Ethical Hacking News
A recent surge in brute-force attacks against internet service providers (ISPs) has raised concerns about the growing sophistication of cyber threats. Over 4,000 IPs belonging to ISPs have been targeted in these malicious campaigns, which employed a range of techniques including brute-force attacks and masscan tools. The attackers' use of scripting languages such as Python and Powershell played a crucial role in carrying out their operations. This trend highlights the evolving nature of the threat landscape and emphasizes the need for security professionals to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to prevent such attacks.
Over 4,000 IPs belonging to ISPs have been targeted in recent brute-force attacks. The attackers used sophisticated techniques such as brute-force attacks and masscan tools to carry out their attacks. The malware deployed in these attacks was "stealer" malware that stole clipboard content associated with cryptocurrencies. Auto.exe and Masscan.exe were also used to download password lists and scan for open ports and potential vulnerabilities. The attackers' use of scripting languages like Python and Powershell allowed them to pivot between systems easily.
The threat landscape has never been more complex, with hackers continually evolving and adapting their tactics to evade detection. One such tactic that has garnered significant attention in recent times is the use of brute-force attacks against internet service providers (ISPs) on both the West Coast of the United States and in China. According to a report by Splunk's Threat Research Team, over 4,000 IPs belonging to ISPs have been targeted in these malicious campaigns.
The attackers, whose identities remain unknown, employed a range of sophisticated techniques to carry out their attacks. These included leveraging brute-force attacks that exploited weak credentials, as well as using masscan tools to scan large numbers of IP addresses for open ports and potential vulnerabilities. The ultimate goal of these attacks was not just to gain unauthorized access to the compromised systems but also to deploy malware and cryptominers that would compromise the computational resources of the victims.
The malware deployed in these attacks was a sophisticated piece of software known as "stealer" malware, which served a similar purpose to traditional clipper malware. This type of malware was designed to steal clipboard content by searching for wallet addresses associated with various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC). The gathered information was then exfiltrated to a Telegram bot, where it could be used by the attackers for their nefarious purposes.
Another piece of malware that was deployed in these attacks was Auto.exe, which was designed to download a password list (pass.txt) and list of IP addresses (ip.txt) from its Command-and-Control (C2) server. This malware played a crucial role in carrying out brute-force attacks against the victims' systems.
Furthermore, another piece of malware known as Masscan.exe was also deployed in these attacks. Masscan.exe is a multi-masscan tool that allows operators to scan large numbers of IP addresses for open ports and potential vulnerabilities. In this case, the attackers used Masscan.exe to identify vulnerable systems and carry out brute-force attacks against them.
The attackers' use of scripting languages such as Python and Powershell was also noteworthy. These programming languages were used extensively in the deployment of the malware and the execution of the brute-force attacks. The attackers' ability to pivot between different systems using tools that depend on these languages allowed them to carry out their operations with relative ease.
In terms of the tactics, technique, and procedures (TTPs) employed by the attackers, it is clear that they were highly sophisticated and well-planned. By employing a range of techniques such as leveraging brute-force attacks and using masscan tools, the attackers were able to identify vulnerable systems and carry out their operations with relative ease.
In conclusion, the recent surge in brute-force attacks against ISPs on both the West Coast of the United States and in China is a worrying trend that highlights the evolving nature of the threat landscape. As hackers continue to evolve and adapt their tactics, it is essential for security professionals to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to prevent such attacks.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Rise-of-Sophisticated-Brute-Force-Attacks-A-Threat-to-Global-Internet-Infrastructure-ehn.shtml
Published: Tue Mar 4 05:05:49 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
