Blind Eagle Hacking Group Targets South America With New Tools

Ongoing hacking campaigns orchestrated by the risk actor team Blind Eagle (also known as APT-C-36) have been spotted focusing on folks throughout South The united states.

Security specialists from Examine Position Investigate (CPR) unveiled the conclusions in a new advisory revealed on Thursday, describing a novel an infection chain involving an advanced toolset.

“For the very last several months, we have been observing the ongoing campaigns orchestrated by Blind Eagle, which have primarily adhered to the [tactics, techniques and procedures] TTPs explained earlier mentioned — phishing email messages pretending to be from the Colombian authorities,” the crew wrote.

✔ Approved From Our Partners

Protect and backup your data using AOMEI Backupper. AOMEI Backupper takes secure and encrypted backups from your Windows, hard drives or partitions. With AOMEI Backupper you will never be worried about loosing your data anymore.

Get AOMEI Backupper with 72% discount from an authorized distrinutor of AOMEI: SerialCart® (Limited Offer).

➤ Activate Your Coupon Code

“One common case in point is an email purportedly from the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, threatening the receiver with issues when leaving the nation except they settle a bureaucratic make a difference.”

According to CPR, the malicious e-mail integrated a url and a PDF file directing the regrettable victim to the exact same connection.

The incoming HTTP request is analyzed upon clicking on the backlink to test whether or not it originates from exterior Colombia.

If it does, the server aborts the infection chain and redirects the shopper to the authentic web site for the migration office of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the incoming request comes from Colombia, nonetheless, the an infection chain proceeds as scheduled.

“The server responds to the shopper with a file for download. This is a malware executable hosted on the file-sharing service MediaFire,” CPR explained.

“The file is compressed, comparable to a ZIP file, utilizing the LHA algorithm. It is password-protected, earning it impervious to naive static evaluation and even naive sandbox emulation. The password is found equally in the email and in the attached PDF.”

The executable inside of the archive is a modified sample of QuasarRAT showcasing several new capabilities, which include functions to activate and deactivate the process proxy.

A different variant was spotted by CPR concentrating on Ecuador and impersonating the Ecuadorian Interior Revenue Assistance.

“This most recent marketing campaign focusing on Ecuador highlights how, in excess of the last number of decades, Blind Eagle has matured as a menace — refining their tools, incorporating capabilities to leaked code bases, and experimenting with elaborate infection chains and ‘Living off the Land,’” reads the CPR advisory.

“If what we’ve viewed is any indication, this group is value retaining an eye on so that victims aren’t blindsided by whichever intelligent factor they try out upcoming.”

The advisory comes months after Colombian healthcare company Keralty noted a ransomware attack in December 2022.