Pipedream is a software framework for malicious code targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and industrial control systems (ICS). [1] First publicly disclosed in 2022, it has been described as a "Swiss Army knife" for hacking. [1] It is believed to have been developed by state-level Advanced Persistent Threat actors. [1]
The name "Pipedream" was given by the cybersecurity company Dragos; [2] the cybersecurity company Mandiant uses the name "Incontroller". [3] [4] It has been compared with the Industroyer toolkit used in the December 2015 Ukraine power grid cyberattack. [3] Dragos refers to the authors of the software as Chernovite. [5]
The toolkit consists of custom-made tools that, once they have established initial access in an operational technology (OT) network, enables them to scan for, compromise, and control certain ICS/SCADA devices, including the following: [6]
The toolkit has a modular architecture and enables cyber actors to conduct highly automated exploits against targeted devices. The tools have a virtual console with a command interface that mirrors the interface of the targeted ICS/SCADA device. Modules interact with targeted devices, enabling operations by lower-skilled cyber actors to emulate higher-skilled actor capabilities. [6]
APT actors can leverage the modules to scan for targeted devices, conduct reconnaissance on device details, upload malicious configuration/code to the targeted device, back up or restore device contents, and modify device parameters. [6]
In addition, the APT actors can use a tool that installs and exploits a known-vulnerable ASRock-signed motherboard driver, AsrDrv103.sys, exploiting CVE-2020-15368 to execute malicious code in the Windows kernel. Successful deployment of this tool can allow APT actors to move laterally within an IT or OT environment and disrupt critical devices or functions. [6]
ESET, s.r.o., is a software company specializing in cybersecurity. ESET´s security products are made in Europe and provide security software in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, and its software is localized into more than 30 languages.
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Stuxnet is a malicious computer worm first uncovered in 2010 and thought to have been in development since at least 2005. Stuxnet targets supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and is believed to be responsible for causing substantial damage to the nuclear program of Iran. Although neither country has openly admitted responsibility, the worm is widely understood to be a cyberweapon built jointly by the United States and Israel in a collaborative effort known as Operation Olympic Games.
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Lazarus Group is a cybercrime group made up of an unknown number of individuals run by the North Korean state. While not much is known about the Lazarus Group, researchers have attributed many cyberattacks to them between 2010 and 2021. Originally a criminal group, the group has now been designated as an advanced persistent threat due to intended nature, threat, and wide array of methods used when conducting an operation. Names given by cybersecurity organizations include HIDDEN COBRA and Zinc.
LogicLocker, is a cross-vendor ransomware worm that targets Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) used in Industrial Control Systems (ICS). First described in a research paper released by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the malware is capable of hijacking multiple PLCs from various popular vendors. The researchers, using a water treatment plant model, were able to demonstrate the ability to display false readings, shut valves and modify Chlorine release to poisonous levels using a Schneider Modicon M241, Schneider Modicon M221 and an Allen Bradley MicroLogix 1400 PLC. The ransomware is designed to bypass weak authentication mechanisms found in various PLCs and lock out legitimate users while planting a logicbomb into the PLC. As of 14 February 2017, it is noted that there are over 1,400 of the same PLCs used in the proof-of-concept attack that were accessible from the internet as found using Shodan.
Industroyer is a malware framework considered to have been used in the cyberattack on Ukraine’s power grid on December 17, 2016. The attack cut a fifth of Kyiv, the capital, off power for one hour and is considered to have been a large-scale test. The Kyiv incident was the second cyberattack on Ukraine's power grid in two years. The first attack occurred on December 23, 2015. Industroyer is the first ever known malware specifically designed to attack electrical grids. At the same time, it is the fourth malware publicly revealed to target industrial control systems, after Stuxnet, Havex, and BlackEnergy.
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