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Another Confluence Bites the Dust: Falling to ELPACO-team Ransomware

Medium
Published: Mon May 19 2025 (05/19/2025, 08:41:19 UTC)
Source: AlienVault OTX

Description

A threat actor exploited an unpatched Confluence server using CVE-2023-22527, gaining initial access. They used Metasploit for command and control, then installed AnyDesk for persistent remote access. The attacker performed extensive network discovery, attempted privilege escalation using various techniques, and harvested credentials with tools like Mimikatz. They moved laterally using compromised domain admin credentials, accessing multiple systems via RDP and WMI. The intrusion culminated in the deployment of ELPACO-team ransomware, a Mimic variant, on key servers approximately 62 hours after initial access. While ransomware was deployed and some logs deleted, no significant data exfiltration was observed.

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 06/19/2025, 17:48:50 UTC

Technical Analysis

This threat involves a sophisticated ransomware attack executed by the ELPACO-team adversary targeting unpatched Atlassian Confluence servers via the CVE-2023-22527 vulnerability. The initial compromise is achieved by exploiting this known vulnerability in Confluence, which allows remote code execution on vulnerable servers. Following initial access, the attacker leveraged Metasploit frameworks for command and control operations, enabling remote execution and control over the compromised environment. To maintain persistence, the attacker installed AnyDesk, a legitimate remote desktop application, which facilitates stealthy long-term access. The attacker conducted extensive internal reconnaissance to map the network and identify valuable targets. Privilege escalation was attempted using multiple techniques, including credential harvesting with Mimikatz, a well-known tool for extracting plaintext credentials and hashes from memory. Using harvested domain administrator credentials, the attacker moved laterally across the network via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), gaining control over multiple critical systems. Approximately 62 hours after initial access, the attacker deployed ELPACO-team ransomware, a variant of the Mimic ransomware family, on key servers. The ransomware encrypted files to disrupt operations and demanded ransom payments. The attacker also deleted some logs to hinder forensic investigations. Notably, no significant data exfiltration was observed during this intrusion, indicating the primary objective was disruption and ransom rather than data theft. The attack chain demonstrates a high level of operational sophistication, combining exploitation of a known vulnerability, use of legitimate tools for persistence and lateral movement, and deployment of ransomware to maximize impact.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, this threat poses a significant risk to operational continuity, particularly for those relying on Atlassian Confluence for collaboration and documentation. The exploitation of an unpatched Confluence server can lead to full network compromise, enabling attackers to encrypt critical data and disrupt business processes. The use of legitimate tools like AnyDesk and Metasploit complicates detection and response efforts. The lateral movement using domain admin credentials increases the scope of impact, potentially affecting multiple systems and services. Although no data exfiltration was observed in this case, the deletion of logs impedes incident response and forensic analysis, prolonging recovery times. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on Confluence, such as technology, finance, and government, may face severe operational disruptions, reputational damage, and financial losses due to ransom payments or downtime. Additionally, the attack highlights the risk of unpatched vulnerabilities and the need for robust internal monitoring to detect lateral movement and credential theft. Given the ransomware nature, availability is primarily impacted, but confidentiality and integrity are also at risk due to credential harvesting and potential unauthorized access.

Mitigation Recommendations

1. Immediate patching of all Confluence servers to remediate CVE-2023-22527 and related vulnerabilities is critical. 2. Implement strict network segmentation to limit lateral movement, especially restricting RDP and WMI access to essential systems only. 3. Deploy and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative and remote access accounts to reduce the risk of credential misuse. 4. Monitor for the installation and use of remote access tools like AnyDesk, especially if not authorized, using endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. 5. Enhance logging and ensure log integrity by forwarding logs to centralized, tamper-resistant systems to prevent deletion or alteration by attackers. 6. Conduct regular credential audits and implement privileged access management (PAM) to minimize exposure of domain admin credentials. 7. Utilize behavioral analytics to detect unusual network discovery activities and lateral movement patterns indicative of attacker reconnaissance. 8. Maintain offline, tested backups of critical data to enable recovery without paying ransom. 9. Conduct regular security awareness training focusing on recognizing lateral movement and persistence techniques. 10. Employ threat hunting exercises specifically targeting known tools like Mimikatz and Metasploit usage within the environment.

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Technical Details

Author
AlienVault
Tlp
white
References
["https://thedfirreport.com/2025/05/19/another-confluence-bites-the-dust-falling-to-elpaco-team-ransomware"]
Adversary
ELPACO-team

Indicators of Compromise

Ip

ValueDescriptionCopy
ip45.227.254.124
ip109.160.16.68
ip91.191.209.46

Cve

ValueDescriptionCopy
cveCVE-2020-1472
cveCVE-2021-34527
cveCVE-2023-22518
cveCVE-2023-22527

Hash

ValueDescriptionCopy
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hash35893c46af1af2089498b062379c039f
hash3e872ca0ac6261b85dd9524a8f3a83db
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hashe703ffdf065094f30b8b9c107a64736b
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hashee8d08b380bf3d3fe9961a0ab428549f
hashf635d1c916a7c56678f08d1d998e7ce4
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hash35ff55bcf493e1b936dc6e978a981ee2a75543a1
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hash8900b1ef864eb390bf99b801d78a0b8dbd5d90b6
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hash2c656109db6d2059c41a50e623ceb5e656ff764c44b1e1dbf41131f0206f8238
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hash3c300726a6cdd8a39230f0775ea726c2d42838ac7ff53bfdd7c58d28df4182d5
hash3e92ca5b4069eba89d9fcfd7885924282fdf6ca26d0ff8d0502973d9c9bc1fef
hash4f4864a1d5f19a3c5552d80483526f3413497835549dce8c61fef116b666fa09
hash51f2d5fba3d02cba1c99cf2dfd9968b98d0047f501b54b9531e7ad2719706e47
hash5748bfb17e662fb6d197886a69df47f1071052c3381eb1c609a2bc5dba8c2992
hash6492e765829974c4a636bff0e305261b18eea92fcb1df6fff69890366efc972d
hash6606d759667fbdfaa46241db7ffb4839d2c47b88a20120446f41e916cad77d0b
hash6b93e585479a3c5b9a8edbe2b11a8371cb028e8b196acb1c16a425e8d8530cd7
hash6e5a6629b5ec2eea276fe93553d31f3d23885b214db0a4c2c9201f65180d767f
hash90cdcf54bbaeb9c5c4afc9b74b48b13e293746ee8858c033fc9d365fd4074018
hash9875d1947b8d18974c938721c273d9322fc9af36be96e0ec696daac2929bb802
hash9b1df0db16b3b73fe3549856fb4a74414faecffabee0d001865e05b93dda14ec
hash9e18fcc595d4e158ac7aa9250e45145445b31018b35d6ed91239da2b931b5c37
hasha710ed9e008326b981ff0fadb1c75d89deca2b52451d4677a8fd808b4ac0649b
hashabbe5619e1d7a08f807b57d0949a7f97108a546a415778f25ed35f31ee2cd2f5
hashc3405d9c9d593d75d773c0615254e69d0362954384058ee970a3ec0944519c37
hashc7440e621d1c5e90ca4963a4b3b52d27bac05a44248ca88dd51510489d1171bb
hashd5746d9f3284dadf60180f7f7332a08895c609520e0c2327918f259d182cbaf6
hashe5f985b5a1f4f351616516553295e1224a02219825c35e3c64b55ecdc8a0d699
hashf47e3555461472f23ab4766e4d5b6f6fd260e335a6abc31b860e569a720a5446
hashff547a7803cd989f9f09a22323ec3f7079266b9a20a07f2c6f353547318ff172

Domain

ValueDescriptionCopy
domaindelete.me

Threat ID: 682c992c7960f6956616a0c6

Added to database: 5/20/2025, 3:01:00 PM

Last enriched: 6/19/2025, 5:48:50 PM

Last updated: 8/7/2025, 3:48:32 AM

Views: 25

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