Malware Analysis Report (AR18-165A) MAR-10135536-12 – North Korean Trojan: TYPEFRAME
Malware Analysis Report (AR18-165A) MAR-10135536-12 – North Korean Trojan: TYPEFRAME
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The provided information pertains to a malware analysis report identified as AR18-165A (MAR-10135536-12) concerning a North Korean Trojan named TYPEFRAME. This threat is attributed to the Lazarus Group, a well-known North Korean state-sponsored threat actor. TYPEFRAME is a Trojan malware family historically linked to espionage and cybercrime activities conducted by this group. Although the report does not provide detailed technical specifics about the malware's capabilities, infection vectors, or payloads, the association with Lazarus Group suggests that TYPEFRAME is likely designed for targeted cyber espionage, data exfiltration, or disruption. The report classifies the severity as low and indicates no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication (May 2018). The absence of affected versions and patch links implies that this malware is not exploiting a specific software vulnerability but rather relies on social engineering, spear-phishing, or other infection methods typical of advanced persistent threats (APTs). The threat level is noted as 3, which may correspond to a moderate threat classification within the source's internal metrics. Given the lack of detailed technical indicators or attack patterns, the analysis must rely on the context of Lazarus Group's known tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), which include sophisticated malware deployment, lateral movement within networks, and targeting of strategic sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the presence of TYPEFRAME malware linked to the Lazarus Group poses a risk primarily in the context of espionage and intellectual property theft. While the severity is rated low, the potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of operations, and reputational damage. European entities in sectors such as finance, defense, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to their strategic value to North Korean intelligence objectives. The malware's capabilities may allow attackers to maintain persistence, evade detection, and exfiltrate data over extended periods, which could compromise confidentiality and integrity of critical information. Although no active exploits were reported at the time, the evolving nature of Lazarus Group's operations means that European organizations should remain vigilant against potential future campaigns involving TYPEFRAME or related malware variants.
Mitigation Recommendations
Mitigation should focus on enhancing detection and prevention capabilities tailored to APT-style threats rather than patching specific vulnerabilities. Recommendations include: 1) Implement advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying suspicious behaviors consistent with Trojan activity and lateral movement. 2) Conduct regular threat hunting exercises focusing on indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with Lazarus Group campaigns, even if specific IOCs for TYPEFRAME are not provided. 3) Strengthen email security controls to detect and block spear-phishing attempts, including sandboxing and attachment analysis. 4) Enforce strict network segmentation and least privilege access to limit lateral movement opportunities. 5) Maintain up-to-date threat intelligence feeds to monitor emerging TTPs related to Lazarus Group and TYPEFRAME. 6) Provide targeted user awareness training emphasizing the risks of social engineering and phishing. 7) Establish incident response plans that include scenarios involving APT malware infections to ensure rapid containment and remediation.
Affected Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Poland
Malware Analysis Report (AR18-165A) MAR-10135536-12 – North Korean Trojan: TYPEFRAME
Description
Malware Analysis Report (AR18-165A) MAR-10135536-12 – North Korean Trojan: TYPEFRAME
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
The provided information pertains to a malware analysis report identified as AR18-165A (MAR-10135536-12) concerning a North Korean Trojan named TYPEFRAME. This threat is attributed to the Lazarus Group, a well-known North Korean state-sponsored threat actor. TYPEFRAME is a Trojan malware family historically linked to espionage and cybercrime activities conducted by this group. Although the report does not provide detailed technical specifics about the malware's capabilities, infection vectors, or payloads, the association with Lazarus Group suggests that TYPEFRAME is likely designed for targeted cyber espionage, data exfiltration, or disruption. The report classifies the severity as low and indicates no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication (May 2018). The absence of affected versions and patch links implies that this malware is not exploiting a specific software vulnerability but rather relies on social engineering, spear-phishing, or other infection methods typical of advanced persistent threats (APTs). The threat level is noted as 3, which may correspond to a moderate threat classification within the source's internal metrics. Given the lack of detailed technical indicators or attack patterns, the analysis must rely on the context of Lazarus Group's known tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), which include sophisticated malware deployment, lateral movement within networks, and targeting of strategic sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the presence of TYPEFRAME malware linked to the Lazarus Group poses a risk primarily in the context of espionage and intellectual property theft. While the severity is rated low, the potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of operations, and reputational damage. European entities in sectors such as finance, defense, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to their strategic value to North Korean intelligence objectives. The malware's capabilities may allow attackers to maintain persistence, evade detection, and exfiltrate data over extended periods, which could compromise confidentiality and integrity of critical information. Although no active exploits were reported at the time, the evolving nature of Lazarus Group's operations means that European organizations should remain vigilant against potential future campaigns involving TYPEFRAME or related malware variants.
Mitigation Recommendations
Mitigation should focus on enhancing detection and prevention capabilities tailored to APT-style threats rather than patching specific vulnerabilities. Recommendations include: 1) Implement advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying suspicious behaviors consistent with Trojan activity and lateral movement. 2) Conduct regular threat hunting exercises focusing on indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with Lazarus Group campaigns, even if specific IOCs for TYPEFRAME are not provided. 3) Strengthen email security controls to detect and block spear-phishing attempts, including sandboxing and attachment analysis. 4) Enforce strict network segmentation and least privilege access to limit lateral movement opportunities. 5) Maintain up-to-date threat intelligence feeds to monitor emerging TTPs related to Lazarus Group and TYPEFRAME. 6) Provide targeted user awareness training emphasizing the risks of social engineering and phishing. 7) Establish incident response plans that include scenarios involving APT malware infections to ensure rapid containment and remediation.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Threat Level
- 3
- Analysis
- 0
- Original Timestamp
- 1529239607
Threat ID: 682acdbdbbaf20d303f0be38
Added to database: 5/19/2025, 6:20:45 AM
Last enriched: 7/2/2025, 11:57:30 AM
Last updated: 7/31/2025, 1:36:21 PM
Views: 11
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