North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme

North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme

The Lazarus group, a North Korean hacking organization previously linked to criminal activity, has been connected to a new attack scheme to breach systems and steal cryptocurrency from third parties. The campaign, which uses a modified version of an already existing malware product called Applejeus, uses a crypto site and even documents to gain access to systems. Modified Lazarus Malware Used Crypto Site as Facade

Volexity, a Washington D.C.-based cybersecurity firm, has linked Lazarus, a North Korean hacking group already sanctioned by the U.S. government, with a threat involving the use of a crypto site to infect systems in order to steal info and cryptocurrency from third parties.

A blog post issued on Dec. 1 revealed that in June, Lazarus registered a domain called “bloxholder.com,” which would be later established as a business offering services of automatic cryptocurrency trading. Using this site as a facade, Lazarus prompted users to download an application that served as a payload to deliver the Applejeus malware, directed to steal private keys and other data from the users’ systems.

The same strategy has been used by Lazarus before. However, this new scheme uses a technique that allows the application to “confuse and slow down” malware detection tasks. Document Macros

Volexity also found that the technique to deliver this malware to final users changed in October. The method morphed to use Office documents, specifically a spreadsheet containing macros, a sort of program embedded in the documents designed to install the Applejeus malware in the computer.

The document, identified with the name “OKX Binance & Huobi VIP fee comparision.xls,” displays the benefits that each one of the VIP programs of these exchanges supposedly offers at their different levels. To mitigate this kind of attack, it is recommended to block the execution of macros in documents, and also scrutinize and monitor the creation of new tasks in the OS to be aware of new unidentified tasks running in the background. However, Veloxity did not inform on the level of reach that this campaign has attained.

Lazarus was formally indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Feb. 2021, involving an operative of the group linked to a North Korean intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). Before that, in March 2020, the DOJ indicted two Chinese nationals for aiding in the laundering of more than $100 million in cryptocurrency linked to Lazarus’ exploits. Tags in this story applejeus, bloxholder, Crypto, data, department of justice, indicment, indictment, Lazarus, Malware, payload, Theft, volexity

What do you think about Lazarus’ latest cryptocurrency malware campaign? Tell us in the comments section below. Sergio Goschenko

Sergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price rise happened during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being impacted by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved. Hackers Are Taking Advantage of Typing Mistakes to Steal Cryptocurrency SECURITY | Oct 25, 2022 Defi Platform Moola Exploited for $8.4 Million in Incident Described as "Incredibly Simple Attack" SECURITY | Oct 19, 2022

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleBitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Races to 3-Week High on Monday Next articleBiggest Movers: LTC Climbs to Highest Level Since May Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItPrivacy-Centric Monero Plans for July Hard Fork, Plans Include Ring Signature, Bulletproof Upgrade

According to a recent update on Monero’s Github repository, the privacy-centric crypto network plans to hard fork in July, at block height 2,668,888. Monero is the largest privacy crypto asset in terms of market capitalization and during the last seven ... read more.FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms Interest in Real Estate Investments in Spain Grew 400%, With Some Using Crypto and Stocks as Payment Method Survey: Adoption in Argentina Grows, With 12 out of 100 Adults Having Invested in Crypto Terra"s Algorithmic Dollar-Pegged Crypto UST Is Now the Third-Largest Stablecoin