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A series of attacks targeting financial organizations across Africa has been observed since July 2023. The threat actor, tracked as CL-CRI-1014, uses open-source and publicly available tools like PoshC2, Chisel, and Classroom Spy to establish attack frameworks, create tunnels for network communication, and perform remote administration. They forge file signatures to disguise their toolset and mask malicious activities. The attackers are suspected to be acting as initial access brokers, creating footholds in financial institutions to sell access on darknet markets. Their playbook includes lateral movement techniques such as creating remote services, executing through DCOM, and using PsExec. The threat actor also employs evasion methods like using packers and signing tools with stolen signatures.

Since July 2023, a cybercriminal group identified as CL-CRI-1014 has been conducting targeted attacks against financial institutions across Africa. This threat actor leverages open-source and publicly available tools such as PoshC2, Chisel, and Classroom Spy to build flexible attack frameworks. PoshC2 is a well-known post-exploitation framework used for command and control (C2), Chisel is used to create encrypted tunnels for network communication, and Classroom Spy is a remote administration tool. By combining these tools, the attackers establish persistent footholds within victim networks, enabling remote control and data exfiltration. To evade detection, the attackers forge file signatures, making their malicious tools appear legitimate, and use packers and stolen digital signatures to mask their malware binaries. Their operational playbook includes lateral movement techniques such as creating remote services, executing commands via Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), and leveraging PsExec for remote code execution. These techniques allow the threat actor to move laterally within compromised networks, escalating privileges and expanding access. The group is suspected to act as initial access brokers, compromising financial organizations and then selling access on darknet markets to other malicious actors. The attack chain involves sophisticated evasion and persistence mechanisms, including the use of scheduled tasks (T1053.005), masquerading (T1036.005), and code injection (T1055). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild for specific vulnerabilities, the use of legitimate tools and stolen signatures complicates detection and mitigation efforts. The threat is categorized as medium severity, reflecting the moderate but significant risk posed by these targeted intrusions.

Detailed information about Cybercriminals Abuse Open-Source Tools To Target Africa's Financial Sector. Get real-time updates, technical details, and mitigation 

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