Threats Tagged 'twostroke'

The Iranian-linked cyber-espionage group Tortoiseshell has expanded its malware toolkit with a new reverse SSH tunneling utility disguised as wtsapi32.dll and a C++ backdoor similar to TWOSTROKE malware. The SSH tunnel uses the Windows OpenSSH client to connect to command-and-control servers. The backdoor supports executing files, shell commands, in-memory DLL execution, and file manipulation. Infrastructure analysis shows domains linked to multiple countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Japan, and the United States, indicating broader targeting beyond the Middle East and US defense and military sectors. The group has been active since 2018 and maintains persistent infrastructure despite domain suspensions. No known exploits in the wild or patches are reported.

MediumMalwareUnited StatesAustraliaBelgium+4#wtsapi32.dll#cyber-espionage#mirage kitten

UNC1549, an Iranian-linked threat group, has been targeting aerospace, aviation, and defense industries since mid-2024. They employ sophisticated initial access techniques, including exploiting third-party relationships and targeted phishing. The group uses custom malware like TWOSTROKE, LIGHTRAIL, and DEEPROOT for persistence, and tools like DCSYNCER.SLICK and CRASHPAD for privilege escalation. UNC1549 demonstrates advanced lateral movement, reconnaissance, and defense evasion tactics. They extensively use SSH reverse tunnels and Azure infrastructure for command and control. The group's primary objective appears to be espionage, focusing on data collection and leveraging compromised organizations to target others in the same sector.

MediumCampaignFranceGermanyUnited Kingdom+4#dcsyncer.slick#third-party compromise#sightgrab