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Colombian Government Impersonation Campaign Targets Latin American Individuals in Cyberattack

 

In a concerning development, a sophisticated cyberattack campaign has emerged, targeting individuals across Latin America by malicious actors who impersonate Colombian government agencies. These attackers have devised a cunning strategy, distributing emails containing PDF attachments that falsely accuse recipients of traffic violations or other legal infractions. 

The ultimate goal of these deceptive communications is to coerce unsuspecting victims into downloading an archive that conceals a VBS script, thereby initiating a multi-stage infection process. Initially, the script acquires the payload’s address from resources like textbin.net before proceeding to download and execute the payload from platforms such as cdn.discordapp(.)com, pasteio(.)com, hidrive.ionos.com, and wtools.io. 

This intricate execution chain progresses from PDF to ZIP, then to VBS and PowerShell, and finally to the executable file (EXE). The resulting payload is identified as one of several well-known remote access trojans (RATs), including AsyncRAT, njRAT, or Remcos. These malicious programs are notorious for their capability to provide unauthorized remote access to the infected systems, posing significant risks to victims’ privacy and data security. To combat this threat, cybersecurity professionals and researchers are urged to consult the TI Lookup tool for comprehensive information on these samples. 

This resource can greatly assist in identifying and mitigating threats associated with this campaign. It’s essential to note that while this campaign targets individuals in Latin America, the technique employed by the attackers is adaptable and could be utilized against targets in other regions as well. The cybersecurity community must remain vigilant and proactive in defending against such sophisticated threats. Employing robust security measures, including up-to-date antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and regular security awareness training for employees, is crucial. 

Additionally, organizations should implement strict email security protocols to prevent malicious emails from reaching employees' inboxes. Furthermore, individuals should exercise caution when interacting with unsolicited emails, especially those containing attachments or links. Verifying the legitimacy of email senders and carefully scrutinizing email content can help prevent falling victim to phishing attacks. It’s also advisable to avoid downloading attachments or clicking on links from unknown or suspicious sources. 

In conclusion, the emergence of this cyberattack campaign underscores the ever-present threat posed by malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities for their gain. By staying informed, adopting proactive security measures, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness, organizations and individuals can better protect themselves against such threats and safeguard their digital assets and personal information.

Ransomware Attacks Target Government Agencies in Latin America

Federal government agencies in Latin America were targeted in several ransomware attacks in the past months, the latest targets of the attack being Chile and the Dominican Republic. 

Following the escalation of cyber attacks, the Recorded future studied the attacks on Latin governments from January 2022 until May 2022. In this study, they examined vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and indicators of compromise (IOCs). 

It was uncovered that the most advanced ransomware groups are targeting Latin federal agencies; the team of researchers highlighted the poor security measures against cybersecurity threats in the region. 

Chile’s Ministry of Interior reported last week that the department has been hit by ransomware that targeted Windows and VMware ESXi servers. As a result of the attack, online services and their functions were disrupted. The ransomware encrypted files on compromised systems and renamed them with the extension .crypt. 

Chilean government released public press on the attack and made public some indicators of compromise (IoC) hence the team of cyber analysis believes that the recent attack involved the relatively new RedAlert ransomware, which is also known as N13V. 

RedAlert ransomware uses double extortion, encrypting the victim’s files and threatening to publicize the stolen data from its systems unless a ransom is paid. RedAlert’s Tor-based leak website did not report or write anything on the Chilean government agency at the time of writing. 

Several government agencies in the Dominican Republic were also attacked by ransomware recently. The country’s national cybersecurity center notified on August 24 that the Ministry of Agriculture’s Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) was attacked. However, the team highlighted that the government does not plan to pay a ransom. 

“We identified several government entities in Latin America (LATAM) that have been affected by ransomware attacks, likely involving Russian or Russian-speaking threat actors, beginning on or around April 2022. Countries affected include Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina, among others, all of which have publicly condemned Russia for invading Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Some of these countries also voted to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in early April 2022”, the Recorded Future said.