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M2M - Trickbot 2017-06-14 : mac1 : "Emailing: 123456789" - "123456789.PDF"

Low
Unknowntlp:white
Published: Thu Jun 15 2017 (06/15/2017, 00:00:00 UTC)
Source: CIRCL
Vendor/Project: tlp
Product: white

Description

M2M - Trickbot 2017-06-14 : mac1 : "Emailing: 123456789" - "123456789.PDF"

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 07/02/2025, 16:11:05 UTC

Technical Analysis

The provided information references a threat related to Trickbot, a well-known banking Trojan and malware family that has been active since around 2016. The specific entry dates back to June 14, 2017, and mentions an activity labeled "Emailing: 123456789" with an associated PDF file named "123456789.PDF." Trickbot is primarily known for its modular architecture, enabling it to perform a variety of malicious activities such as credential theft, lateral movement, and data exfiltration. The mention of emailing a PDF file suggests a possible phishing or spear-phishing campaign where Trickbot attempts to spread via malicious email attachments or uses email as a command and control (C2) vector. However, the provided data lacks detailed technical indicators such as infection vectors, payload specifics, or exploitation methods. The threat level is marked as low, and no known exploits in the wild are reported for this specific instance. The absence of affected versions and patch links further limits the technical depth of this report. Overall, this entry appears to document a low-severity Trickbot-related email campaign or activity from 2017, with limited actionable technical details.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, Trickbot represents a persistent threat primarily targeting financial institutions, enterprises, and government entities due to its credential theft and lateral movement capabilities. Even though this specific instance is marked as low severity and lacks known exploits, Trickbot infections can lead to significant impacts including unauthorized access to sensitive data, financial fraud, disruption of business operations, and potential deployment of ransomware as a secondary payload. The use of email with PDF attachments as a delivery mechanism is a common vector in Europe, where phishing remains a leading cause of breaches. Organizations with insufficient email filtering or user awareness training are at higher risk. Given the modular nature of Trickbot, initial low-severity infections can escalate if additional modules are deployed by attackers. Therefore, even low-severity Trickbot activity should be taken seriously to prevent escalation.

Mitigation Recommendations

To mitigate threats like Trickbot, European organizations should implement multi-layered defenses focused on email security and endpoint protection. Specific recommendations include: 1) Deploy advanced email filtering solutions capable of detecting malicious attachments and links, including sandboxing PDF files to detect embedded exploits or macros. 2) Enforce strict attachment policies and disable automatic execution of macros in office documents. 3) Conduct regular user awareness training emphasizing phishing recognition and safe email handling practices. 4) Utilize endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to identify and isolate suspicious behaviors indicative of Trickbot activity, such as unusual network connections or process spawning. 5) Maintain up-to-date antivirus and anti-malware signatures and apply security patches promptly. 6) Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if an infection occurs. 7) Monitor outbound email traffic for anomalous patterns that could indicate data exfiltration or C2 communications. These targeted measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on the known Trickbot infection vectors and behaviors.

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Technical Details

Threat Level
3
Analysis
1
Original Timestamp
1497616898

Threat ID: 682acdbdbbaf20d303f0babb

Added to database: 5/19/2025, 6:20:45 AM

Last enriched: 7/2/2025, 4:11:05 PM

Last updated: 7/30/2025, 11:43:38 AM

Views: 10

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