Multi-stage TOITOIN Trojan Abusing Amazon EC2 Instances to Evade Detections
New advanced malware targets LATAM businesses with TOITOIN Trojan, revealing intricate layers. The complete attack is based on a multi-stage process that involves the following key things which highlight the severe effect of it:-
The cybersecurity researchers at Zscaler ThreatLabz recently uncovered a new targeted attack on LATAM (Latin American) businesses in the current era of evolving cyber threat landscape.
Across each stage, a multi-staged infection chain is followed using the custom modules by the trojan that is deployed in this campaign.
Campaign deploys TOITOIN Trojan, which is the ultimate payload with XOR decryption for configuration file decoding. Decrypted trojan collects the following data and sends them to the attackers’ server in encoded format:-
A major breakthrough was made by the threat hunters within the Zscaler cloud in May 2023. They found compressed ZIP archives that comprise several hidden malware samples, all hosted by Amazon EC2.
ZIP archives hosted on Amazon EC2 (Source – Zscaler)
The targeted campaign uses the TOITOIN malware infection chain, starting with a well-crafted phishing email compromise. While the deceptive email strategically targets a Latin American Investment Banking company in this campaign.
Infection Chain (Source – Zscaler)
The email is carefully crafted with a Payment Notification Lure, urging the recipient to click ‘Visualizar Boleto’ (View Invoice). While this creates urgency among users and lures them to open the contents of the email, making them fall into the threat actors’ trap.
TOITOIN malware campaign exposes the evolving tactics of threat actors targeting businesses in Latin America. While for successful malicious payload delivery, they use:-
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The latest release from Metasploit, Framework 6.4, is a testament to this ongoing battle. It brings a host of new features and improvements to the forefront of cybersecurity.
It has been a little over a year since Metasploit released version 6.3, and the team at Rapid7 has not been idle.
The new 6.4 version of the Metasploit Framework introduces significant enhancements and new capabilities, building on the solid foundation of its predecessor.
This release underscores Metasploit’s commitment to providing cutting-edge tools for penetration testers and cybersecurity professionals.
Kerberos Improvements
One of the highlights of this release is the substantial improvements made to Kerberos authentication support.
Building on the initial support introduced in version 6.3, Metasploit 6.4 adds new capabilities, including support for the diamond and sapphire techniques alongside the original golden and silver techniques.
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This update ensures compatibility with Windows Server 2022, keeping pace with the latest Windows targets.
Metasploit has recently announced the launch of Metasploit Framework 6.4, according to a recent article by Rapid7.
Furthermore, Metasploit 6.4 introduces a new module that allows users to dump Kerberos tickets from a compromised host, similar to the functionality offered by the popular Rubeus tool.
This enhancement is beneficial for exploiting instances of Unconstrained Delegation, further expanding the toolkit available to cybersecurity professionals.
Example of running the gather/windows_secrets_dump module with Kerberos authentication and the DOMAIN action:
Raj Samani, a Chief Scientist at Rapid7, recently tweeted expressing gratitude towards the Metasploit team and community for their exceptional work in successfully releasing version 6.4 of the Metasploit Framework.
Big shout out to the @metasploit team and the community for the excellent work in making the release of 6.4 for Metasploit Framework a reality. Many new features and improvements to enjoy! More details here: https://t.co/ryaQ72FsxC#infosec#cybersecurity
Another significant improvement is the enhanced handling of DNS queries within the Metasploit framework.
This update allows users to configure how hostnames should be resolved, which is especially useful in pivoting scenarios.
This ensures that DNS queries for internal resources originate from a compromised host rather than the user’s system, enhancing operational security.
Metasploit 6.4 also introduces new PostgreSQL, MSSQL, MySQL, and SMB session types. These session types allow for interactive queries with remote database instances and direct interaction with SMB shares, including file upload and download capabilities.
This addition streamlines running multiple modules against a single session, improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Examples of manipulating the DNS configuration:
dns add –rule *.lab.lan –session 1 –index 1 192.0.2.1
dns add –rule honeypot.lab.lan –index 2 black-hole
dns add-static example2.lab.lan 192.0.2.201
dns add –index 1 –rule * static system 192.0.2.1
Viewing the current configuration:
msf6 > dns print
Default search domain: N/A
Default search list:
* tor.example.com
* localdomain
Current cache size: 0
Resolver rule entries
=====================
# Rule Resolver Comm channel
– —- ——– ————
1 *.lab.lan 192.0.2.1 Session 1
2 honeypot.lab.lan black-hole N/A
3 *
. _ static N/A
. _ 10.4.5.45
. _ 10.3.20.98
Static hostnames
================
Hostname IPv4 Address IPv6 Address
——– ———— ————
example.lab.lan 192.0.2.200
example2.lab.lan 192.0.2.201
Indirect Syscalls Support and Discoverability Improvements
Metasploit 6.4 supports indirect syscalls, a technique often used by security software to bypass EDR/AV detection and evade dynamic analysis.
This update focuses on substituting Win32 API calls with indirect syscalls to their corresponding native APIs, enhancing the stealthiness of operations conducted with Metasploit.
To aid users in navigating the vast array of modules available within the framework, Metasploit 6.4 introduces improvements to module discoverability.
The new Hierarchical Search feature matches additional fields within modules, making it easier for users to find the tools they need for their tasks.
As an example, this will cause the auxiliary/admin/kerberos/forge_ticket module to show up when the user searches for forge_golden it because it is an action of the module:
7 auxiliary/admin/kerberos/ms14_068_kerberos_checksum 2014-11-18 normal No MS14-068 Microsoft Kerberos Checksum Validation Vulnerability
Interact with a module by name or index.
For example, info 7, use 7 or use auxiliary/admin/Kerberos/ms14_068_kerberos_checksum
msf6 auxiliary(scanner/mysql/mysql_hashdump) >
The release of Metasploit Framework 6.4 marks another milestone in developing one of the most widely used penetration testing tools.
With its new features and improvements, Metasploit continues to arm cybersecurity professionals with the tools they need to protect against the ever-evolving threats in the digital world.
As cyber threats grow in complexity, tools like Metasploit Framework 6.4 are essential for maintaining the security of digital infrastructures worldwide.
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