Analysis Summary

APT-17, also known as "Bitter APT" or "DeputyDog" is a state-sponsored cyber espionage group believed to operate out of China. They have been active since 2012 and have primarily targeted aerospace, defense, and technology organizations. They are known for targeting China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia and have expanded to set their sights on Bangladeshi government agencies. The group uses various custom malware and tools to carry out their operations, including Remote Access Trojans (RATs), keyloggers, and backdoors. The group's malware is known to be complex, and multi-stage and uses a range of techniques to evade detection, such as code signing, legitimate tools and third-party tools, and encrypted communications. They are also known to use spear-phishing campaigns to gain initial access to targeted systems. They have been active for more than a decade and are known to use a wide range of custom malware and tools to carry out their operations. Organizations in these sectors should know the threat actors and take appropriate measures to protect against their attacks. This includes implementing robust security measures, such as advanced threat detection and response capabilities, as well as employee training on how to identify and respond to spear-phishing campaigns. The group was observed using Powershell and curl instead of msiexe in one of the latest campaigns.

Impact

• Information Theft and Espionage

Indicators of Compromise

URL

• http://www.benclickstudio.com/shrd.php
• http://healthtipsart.com/dll/Downloads/
• http://gdatesystems.com/mdhy/btja.php
• http://glamorcliniques.com/clck.php

MD5

• aeb0b7e40f12ba093ff523fc124383ae
• a59fe2c89b0000a360a8468f2b990c73
• a3a06d50438681fc9917e22c41bd2cab

SHA-256

• 67c0ad5ab6be8efec70a53cc56a03b581c7712eee7310ec5a8afba583c2b75bb
• 5de9131252e6bc5a336516b9de4d7e0e0e2e3cde38ace85dbda39a3a166eb1a5
• 303bc4bce9555b02d9b1c0b96eb5736561d70fca3b994b353db2cc1b2eca66ca

SHA1

• 6e978bc08fc317868a36c803e24ba29877d7eeeb
• bcbac3d4bd86397e069456e94aebd5b465bc368d
• 44b8f77848618e3da8e3619d5fdb5932ed35c31b

Remediation

• Block all threat indicators at your respective controls.
• Search for indicators of compromise (IOCs) in your environment utilizing your respective security controls.
• Along with network and system hardening, code hardening should be implemented within the organization to secure its websites and software. Use testing tools to detect any vulnerabilities in the deployed codes.
• Patch and upgrade any platforms and software on time and make it into a standard security policy. Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities and zero-days.
• Enable antivirus and anti-malware software and update signature definitions on time. Using a multi-layered protection is necessary to secure vulnerable assets.
• Maintain cyber hygiene by updating your anti-virus software and implementing a patch management lifecycle.
• Enable two-factor authentication.
• Do not download documents attached in emails from unknown sources and strictly refrain from enabling macros when the source isn’t reliable.