A China-aligned APT menace actor named “TheWizards” abuses an IPv6 networking characteristic to launch adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) assaults that hijack software program updates to put in Home windows malware.
In line with ESET, the group has been lively since not less than 2022, concentrating on entities within the Philippines, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Hong Kong. Victims embody people, playing firms, and different organizations.
The assaults make the most of a customized device dubbed “Spellbinder” by ESET that abuses the IPv6 Stateless Handle Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) characteristic to conduct SLACC assaults.
SLAAC is a characteristic of the IPv6 networking protocol that permits units to mechanically configure their very own IP addresses and default gateway with no need a DHCP server. As an alternative, it makes use of Router Commercial (RA) messages to obtain IP addresses from IPv6-supported routers.
The hacker’s Spellbinder device abuses this characteristic by sending spoofed RA messages over the community, inflicting close by methods to mechanically obtain a brand new IPv6 IP tackle, new DNS servers, and a brand new, most well-liked IPv6 gateway.
This default gateway, although, is the IP tackle of the Spellbinder device, which permits it to intercept communications and reroute site visitors by way of attacker-controlled servers.
“Spellbinder sends a multicast RA packet each 200 ms to ff02::1 (“all nodes”); Home windows machines within the community with IPv6 enabled will autoconfigure by way of stateless tackle autoconfiguration (SLAAC) utilizing data supplied within the RA message, and start sending IPv6 site visitors to the machine operating Spellbinder, the place packets shall be intercepted, analyzed, and replied to the place relevant,” explains ESET.
Supply: ESET
ESET stated assaults deploy Spellbinder utilizing an archive named AVGApplicationFrameHostS.zip, which extracts right into a listing mimicking legit software program: “%PROGRAMFILESpercentAVG Applied sciences.”
Inside this listing are AVGApplicationFrameHost.exe, wsc.dll, log.dat, and a legit copy of winpcap.exe. The WinPcap executable is used to side-load the malicious wsc.dll, which masses Spellbinder into reminiscence.
As soon as a tool is contaminated, Spellbinder begins capturing and analyzing community site visitors making an attempt to attach particular domains, corresponding to these associated to Chinese language software program replace servers.
ESET says the malware screens for domains belonging to the next firms: Tencent, Baidu, Xunlei, Youku, iQIYI, Kingsoft, Mango TV, Funshion, Yuodao, Xiaomi, Xiaomi Miui, PPLive, Meitu, Quihoo 360, and Baofeng.
The device then redirects these requests to obtain and set up malicious updates that deploy a backdoor named “WizardNet.”
The WizardNet backdoor offers attackers persistent entry to the contaminated system and permits them to put in extra malware as wanted.
To guard in opposition to these kinds of assaults, organizations can monitor IPv6 site visitors or flip off the protocol if it’s not required of their setting.
In January, ESET additionally reported on one other hacking group named “Blackwood” hijacking the WPS Workplace software program replace characteristic to put in malware.
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