Mar 26, 2025Ravie LakshmananPassword Safety / Cybercrime

Risk actors are leveraging an e-crime software referred to as Atlantis AIO Multi-Checker to automate credential stuffing assaults, in keeping with findings from Irregular Safety.

Atlantis AIO “has emerged as a robust weapon within the cybercriminal arsenal, enabling attackers to check tens of millions of stolen credentials in fast succession,” the cybersecurity firm mentioned in an evaluation.

Credential stuffing is a kind of cyber assault during which an adversary collects stolen account credentials, usually consisting of lists of usernames or e mail addresses and passwords, after which makes use of them to realize unauthorized entry to person accounts on unrelated programs via large-scale automated login requests.

Such credentials may very well be obtained from a knowledge breach of a social media service or be acquired from underground boards the place they’re marketed on the market by different menace actors.

Credential stuffing can also be completely different from brute-force assaults, which revolve round cracking passwords, login credentials, and encryption keys utilizing a trial and error methodology.

Atlantis AIO, per Irregular Safety, gives menace actors the power to launch credential stuffing assaults at scale through pre-configured modules for concentrating on a spread of platforms and cloud-based providers, thereby facilitating fraud, knowledge theft, and account takeovers.

“Atlantis AIO Multi-Checker is a cybercriminal software designed to automate credential stuffing assaults,” it mentioned. “Able to testing stolen credentials at scale, it may rapidly try tens of millions of username and password combos throughout greater than 140 platforms.”

The menace actors behind this system additionally declare that it is constructed on “a basis of confirmed success” and that they’ve 1000’s of happy purchasers, whereas assuring clients of the safety ensures baked into the platform in an effort to preserve their buy non-public.

“Each characteristic, replace, and interplay is crafted with meticulous consideration to raise your expertise past expectations,” they state within the official commercial, including “we frequently pioneer options that drive unprecedented outcomes.”

Targets of Atlantis AIO embrace e mail suppliers like Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, GMX, and Net.de, in addition to e-commerce, streaming providers, VPNs, monetary establishments, and meals supply providers.

One other notable side of the software is its potential to conduct brute-force assaults in opposition to the aforementioned e mail platforms and automate account restoration processes related to eBay and Yahoo.

“Credential stuffing instruments like Atlantis AIO present cybercriminals with a direct path to monetizing stolen credentials,” Irregular Safety mentioned.

“As soon as they achieve entry to accounts throughout varied platforms, attackers can exploit them in a number of methods — e.g., promoting login particulars on darkish internet marketplaces, committing fraud, or utilizing compromised accounts to distribute spam and launch phishing campaigns.”

To mitigate the account takeover dangers posed by such assaults, it is advisable to enact strict password guidelines and implement phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) mechanisms.

Researchers have uncovered a harmful new cellular banking Trojan dubbed Crocodilus actively concentrating on monetary establishments and cryptocurrency platforms.

The malware employs superior methods like distant machine management, stealthy overlays, and social engineering to steal delicate knowledge, marking a major escalation in cellular menace sophistication.

Early campaigns concentrate on banks in Spain and Turkey, however consultants warn of imminent international growth because the malware evolves.

Crocodilus Debuts With Superior Machine-Takeover Capabilities

Crocodilus distinguishes itself from older banking Trojans like Anatsa or Octo by incorporating “hidden” distant management options from its inception.

As soon as put in by way of a dropper that bypasses Android 13+ safety, the malware abuses Accessibility Providers to observe machine exercise and deploy malicious overlays.

These overlays mimic professional banking apps, tricking customers into coming into credentials, that are harvested in actual time.

A novel “black display screen overlay” conceals fraudulent transactions by masking the machine display screen whereas muting audio, guaranteeing victims stay unaware of unauthorized actions.

Crocodilus additionally makes use of Accessibility Logging a superset of conventional keylogging to seize each textual content change and UI factor displayed, together with one-time passwords (OTPs) from apps like Google Authenticator. This allows attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication seamlessly.

Proof inside Crocodilus’ code factors to Turkish-speaking builders, with debug messages and tags like “sybupdate” suggesting potential hyperlinks to “sybra”—a menace actor beforehand linked to Ermac, Hook, and Octo malware variants.

Nevertheless, researchers warning that “sybra” could possibly be a buyer testing Crocodilus moderately than its creator, highlighting the malware’s possible availability in underground markets.

The Trojan’s infrastructure already helps dynamic concentrating on, permitting operators to push up to date overlay templates and app goal lists by way of its C2 server.

Early targets embody main Spanish banks, Turkish monetary apps, and cryptocurrency wallets like Bitcoin Pockets and Belief Pockets.

ThreatFabric anticipates speedy diversification of targets as Crocodilus beneficial properties traction amongst cybercriminals.

Social Engineering Lures Victims into Surrendering Crypto Keys

In a devious twist, Crocodilus manipulates cryptocurrency customers into voluntarily revealing pockets restoration phrases.

After stealing a pockets’s PIN by way of an overlay, the malware shows a faux warning: “Again up your pockets key within the settings inside 12 hours. In any other case, the app will likely be reset…”

Panicked victims then navigate to their seed phrase, which Accessibility Logger captures and transmits to attackers, which grants full management over wallets, enabling instantaneous asset theft.

In line with the Report, Crocodilus’ speedy maturation underscores the inadequacy of conventional antivirus instruments in opposition to fashionable banking Trojans.

ThreatFabric urges monetary establishments to undertake behavior-based detection and machine threat profiling to establish compromised gadgets.

Customers are suggested to keep away from sideloading apps, scrutinize app permissions, and mistrust pressing safety warnings with out verification.

As cellular threats develop extra refined, the battle in opposition to fraud more and more hinges on disrupting the social engineering ways that make instruments like Crocodilus devastatingly efficient.

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“A boxer derives the best benefit from his sparring companion…”
— Epictetus, 50–135 AD

Palms up. Chin tucked. Knees bent. The bell rings, and each boxers meet within the middle and circle. Purple throws out three jabs, feints a fourth, and—BANG—lands a proper hand on Blue down the middle.

This wasn’t Blue’s first day and regardless of his strong protection in entrance of the mirror, he feels the strain. However one thing modified within the ring; the number of punches, the feints, the depth – it is nothing like his coach’s simulations. Is my protection sturdy sufficient to resist this? He wonders, do I actually have a protection?

His coach reassures him “If it weren’t for all of your observe, you would not have defended these first jabs. You have acquired a protection—now it is advisable to calibrate it. And that occurs within the ring.”

Cybersecurity is not any completely different. You may have your palms up—deploying the suitable structure, insurance policies, and safety measures—however the smallest hole in your protection may let an attacker land a knockout punch. The one method to take a look at your readiness is beneath strain, sparring within the ring.

The Distinction Between Follow and the Actual Combat

In boxing, sparring companions are considerable. Every single day, fighters step into the ring to hone their expertise towards actual opponents. However in cybersecurity, sparring companions are extra sparse. The equal is penetration testing, however a pentest occurs at a typical group solely every year, possibly twice, at finest each quarter. It requires intensive preparation, contracting an costly specialist company, and cordoning off the setting to be examined. Because of this, safety groups typically go months with out going through true adversarial exercise. They’re compliant, their palms are up and their chins are tucked. However would they be resilient beneath assault?

The Penalties of Rare Testing

1. Drift: The Gradual Erosion of Protection

When a boxer goes months with out sparring, their instinct dulls. He falls sufferer to the idea often called “inches” the place he has the suitable defensive transfer however he misses it by inches, getting caught by pictures he is aware of how you can defend. In cybersecurity, that is akin to configuration drift: incremental adjustments within the setting, whether or not that be new customers, outdated property, now not attended ports, or a gradual loss in defensive calibration. Over time, gaps emerge, not as a result of the defenses are gone, however as a result of they’ve fallen out of alignment.

2. Undetected Gaps: The Limits of Shadowboxing

A boxer and their coach can solely get to date in coaching. Shadowboxing and drills assist, however the coach will not name out inconspicuous errors, that would depart the boxer weak. Neither can they replicate the unpredictability of an actual opponent. There are just too many issues that may go unsuitable. The one means for a coach to evaluate the state of his boxer is to see how he will get hit after which diagnose why.

Equally, in cybersecurity, the assault floor is huge and continuously evolving. Nobody pentesting evaluation can anticipate each attainable assault vector and detect each vulnerability. The one method to uncover gaps is to check repeatedly towards actual assault eventualities.

3. Restricted Testing Scope: The Hazard of Partial Testing

A coach must see their fighter examined towards quite a lot of opponents. He could also be superb towards an opponent who throws primarily headshots, however what about physique punchers or counterpunchers? These could also be areas for enchancment. If a safety group solely assessments towards a specific sort of menace, and would not broaden their vary to different exploits, be they uncovered passwords or misconfigurations, they danger leaving themselves uncovered to no matter weak entry factors an attacker finds. For instance, an internet software is perhaps safe, however what a couple of leaked credential or a doubtful API integration?

Context Issues When it Involves Prioritizing Fixes

Not each vulnerability is a knockout punch. Simply as a boxer’s distinctive model can compensate for technical flaws, compensating controls in cybersecurity can mitigate dangers. Take Muhammad Ali, by textbook requirements, his protection was flawed, however his athleticism and flexibility made him untouchable. Equally, Floyd Mayweather’s low entrance hand would possibly seem to be a weak point, however his shoulder roll turned it right into a defensive power.

In cybersecurity, vulnerability scanners typically spotlight dozens—if not lots of—of points. However not all of them are essential. All IT environments are completely different and a high-severity CVE is perhaps neutralized by a compensating management, resembling community segmentation or strict entry insurance policies. Context is essential as a result of it offers the required understanding of what requires fast consideration versus what would not.

The Excessive Value of Rare Testing

The worth of testing towards an actual adversary is nothing new. Boxers spar to organize for fights. Cybersecurity groups conduct penetration assessments to harden their defenses. However what if boxers needed to pay tens of hundreds of {dollars} each time they sparred? Their studying would solely occur within the ring—throughout the battle—and the price of failure can be devastating.

That is the fact for a lot of organizations. Conventional penetration testing is dear, time-consuming, and infrequently restricted in scope. Because of this, many groups solely take a look at a few times a 12 months, leaving their defenses unchecked for months. When an assault happens, the gaps are uncovered—and the associated fee is excessive.

Steady, Proactive Testing

To really harden their defenses, organizations should transfer past rare annual testing. As an alternative, they want steady, automated testing that emulates real-world assaults. These instruments emulate adversarial exercise, uncovering gaps and offering actionable insights into the place to tighten safety controls, how you can recalibrate defenses, and supply exact fixes for remediation. Doing all of it with common frequency and with out the excessive value of conventional testing.

By combining automated safety validation with human experience, organizations can keep a robust defensive posture and adapt to evolving threats.

Study extra about automated pentesting by visiting Pentera.

Be aware: This text is expertly written and contributed by William Schaffer, Senior Gross sales Improvement Consultant at Pentera.