Andrew Pease

Author

Andrew Pease

Elastic Security Labs Technical Lead, Elastic


Articles

Invisible miners: unveiling GHOSTENGINE’s crypto mining operations

Invisible miners: unveiling GHOSTENGINE’s crypto mining operations

Elastic Security Labs has identified REF4578, an intrusion set incorporating several malicious modules and leveraging vulnerable drivers to disable known security solutions (EDRs) for crypto mining.

STIXy Situations: ECSaping your threat data

STIXy Situations: ECSaping your threat data

Structured threat data is commonly formatted using STIX. To help get this data into Elasticsearch, we’re releasing a Python script that converts STIX to an ECS format to be ingested into your stack.

Unmasking a Financial Services Intrusion: REF0657

Unmasking a Financial Services Intrusion: REF0657

Elastic Security Labs details an intrusion leveraging open-source tooling and different post-exploitation techniques targeting the financial services industry in South Asia.

Elastic catches DPRK passing out KANDYKORN

Elastic catches DPRK passing out KANDYKORN

Elastic Security Labs exposes an attempt by the DPRK to infect blockchain engineers with novel macOS malware.

Introducing the REF5961 intrusion set

Introducing the REF5961 intrusion set

The REF5961 intrusion set discloses three new malware families targeting ASEAN members. The threat actor leveraging this intrusion set continues to develop and mature their capabilities.

The DPRK strikes using a new variant of RUSTBUCKET

The DPRK strikes using a new variant of RUSTBUCKET

Watch out! We’ve recently discovered a variant of RUSTBUCKET. Read this article to understand the new capabilities we’ve observed, as well as how to identify it in your own network.

Initial research exposing JOKERSPY

Initial research exposing JOKERSPY

Explore JOKERSPY, a recently discovered campaign that targets financial institutions with Python backdoors. This article covers reconnaissance, attack patterns, and methods of identifying JOKERSPY in your network.

PHOREAL Malware Targets the Southeast Asian Financial Sector

PHOREAL Malware Targets the Southeast Asian Financial Sector

Elastic Security discovered PHOREAL malware, which is targeting Southeast Asia financial organizations, particularly those in the Vietnamese financial sector.

Ingesting threat data with the Threat Intel Filebeat module

Ingesting threat data with the Threat Intel Filebeat module

Tutorial that walks through setting up Filebeat to push threat intelligence feeds into your Elastic Stack.

The Elastic Container Project for Security Research

The Elastic Container Project for Security Research

The Elastic Container Project provides a single shell script that will allow you to stand up and manage an entire Elastic Stack using Docker. This open source project enables rapid deployment for testing use cases.

Update to the REF2924 intrusion set and related campaigns

Update to the REF2924 intrusion set and related campaigns

Elastic Security Labs is providing an update to the REF2924 research published in December of 2022. This update includes malware analysis of the implants, additional findings, and associations with other intrusions.

SiestaGraph: New implant uncovered in ASEAN member foreign ministry

SiestaGraph: New implant uncovered in ASEAN member foreign ministry

Elastic Security Labs is tracking likely multiple on-net threat actors leveraging Exchange exploits, web shells, and the newly discovered SiestaGraph implant to achieve and maintain access, escalate privilege, and exfiltrate targeted data.

Exploring the REF2731 Intrusion Set

Exploring the REF2731 Intrusion Set

The Elastic Security Labs team has been tracking REF2731, an 5-stage intrusion set involving the PARALLAX loader and the NETWIRE RAT.

Operation Bleeding Bear

Operation Bleeding Bear

Elastic Security verifies new destructive malware targeting Ukraine: Operation Bleeding Bear

KNOTWEED Assessment Summary

KNOTWEED Assessment Summary

KNOTWEED deploys the Subzero spyware through the use of 0-day exploits for Adobe Reader and the Windows operating system. Once initial access is gained, it uses different sections of Subzero to maintain persistence and perform actions on the host.

Detection rules for SIGRed vulnerability

Detection rules for SIGRed vulnerability

The SIGRed vulnerability impacts all systems leveraging the Windows DNS server service (Windows 2003+). To defend your environment, we recommend implementing the detection logic included in this blog post using technology like Elastic Security.

Doing time with the YIPPHB dropper

Doing time with the YIPPHB dropper

Elastic Security Labs outlines the steps collect and analyze the various stages of the REF4526 intrusion set. This intrusion set uses a creative approach of Unicode icons in Powershell scripts to install a loader, a dropper, and RAT implants.

ICEDIDs network infrastructure is alive and well

ICEDIDs network infrastructure is alive and well

Elastic Security Labs details the use of open source data collection and the Elastic Stack to analyze the ICEDID botnet C2 infrastructure.

Detecting and responding to Dirty Pipe with Elastic

Detecting and responding to Dirty Pipe with Elastic

Elastic Security is releasing detection logic for the Dirty Pipe exploit.

Elastic protects against data wiper malware targeting Ukraine: HERMETICWIPER

Elastic protects against data wiper malware targeting Ukraine: HERMETICWIPER

Analysis of the HERMETICWIPER malware targeting Ukranian organizations.

Extracting Cobalt Strike Beacon Configurations

Extracting Cobalt Strike Beacon Configurations

Part 2 - Extracting configurations from Cobalt Strike implant beacons.

CUBA Ransomware Campaign Analysis

CUBA Ransomware Campaign Analysis

Elastic Security observed a ransomware and extortion campaign leveraging a combination of offensive security tools, LOLBAS, and exploits to deliver the CUBA ransomware malware.

LUNA Ransomware Attack Pattern Analysis

LUNA Ransomware Attack Pattern Analysis

In this research publication, we'll explore the LUNA attack pattern — a cross-platform ransomware variant.

Exploring the QBOT Attack Pattern

Exploring the QBOT Attack Pattern

In this research publication, we'll explore our analysis of the QBOT attack pattern — a full-featured and prolific malware family.

Playing defense against Gamaredon Group

Playing defense against Gamaredon Group

Learn about the recent campaign of a Russia-based threat group known as Gamaredon Group. This post will review these details and provide detection strategies.

Going Coast to Coast - Climbing the Pyramid with the Deimos Implant

Going Coast to Coast - Climbing the Pyramid with the Deimos Implant

The Deimos implant was first reported in 2020 and has been in active development; employing advanced analysis countermeasures to frustrate analysis. This post details the campaign TTPs through the malware indicators.

FORMBOOK Adopts CAB-less Approach

FORMBOOK Adopts CAB-less Approach

Campaign research and analysis of an observed FORMBOOK intrusion attempt.

Collecting and operationalizing threat data from the Mozi botnet

Collecting and operationalizing threat data from the Mozi botnet

The Mozi botnet is an ongoing malware campaign targeting unsecured and vulnerable networking devices. This post will showcase the analyst journey of collecting, analyzing, and operationalizing threat data from the Mozi botnet.

Detection and response for the actively exploited ProxyShell vulnerabilities

Detection and response for the actively exploited ProxyShell vulnerabilities

In the last week, Elastic Security has observed the exploitation of Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities associated with ProxyShell. Review the post to find newly released details about this activity.

Collecting Cobalt Strike Beacons with the Elastic Stack

Collecting Cobalt Strike Beacons with the Elastic Stack

Part 1 - Processes and technology needed to extract Cobalt Strike implant beacons

Callout example

Callout example

This is an article with callout examples.