Ramsay Malware

Last updated

Ramsay, also referred to as Ramsay Malware, is a cyber espionage framework and toolkit that was discovered by ESET Research in 2020. [1]

Contents

Ramsay is specifically tailored for Windows systems on networks that are not connected to the internet and that also isolated from intranets of companies, so called air-gapped networks, from which it steals sensitive documents like Word documents after first collecting them in a hidden storage folder. [2] [3]

ESET researchers found various versions of the malware, and believe that in May 2020 it was still under development. They numbered the versions Ramsay Version 1, Ramsay Version 2a and Ramsay Version 2b. The very first encounter with the malware was a sample that was uploaded from Japan to VirusTotal. The first version was compiled in September 2019. The last version that they found was most advanced. [1]

The discovery of Ramsay was seen as significant as malware is rarely able to target physically isolated devices. [4]

Authorship

While authorship has not been attributed, it has many common artefacts with Retro, a backdoor by hacking entity Darkhotel believed to operate in the interests of South Korea. [5]

Workings of the malware

The three versions of Ramsay that ESET found have different workings.

Ramsay version 1 does not include a rootkit, whilst the later versions do.

Ramsay version 1 and 2.b exploit CVE-2017-0199, a "Microsoft Office/WordPad Remote Code Execution Vulnerability w/Windows API." [6]

Version 2.b also uses exploit CVE-2017-11882 as an attack vector. [2]

The way in which Ramsay can spread is via removable media like USB sticks and network shares. In this way, the malware can jump the air gap. [3]

Related Research Articles

Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESET</span> Slovak internet security company

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. Its software is localized into more than 30 languages.

Ransomware is a type of cryptovirological malware that permanently blocks access to the victim's personal data unless a ransom is paid. While some simple ransomware may lock the system without damaging any files, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion. It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. In a properly implemented cryptoviral extortion attack, recovering the files without the decryption key is an intractable problem, and difficult-to-trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air gap (networking)</span> Network security measure

An air gap, air wall, air gapping or disconnected network is a network security measure employed on one or more computers to ensure that a secure computer network is physically isolated from unsecured networks, such as the public Internet or an unsecured local area network. It means a computer or network has no network interface controllers connected to other networks, with a physical or conceptual air gap, analogous to the air gap used in plumbing to maintain water quality.

Trellix is a privately held cybersecurity company that was founded in 2022. It has been involved in the detection and prevention of major cybersecurity attacks. It provides hardware, software, and services to investigate cybersecurity attacks, protect against malicious software, and analyze IT security risks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaspersky Lab</span> Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider

Kaspersky Lab is a Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and operated by a holding company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, Natalya Kaspersky and Alexey De-Monderik. Kaspersky Lab develops and sells antivirus, internet security, password management, endpoint security, and other cybersecurity products and services.

Cyber spying, cyber espionage, or cyber-collection is the act or practice of obtaining secrets and information without the permission and knowledge of the holder of the information using methods on the Internet, networks or individual computers through the use of proxy servers, cracking techniques and malicious software including Trojan horses and spyware. Cyber espionage can be used to target various actors- individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments, and others- in order to obtain personal, economic, political or military advantages. It may wholly be perpetrated online from computer desks of professionals on bases in far away countries or may involve infiltration at home by computer trained conventional spies and moles or in other cases may be the criminal handiwork of amateur malicious hackers and software programmers.

An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy threat actor, typically a state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state-sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.

Flame, also known as Flamer, sKyWIper, and Skywiper, is modular computer malware discovered in 2012 that attacks computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. The program is used for targeted cyber espionage in Middle Eastern countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seculert</span> Israeli cloud-based cyber security technology

Seculert was a cloud-based cyber security technology company based in Petah Tikva, Israel. The company's technology was designed to detect breaches and advanced persistent threats (APTs), attacking networks. Seculert's business was based on malware research and the ability to uncover malware that has gone undetected by other traditional measures.

Air-gap malware is malware that is designed to defeat the air-gap isolation of secure computer systems using various air-gap covert channels.

The Shadow Network is a China-based computer espionage operation that stole classified documents and emails from the Indian government, the office of the Dalai Lama, and other high-level government networks. This incident is the second cyber espionage operation of this sort by China, discovered by researchers at the Information Warfare Monitor, following the discovery of GhostNet in March 2009. The Shadow Network report "Shadows in the Cloud: Investigating Cyber Espionage 2.0" was released on 6 April 2010, approximately one year after the publication of "Tracking GhostNet."

Cozy Bear, classified by the United States federal government as advanced persistent threat APT29, is a Russian hacker group believed to be associated with one or more intelligence agencies of Russia. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) deduced from security camera footage that it is led by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), a view shared by the United States. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike also previously suggested that it may be associated with either the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) or SVR. The group has been given various nicknames by other cybersecurity firms, including CozyCar, CozyDuke, Dark Halo, The Dukes, Midnight Blizzard, NOBELIUM, Office Monkeys, StellarParticle, UNC2452, and YTTRIUM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MalwareMustDie</span> Whitehat security research workgroup

MalwareMustDie, NPO is a whitehat security research workgroup that was launched in August 2012. MalwareMustDie is a registered nonprofit organization as a medium for IT professionals and security researchers gathered to form a work flow to reduce malware infection in the internet. The group is known for their malware analysis blog. They have a list of Linux malware research and botnet analysis that they have completed. The team communicates information about malware in general and advocates for better detection for Linux malware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vault 7</span> CIA files on cyber war and surveillance

Vault 7 is a series of documents that WikiLeaks began to publish on 7 March 2017, detailing the activities and capabilities of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to perform electronic surveillance and cyber warfare. The files, dating from 2013 to 2016, include details on the agency's software capabilities, such as the ability to compromise cars, smart TVs, web browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera, the operating systems of most smartphones including Apple's iOS and Google's Android, and computer operating systems including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. A CIA internal audit identified 91 malware tools out of more than 500 tools in use in 2016 being compromised by the release. The tools were developed by the Operations Support Branch of the CIA.

Numbered Panda is a cyber espionage group believed to be linked with the Chinese military. The group typically targets organizations in East Asia. These organizations include, but are not limited to, media outlets, high-tech companies, and governments. Numbered Panda is believed to have been operating since 2009. However, the group is also credited with a 2012 data breach at the New York Times. One of the group's typical techniques is to send PDF files loaded with malware via spear phishing campaigns. The decoy documents are typically written in traditional Chinese, which is widely used in Taiwan, and the targets are largely associated with Taiwanese interests. Numbered Panda appears to be actively seeking out cybersecurity research relating to the malware they use. After an Arbor Networks report on the group, FireEye noticed a change in the group's techniques to avoid future detection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russo-Ukrainian cyberwarfare</span> Informatic component of the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine

Cyberwarfare is a component of the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine since the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014. While the first attacks on information systems of private enterprises and state institutions of Ukraine were recorded during mass protests in 2013, Russian cyberweapon Uroburos had been around since 2005. Russian cyberwarfare continued with the 2015 Ukraine power grid hack at Christmas 2015 and again in 2016, paralysis of the State Treasury of Ukraine in December 2016, a Mass hacker supply-chain attack in June 2017 and attacks on Ukrainian government websites in January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandworm (hacker group)</span> Russian hacker group

Sandworm is an advanced persistent threat operated by Military Unit 74455, a cyberwarfare unit of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. Other names for the group, given by cybersecurity researchers, include Telebots, Voodoo Bear, IRIDIUM, Seashell Blizzard, and Iron Viking.

Pipedream is a software framework for malicious code targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and industrial control systems (ICS). First publicly disclosed in 2022, it has been described as a "Swiss Army knife" for hacking. It is believed to have been developed by state-level Advanced Persistent Threat actors.

Agent Tesla is a remote access trojan (RAT) written in .NET that has been actively targeting users with Microsoft Windows OS-based systems since 2014. It is a versatile malware with a wide range of capabilities, including sensitive information stealing, keylogging and screenshot capture. Since its release, this malicious software has received regular updates. It is sold as a malware-as-a-service, with several subscription options available for purchase. Campaigns involving Agent Tesla often start with phishing emails, masquerading as legitimate messages from trusted sources.

References

  1. 1 2 "New cyber espionage framework named Ramsay discovered by ESET Research | ESET". May 16, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-16.
  2. 1 2 "Ramsay: A cyber‑espionage toolkit tailored for air‑gapped networks | WeLiveSecurity". May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-14.
  3. 1 2 "New Ramsay malware can steal sensitive documents from air-gapped networks | ZDNet". ZDNet . May 13, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-13.
  4. ↑ "ESET found Ramsay malware targeting systems isolated by an air gap". May 20, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-20.
  5. ↑ Cimpanu, Catalin. "New Ramsay malware can steal sensitive documents from air-gapped networks". ZDNet.
  6. ↑ "CVE-2017-0199 Detail". nvd.nist.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-07-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.