How to Investigate Emerging Cyber Threats in 2024 – SOC/DFIR Team Guide

In the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity, emerging threats pose significant challenges to organizations worldwide. These threats, characterized by their novelty and complexity, often exploit new vulnerabilities and technologies, making them difficult to predict and defend against.

As cybercriminals continually refine their methods, businesses must stay informed and proactive to protect their assets. One powerful tool in this effort is the Threat Intelligence (TI) Lookup service from ANY.RUN, which provides valuable insights into these emerging threats.

Emerging threats differ from persistent threats in several ways:

• Novel Techniques: They involve new methods and tools that have not been widely seen before.
• Continuous Evolution: Attackers constantly refine their strategies to evade detection.
• Unpredictability: Their unpredictable nature makes them particularly challenging to defend against.
• Potential Impact: They can have severe implications for victims, including financial losses and reputational damage.

Why Monitoring Emerging Threats is Crucial

Many organizations struggle to handle emerging threats due to a lack of awareness, resources, or expertise. These threats can disrupt operations, lead to data breaches, and erode customer trust. Staying informed about emerging threats and taking proactive measures is essential for safeguarding organizational assets.

How Threat Intelligence Lookup Assists

ANY.RUN's Threat Intelligence Lookup is a valuable resource for organizations looking to stay ahead of emerging threats. Powered by a global community of 400,000 security experts, the service provides access to a vast database of indicators of compromise (IOCs) and other threat data. Users can search through this data using various parameters to gather information on malware and phishing threats.

Key Features of TI Lookup:

• Comprehensive Search: Users can search through 2TB of the latest threat data using over 40 different search parameters.
• Quick Results: Each search provides quick results with corresponding sandbox sessions.
• YARA Search: A built-in rule editor allows users to use custom YARA rules for more precise searches.
• API Integration: TI Lookup can be integrated with existing security systems for seamless operation.

Examples of Emerging Threats and Investigation Methods

1. New Phishing Threats

Cybercriminals continually devise new phishing tactics, often abusing legitimate services to deceive users. For example, a recent campaign exploited Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) accounts to distribute phishing emails.

Example: Abuse of SES Accounts by Tycoon 2FA Phish-kit?

Recently, ANY.RUN researchers?spotted a phishing campaign?exploiting compromised Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) accounts to distribute phishing emails.??

By using TI Lookup, security teams can identify and analyze such campaigns, gathering data on domains, IPs, and files involved.

2. New and Evolving Malware Families

New malware strains, like the recently discovered DeerStealer, pose significant threats. These malware types often employ advanced evasion techniques. TI Lookup allows users to gather information on these threats using YARA Search, providing detailed sandbox reports for further analysis.

Example: DeerStealer Malware?

In July 2024, ANY.RUN discovered a new malware family called DeerStealer. This malware was distributed through a phishing campaign that mimicked the Google Authenticator website.

Using Threat Intelligence Lookup, we can efficiently gather information on the latest DeerStealer samples by utilizing YARA Search. This tool allows us to apply custom YARA rules to identify samples based on their content.

According to ANY.RUN analysis, The service provides four samples with their corresponding sandbox sessions, allowing us to take a closer look at how the threat operates and collect valuable intelligence.?

3. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)

Attackers frequently update their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities and avoid detection. For instance, the new version of HijackLoader includes a User Account Control (UAC) bypass. TI Lookup can identify such updates using queries based on the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

Example: Samples of New HijackLoader Version?

Earlier in 2024, HijackLoader received an update featuring a User Account Control (UAC) bypass (TT1548.002), allowing the malware to execute by bypassing Windows security controls. To find samples of this updated HijackLoader version, we can use the following query in TI Lookup.

To find samples of the new HijackLoader version, you can use the following query in TI Lookup:?MITRE:"T1548.002" AND threatName:"hijackloader".

4. Exploitation of World Events

Cybercriminals often exploit global events to launch attacks. During the CrowdStrike outage, attackers launched phishing campaigns to exploit the confusion. TI Lookup helped identify malicious domains mimicking official sites, aiding in the investigation.

Example: CrowdStrike Incident?

ANY.RUN analysts were quick to identify threats exploiting a recent security incident, with TI Lookup playing a key role. One of their search queries (domainName:"crowdstrike" AND threatLevel:"malicious") successfully detected domains mimicking the official CrowdStrike domain, which surfaced shortly after the event.

Additional Investigation Techniques with TI Lookup

• Check Suspicious Connections: Quickly determine the threat level of suspicious IPs.
• Enrich Intelligence on C2 Infrastructure: Stay updated on changes in command and control infrastructure used by attackers.
• Discover Malicious Network Activity: Use Suricata IDS rules to detect and analyze network threats.
• Learn about the Current Threat Landscape: Explore threats specific to certain regions based on local submissions.

Effective investigation of emerging threats relies on comprehensive threat intelligence. ANY.RUN's TI Lookup provides a wealth of data, enabling organizations to better understand and mitigate these threats.

By leveraging this tool, businesses can enhance their cybersecurity posture and ensure the safety and integrity of their systems.

About ANY.RUN

ANY.RUN supports over 400,000 cybersecurity professionals worldwide with its interactive sandbox and threat intelligence products, including TI Lookup, YARA Search, and Feeds. These tools help organizations quickly respond to incidents and learn more about emerging threats.