Microsoft’s secure VBA macro rules already being bypassed by hackers

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The cyber prison team running the resurgent Emotet botnet have been observed trialling new attack approaches immediately after Microsoft’s new policies on macro-enabled files arrive into pressure.

Attributed to Danger Actor 542 (TA542), Proofpoint scientists claimed Emotet has been observed taking a ‘spring break’ with small stages of activity coinciding with noticed variations in attack methodology.

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Emotet has usually exploited weak procedures on macro-enabled Microsoft Office environment paperwork to produce the malware payload to victims, but now Microsoft has made the default handling of macro-enabled paperwork much more safe, its attack vectors are seemingly about to alter. 

In a report printed today, Proofpoint claimed it noticed Emotet shifting absent from destructive Workplace files and as an alternative is now opting to involve OneDrive URLs in spam email strategies that lead to the download of a zip archive that contains XLL data files that fall Emotet malware.

The destructive e-mails are normally created to entice victims with one particular-word topic lines these kinds of as ‘Salary’ with the zip archive files adopting identical file names as the original entice: ‘Salary_new.zip’ was 1 example which contained XLL file names such as ‘Salary_and_bonuses-04.01.2022.xll’.

The XLL data files will fall and run Emotet which takes advantage of the Epoch 4 botnet, Proofpoint claimed. It’s a new attack technique, the timing of which – coinciding with Microsoft’s much more protected handling of VBA macros – is not a coincidence.

Questioned no matter whether the demo of new attack practices, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) was connected to the new guidelines on macro-enabled Office environment files, Sherrod DeGrippo, vice president of menace study and detection at Proofpoint, stated it “absolutely” was.

“This is a thing threat actors who are agile and skilled like TA542 will very likely proceed to do as time goes on,” she mentioned to IT Pro. “The Microsoft decision to make adjustments to default dealing with of macro files has implications on the danger landscape and this could be a portion of menace actors creating conclusions to leverage new attack chains that are not impacted by that decision.

“Malicious macro documents are a massive portion of the threat landscape, but they’re not the only choice. We on a regular basis observe actors using container information like .iso’s, for case in point. Danger actor teams will keep on to experiment, and early signals position towards XLL information becoming a person direction the landscape might change toward.”

Microsoft declared adjustments to the default handling of VBA macros in February, the policies of which came into pressure this month. It also said it would disable XL4 macros past yr, each moves were being manufactured to stymie cyber attacks utilizing this strategy of payload delivery.

IT Pro questioned Proofpoint for facts on the range of productive Emotet attacks it has observed, and the number of Emotet attacks taking location due to the fact its 2021 resurgence, but it was unable to share the information.

Other cyber security outfits, these as Black Lotus Labs, have released their findings immediately after monitoring Emotet’s new version, saying that in March 2022, unique Emotet detections have been in the tens of countless numbers per working day. Look at Stage also mentioned it was the most common malware strain it tracked in March 2022.

“After months of consistent activity, Emotet is switching factors up,” stated DeGrippo. “It is possible the threat actor is tests new behaviours on a smaller scale right before delivering them to victims additional broadly, or to distribute by way of new TTPs along with its present substantial-volume campaigns.

“Organisations really should be aware of the new tactics and be certain they are employing defences accordingly.”