.

      Brian Prince
      Brian Prince

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.