A suspected Russian hybrid espionage and affect operation has been noticed delivering a mixture of Home windows and Android malware to focus on the Ukrainian navy below the Telegram persona Civil Protection.
Google’s Menace Evaluation Group (TAG) and Mandiant are monitoring the exercise below the title UNC5812. The risk group, which operates a Telegram channel named civildefense_com_ua, was created on September 10, 2024. As of writing, the channel has 184 subscribers. It additionally maintains a web site at civildefense.com[.]ua that was registered on April 24, 2024.
“‘Civil Protection’ claims to be a supplier of free software program packages designed to allow potential conscripts to view and share crowdsourced areas of Ukrainian navy recruiters,” the corporate mentioned in a report shared with The Hacker Information.
Ought to these packages be put in on Android units which have Google Play Shield disabled, they’re engineered to deploy an working system-specific commodity malware together with a decoy mapping utility dubbed SUNSPINNER.
UNC5812 can be mentioned to be actively engaged in affect operations, disseminating narratives and soliciting content material supposed to undermine assist for Ukraine’s mobilization and navy recruitment efforts.
“UNC5812’s marketing campaign is extremely attribute of the emphasis Russia locations on reaching cognitive impact by way of its cyber capabilities, and highlights the outstanding function that messaging apps proceed to play in malware supply and different cyber dimensions of Russia’s struggle in Ukraine,” Google Menace Intelligence Group mentioned.
Civil Protection, which has had its Telegram channel and web site promoted by different authentic, established Ukrainian-language Telegram channels, goals to direct victims to its web site from the place malicious software program is downloaded relying on the working system.
For Home windows customers, the ZIP archive results in the deployment of a newly found PHP-based malware loader named Pronsis that is used to distribute SUNSPINNER and an off-the-shelf stealer malware often called PureStealer that is marketed for anyplace between $150 for a month-to-month subscription to $699 for a lifetime license.
SUNSPINNER, for its half, shows to customers a map that renders purported areas of Ukrainian navy recruits from an actor-controlled command-and-control (C2) server.
For many who are navigating to the web site from Android units, the assault chain deploys a malicious APK file (bundle title: “com.http.masters“) that embeds a distant entry trojan known as CraxsRAT.
The web site additionally contains directions that information victims on easy methods to disable Google Play Shield and grant it all of the requested permissions, permitting the malware to perform unimpeded.
CraxsRAT is a infamous Android malware household that comes with capabilities for distant machine management and superior adware features equivalent to keylogging, gesture manipulation, and recording of cameras, screens, and calls.
After the malware was publicly uncovered by Cyfirma in late August 2023, EVLF, the risk actor behind the mission, determined to stop exercise, however not earlier than promoting their Telegram channel to a Chinese language-speaking risk actor.
As of Might 2024, EVLF is alleged to have stopped growth on the malware on account of scammers and cracked variations, however mentioned they’re engaged on a brand new web-based model that may be accessed from any machine.
“Whereas the Civil Protection web site additionally advertises assist for macOS and iPhones, solely Home windows and Android payloads had been accessible on the time of study,” Google mentioned.
“The web site’s FAQ accommodates a strained justification for the Android utility being hosted outdoors the App Retailer, suggesting it’s an effort to ‘defend the anonymity and safety’ of its customers, and directing them to a set of accompanying video directions.”