Tag Palo Alto Networks

North Korean Group Partners with Play Ransomware in Major Cyber Attack

Oct 30, 2024
Ransomware / Threat Intelligence

Threat actors associated with North Korea have been linked to a recent cyber incident involving the notorious Play ransomware, highlighting their financial motives. This activity, which took place between May and September 2024, is connected to a group known as Jumpy Pisces, also referred to as Andariel, APT45, DarkSeoul, Nickel Hyatt, Onyx Sleet (previously Plutonium), Operation Troy, Silent Chollima, and Stonefly. According to a new report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, “We have moderate confidence that Jumpy Pisces, or a segment of this group, is now collaborating with the Play ransomware collective.” This incident is particularly significant as it represents the first documented partnership between the Jumpy Pisces North Korean state-sponsored group and an underground ransomware operation. Active since at least 2009, Andariel is associated with North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) and has a history of deploying various cyber tactics.

Significant Cyber Attack Involves North Korean Collaboration with Play Ransomware Group October 30, 2024 In a notable development in the realm of cybersecurity, threat actors associated with North Korea have been identified as key players in a recent attack utilizing the Play ransomware variant. This collaboration highlights the increasing intersection…

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North Korean Group Partners with Play Ransomware in Major Cyber Attack

Oct 30, 2024
Ransomware / Threat Intelligence

Threat actors associated with North Korea have been linked to a recent cyber incident involving the notorious Play ransomware, highlighting their financial motives. This activity, which took place between May and September 2024, is connected to a group known as Jumpy Pisces, also referred to as Andariel, APT45, DarkSeoul, Nickel Hyatt, Onyx Sleet (previously Plutonium), Operation Troy, Silent Chollima, and Stonefly. According to a new report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, “We have moderate confidence that Jumpy Pisces, or a segment of this group, is now collaborating with the Play ransomware collective.” This incident is particularly significant as it represents the first documented partnership between the Jumpy Pisces North Korean state-sponsored group and an underground ransomware operation. Active since at least 2009, Andariel is associated with North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) and has a history of deploying various cyber tactics.

GLOBAL GROUP RaaS Launches Operations with AI-Powered Negotiation Tools

July 15, 2025
Cybercrime / Ransomware

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation called GLOBAL GROUP, which has been targeting various sectors across Australia, Brazil, Europe, and the United States since its debut in early June 2025. According to EclecticIQ researcher Arda Büyükkaya, GLOBAL GROUP was “advertised on the Ramp4u forum by the threat actor known as ‘$$$.'” This same individual is associated with the BlackLock RaaS and has previously overseen the Mamona ransomware operations. It is believed that GLOBAL GROUP represents a rebranding of BlackLock, following the defacement of its data leak site by the DragonForce ransomware cartel in March. Notably, BlackLock itself was a rebranding of an earlier RaaS scheme called Eldorado. This financially motivated group is known for relying heavily on initial access brokers (IABs) to deploy ransomware, utilizing vulnerable edge appliances from Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks.

GLOBAL GROUP RaaS Expands Operations with Advanced AI Negotiation Tools July 15, 2025 Cybercrime / Ransomware A newly identified ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) entity, referred to as GLOBAL GROUP, has rapidly gained traction, targeting various sectors across Australia, Brazil, Europe, and the United States since its inception in early June 2025. Researchers…

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GLOBAL GROUP RaaS Launches Operations with AI-Powered Negotiation Tools

July 15, 2025
Cybercrime / Ransomware

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation called GLOBAL GROUP, which has been targeting various sectors across Australia, Brazil, Europe, and the United States since its debut in early June 2025. According to EclecticIQ researcher Arda Büyükkaya, GLOBAL GROUP was “advertised on the Ramp4u forum by the threat actor known as ‘$$$.'” This same individual is associated with the BlackLock RaaS and has previously overseen the Mamona ransomware operations. It is believed that GLOBAL GROUP represents a rebranding of BlackLock, following the defacement of its data leak site by the DragonForce ransomware cartel in March. Notably, BlackLock itself was a rebranding of an earlier RaaS scheme called Eldorado. This financially motivated group is known for relying heavily on initial access brokers (IABs) to deploy ransomware, utilizing vulnerable edge appliances from Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks.

Alert: Over 2,000 Palo Alto Networks Devices Compromised in Ongoing Cyber Attack Campaign

As of November 21, 2024, an estimated 2,000 devices from Palo Alto Networks have been compromised due to a campaign exploiting newly disclosed security vulnerabilities. According to data from the Shadowserver Foundation, the majority of incidents have been reported in the U.S. (554) and India (461), with additional cases in Thailand (80), Mexico (48), Indonesia (43), Turkey (41), the U.K. (39), Peru (36), and South Africa (35).

Earlier this week, Censys reported identifying 13,324 publicly exposed next-generation firewall management interfaces, with 34% of these exposures located in the U.S. However, it is crucial to note that not all exposed hosts are necessarily vulnerable. The vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-0012 (CVSS score: 9.3) and CVE-2024-9474 (CVSS score: 6.9), involve authentication bypass and privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to carry out malicious actions.

Warning: Ongoing Attack Campaign Compromises Over 2,000 Palo Alto Networks Devices November 21, 2024 In a concerning development in cybersecurity, it has been reported that approximately 2,000 devices from Palo Alto Networks have been compromised as a result of an ongoing attack campaign leveraging recently uncovered security vulnerabilities. The Shadowserver…

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Alert: Over 2,000 Palo Alto Networks Devices Compromised in Ongoing Cyber Attack Campaign

As of November 21, 2024, an estimated 2,000 devices from Palo Alto Networks have been compromised due to a campaign exploiting newly disclosed security vulnerabilities. According to data from the Shadowserver Foundation, the majority of incidents have been reported in the U.S. (554) and India (461), with additional cases in Thailand (80), Mexico (48), Indonesia (43), Turkey (41), the U.K. (39), Peru (36), and South Africa (35).

Earlier this week, Censys reported identifying 13,324 publicly exposed next-generation firewall management interfaces, with 34% of these exposures located in the U.S. However, it is crucial to note that not all exposed hosts are necessarily vulnerable. The vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-0012 (CVSS score: 9.3) and CVE-2024-9474 (CVSS score: 6.9), involve authentication bypass and privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to carry out malicious actions.

Leak Uncovers Daily Lives of North Korean IT Scammers

Targeted Data Exploitation of IT Workers Revealed in Recent Findings Recent investigations have unveiled a concerning scheme targeting IT professionals, highlighting a structured operation that gathers and exploits sensitive information. Documented evidence includes detailed listings of potential job opportunities within the IT sector, alongside personal data that suggests a deliberate…

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Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers Target Southeast Asian Telecoms

Critical Infrastructure Security, Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks, Fraud Management & Cybercrime Threat Actor Maintains Long-Term Stealthy Access Prajeet Nair (@prajeetspeaks) • August 4, 2025 Image: Shutterstock A recent cybersecurity analysis reveals that Chinese nation-state hackers have infiltrated mobile telecommunications networks across Southeast Asia, ostensibly to track the locations of individuals,…

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Safe Secures $70M in Series C Funding to Enhance Cyber Risk Management Solutions

Agentic AI, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Next-Generation Technologies & Secure Development Investment Fuels Development for Predictive, Autonomous Threat Defense Michael Novinson (MichaelNovinson) • August 1, 2025 Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO, Safe (Image: Safe) In a significant development within the cybersecurity landscape, Safe, a vendor specializing in cyber risk…

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Hackers Target SAP Vulnerability to Breach Linux Systems and Deploy Auto-Color Malware

July 30, 2025
Vulnerability / Threat Intelligence

Threat actors have been found exploiting a critical SAP NetWeaver vulnerability, now patched, to introduce the Auto-Color backdoor in an April 2025 attack on a U.S.-based chemicals firm. According to a report from Darktrace shared with The Hacker News, the attacker accessed the company’s network over three days, attempted to download suspicious files, and communicated with infrastructure associated with the Auto-Color malware. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-31324, is a severe unauthenticated file upload flaw in SAP NetWeaver that allows remote code execution (RCE) and was fixed by SAP in April. Auto-Color, first reported by Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 in February, operates similarly to a remote access trojan, providing remote access to compromised Linux systems. It has been linked to attacks against universities and government entities in North America and Asia between November and December 2024.

Hackers Exploit SAP Vulnerability to Target U.S. Chemical Company with Auto-Color Malware On July 30, 2025, cybersecurity experts reported a significant breach involving a critical vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver, previously patched by SAP. In an incident that unfolded over three days in April 2025, threat actors targeted a U.S.-based chemicals…

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Hackers Target SAP Vulnerability to Breach Linux Systems and Deploy Auto-Color Malware

July 30, 2025
Vulnerability / Threat Intelligence

Threat actors have been found exploiting a critical SAP NetWeaver vulnerability, now patched, to introduce the Auto-Color backdoor in an April 2025 attack on a U.S.-based chemicals firm. According to a report from Darktrace shared with The Hacker News, the attacker accessed the company’s network over three days, attempted to download suspicious files, and communicated with infrastructure associated with the Auto-Color malware. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-31324, is a severe unauthenticated file upload flaw in SAP NetWeaver that allows remote code execution (RCE) and was fixed by SAP in April. Auto-Color, first reported by Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 in February, operates similarly to a remote access trojan, providing remote access to compromised Linux systems. It has been linked to attacks against universities and government entities in North America and Asia between November and December 2024.

Why Palo Alto Is Investing $25 Billion in Identity Solutions

Access Management, Agentic AI, Identity & Access Management CyberArk Acquisition Enhances Palo Alto Networks’ Privileged Access Capabilities Michael Novinson (@MichaelNovinson) • July 30, 2025 Nikesh Arora, Chairman and CEO, Palo Alto Networks Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, announced the company’s intention to acquire CyberArk for $25 billion, driven…

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Cybercriminals Utilize Open-Source Tools to Target Financial Institutions in Africa

Jun 26, 2025
Threat Intelligence / Ransomware

Cybersecurity experts are highlighting a wave of cyberattacks aimed at financial institutions across Africa, dating back to at least July 2023. These attacks leverage a combination of open-source and publicly available tools to sustain access. Researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 are monitoring this activity under the label CL-CRI-1014, where “CL” stands for “cluster” and “CRI” signifies “criminal motivation.” The primary objective appears to be gaining initial access to systems, which is then sold to other criminal actors in underground forums, effectively turning the threat actor into an initial access broker (IAB). “The threat actor mimics signatures from legitimate applications to create forged file signatures, camouflaging their toolset and concealing malicious activities,” noted researchers Tom Fakterman and Guy Levi. “Threat actors frequently spoof legitimate products for illicit purposes.” The attacks are marked by the use of tools such as PoshC2 and others.

Cyber Criminals Utilize Open-Source Tools to Target African Financial Institutions June 26, 2025 Threat Intelligence / Ransomware Recent investigations have revealed a troubling trend of cyber attacks aimed at financial institutions across Africa, with reports indicating that this wave of attacks began as early as July 2023. Cybersecurity experts at…

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Cybercriminals Utilize Open-Source Tools to Target Financial Institutions in Africa

Jun 26, 2025
Threat Intelligence / Ransomware

Cybersecurity experts are highlighting a wave of cyberattacks aimed at financial institutions across Africa, dating back to at least July 2023. These attacks leverage a combination of open-source and publicly available tools to sustain access. Researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 are monitoring this activity under the label CL-CRI-1014, where “CL” stands for “cluster” and “CRI” signifies “criminal motivation.” The primary objective appears to be gaining initial access to systems, which is then sold to other criminal actors in underground forums, effectively turning the threat actor into an initial access broker (IAB). “The threat actor mimics signatures from legitimate applications to create forged file signatures, camouflaging their toolset and concealing malicious activities,” noted researchers Tom Fakterman and Guy Levi. “Threat actors frequently spoof legitimate products for illicit purposes.” The attacks are marked by the use of tools such as PoshC2 and others.