Analyzing DEEP#DRIVE: North Korean Threat Actors Observed Exploiting Trusted Platforms for Targeted Attacks

Analyzing DEEP#DRIVE: North Korean Threat Actors Observed Exploiting Trusted Platforms for Targeted Attacks

Keypoints :

  • Ongoing campaign attributed to Kimsuky targeting South Korea.
  • Involves multi-stage operations using tailored phishing lures in Korean.
  • Phishing documents masquerade as legitimate files like work logs and insurance documents.
  • Dropbox is used for hosting malicious payloads to evade detection.
  • PowerShell scripts are heavily utilized for payload delivery and reconnaissance.
  • Persistence mechanisms include creating scheduled tasks for recurring execution of malware.
  • Attackers employ code obfuscation techniques to avoid detection.
  • The campaign relies on the userโ€™s action to download and execute malicious files.
  • Victimology indicates a focus on business, government, and cryptocurrency sectors in South Korea.

MITRE Techniques :

  • T1566.001: Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment โ€“ Utilized .lnk files disguised as legitimate documents.
  • T1071.001: Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols โ€“ Leveraged Dropbox for command and control, and for exfiltration.
  • T1027: Obfuscated Files or Information โ€“ Employed obfuscation techniques to hide PowerShell scripts.
  • T1036: Masquerading โ€“ Used double file extensions to disguise malicious files.
  • T1059.001: Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell โ€“ Executed PowerShell scripts for malicious activities.
  • T1102: Web Service โ€“ Exfiltrated data to Dropbox, treating it as a cloud service.
  • T1053.005: Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task โ€“ Created a scheduled task for persistence.

Indicator of Compromise :

  • [URL] hxxps://dl.dropboxusercontent[.]com/scl/fi/slx06ol4jmjqn16icggin/.pptx
  • [URL] hxxps://dl.dropboxusercontent[.]com/scl/fi/sumch8o12a4ko7wqqtrgo/kxsxhx-f.txt
  • [URL] hxxps://dl.dropboxusercontent[.]com/scl/fi/gs58u6qvvxorzttv09yvt/kxsxhx-x.txt
  • [Email Address] ์ข…์‹ ์•ˆ๋‚ด์žฅV02_๊ณฝ์„ฑํ™˜D.pdf.pdf
  • [Hash โ€“ SHA256] 079907B7FEAB3673A1767DBFBC0626E656F5D3B03B6CFF471CC7CF8A1973AB34

Full Story: https://www.securonix.com/blog/analyzing-deepdrive-north-korean-threat-actors-observed-exploiting-trusted-platforms-for-targeted-attacks/