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Introduction

Recently the attackers employed the CVE-2017-0199 vulnerability in Microsoft Office to deliver a fileless form of the Remcos RAT. The Remcos RAT makes the attacker have full control of the systems that have been infected by this malware. This research will give a detailed technical description of the identified vulnerability, attack vector, and tactics together with the practical steps to counter the identified risks.

The Targeted Malware: Remcos RAT

Remcos RAT (Remote Control & Surveillance) is a commercially available remote access tool designed for legitimate administrative use. However, it has been widely adopted by cybercriminals for its stealth and extensive control capabilities, enabling:

• System control and monitoring
• Keylogging
• Data exfiltration
• Execution of arbitrary commands

The fileless variant utilised in this campaign makes detection even more challenging by running entirely in system memory, leaving minimal forensic traces.

Attack Vector: Phishing with Malicious Excel Attachments

The phishing email will be sent which appears as legitimate business communication, such as a purchase order or invoice. This email contains an Excel attachment that is weaponized to exploit the CVE-2017-0199 vulnerability.

Technical Analysis: CVE-2017-0199 Exploitation

Vulnerability Assessment

• CVE-2017-0199 is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Microsoft Office which uses Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) objects.
• Affected Components:some text
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • WordPad
• CVSS Score: 7.8 (High Severity)

Mechanism of Exploitation

The vulnerability enables attackers to craft a malicious document when opened, it fetches and executes an external payload via an HTML Application (HTA) file. The execution process occurs without requiring user interaction beyond opening the document.

Detailed Exploitation Steps

1. Phishing Email and Malicious Document some text
   • The email contains an Excel file designed to make use of CVE-2017-0199.
   • When the email gets opened, the document automatically connects to a remote server (e.g., 192.3.220[.]22) to download an HTA file (cookienetbookinetcache.hta).
2. Execution via mshta.exe some text
   • The downloaded HTA file is executed using mshta.exe, a legitimate Windows process for running HTML Applications.
   • This execution is seamless and does not prompt the user, making the attack stealthy.
3. Multi-Layer Obfuscation some text
   • The HTA file is wrapped in several layers of scripting, including: some text
     • JavaScript
     • VBScript
     • PowerShell
   • This obfuscation helps evade static analysis by traditional antivirus solutions.
4. Fileless Payload Deployment some text
   • The downloaded executable leverages process hollowing to inject malicious code into legitimate system processes.
   • The Remcos RAT payload is loaded directly into memory, avoiding the creation of files on disk.

Fileless Malware Techniques

1. Process Hollowing
The attack replaces the memory of a legitimate process (e.g., explorer.exe) with the malicious Remcos RAT payload. This allows the malware to:

• Evade detection by blending into normal system activity.
• Run with the privileges of the hijacked process.

2. Anti-Analysis Techniques

• Anti-Debugging: Detects the presence of debugging tools and terminates malicious processes if found.
• Anti-VM and Sandbox Evasion: Ensures execution only on real systems to avoid detection during security analysis.

3. In-Memory Execution

• By running entirely in system memory, the malware avoids leaving artifacts on the disk, making forensic analysis and detection more challenging.

Capabilities of Remcos RAT

Once deployed, Remcos RAT provides attackers with a comprehensive suite of functionalities, including:

• Data Exfiltration: some text
  • Stealing system information, files, and credentials.
• Remote Execution: some text
  • Running arbitrary commands, scripts, and additional payloads.
• Surveillance: some text
  • Enabling the camera and microphone.
  • Capturing screen activity and clipboard contents.
• System Manipulation: some text
  • Modifying Windows Registry entries.
  • Controlling system services and processes.
  • Disabling user input devices (keyboard and mouse).

Advanced Phishing Techniques in Parallel Campaigns

1. DocuSign Abuse
Attackers exploit legitimate DocuSign APIs to create authentic-looking phishing invoices. These invoices can trick users into authorising payments or signing malicious documents, bypassing traditional email security systems.

2. ZIP File Concatenation
By appending multiple ZIP archives into a single file, attackers exploit inconsistencies in how different tools handle these files. This allows them to embed malware that evades detection by certain archive managers.

Broader Implications of Fileless Malware

Fileless malware like Remcos RAT poses significant challenges:

• Detection Difficulties: Traditional signature-based antivirus systems struggle to detect fileless malware, as there are no static files to scan.
• Forensic Limitations: The lack of disk artifacts complicates post-incident analysis, making it harder to trace the attack's origin and scope.
• Increased Sophistication: These campaigns demonstrate the growing technical prowess of cybercriminals, leveraging legitimate tools and services for malicious purposes.

Mitigation Strategies

1. Patch Management some text
   • It is important to regularly update software to address known vulnerabilities like CVE-2017-0199. Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability in April 2017.
2. Advanced Email Security some text
   • It is important to implement email filtering solutions that can detect phishing attempts, even those using legitimate services like DocuSign.
3. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)some text
   • Always use EDR solutions to monitor for suspicious behavior, such as unauthorized use of mshta.exe or process hollowing.
4. User Awareness and Training some text
   • Educate users about phishing techniques and the risks of opening unexpected attachments.
5. Behavioral Analysis some text
   • Deploy security solutions capable of detecting anomalous activity, even if no malicious files are present.

Conclusion

The attack via CVE-2017-0199 further led to the injection of a new fileless variant of Remcos RAT, proving how threats are getting more and more sophisticated. Thanks to the improved obfuscation and the lack of files, the attackers eliminate all traditional antiviral protection and gain full control over the infected computers. It is real and organisations have to make sure that they apply patches on time, that they build better technologies for detection and that the users themselves are more wary of the threats.

References

• Fortinet FortiGuard Labs: Analysis by Xiaopeng Zhang
• Perception Point: Research on ZIP File Concatenation
• Wallarm: DocuSign Phishing Analysis
• Microsoft Security Advisory: CVE-2017-0199

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Introduction

Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by the Ministry of Home Affairs  (MHA) to provide a framework and eco-system for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to deal with cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs approved a scheme for the establishment of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in October2018, which was inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah in January 2020. I4C is envisaged to act as the nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country. Recently, on 13th March2024, the Centre designated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) as an agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to perform the functions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, to inform about unlawful cyber activities.

The gazetted notification dated 13th March 2024 read as follows:

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 79 of the Information Technology Act 2000, Central Government being the appropriate government hereby designate the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), to be the agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs to perform the functions under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section79 of Information Technology Act, 2000 and to notify the instances of information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by the intermediary being used to commit the unlawful act.”

Impact

Now, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is empowered to issue direct takedown orders under 79(b)(3) of the IT Act, 2000. Any information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by any intermediary being used to commit unlawful acts can be notified by the I4C to the intermediary. If an intermediary fails to expeditiously remove or disable access to a material after being notified, it will no longer be eligible for protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000.

Safe Harbour Provision

Section79 of the IT Act also serves as a safe harbour provision for the Intermediaries. The safe harbour provision under Section 79 of the IT Act states that "an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him". However, it is notable that this legal immunity cannot be granted if the intermediary "fails to expeditiously" take down a post or remove a particular content after the government or its agencies flag that the information is being used to commit something unlawful. Furthermore, Intermediaries are also obliged to perform due diligence on their platforms and comply with the rules & regulations and maintain and promote a safe digital environment on the respective platforms.

Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, The government has also mandated that a ‘significant social media intermediary’ must appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Resident Grievance Officer (RGO), and Nodal Contact Person and publish periodic compliance report every month mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken thereon.

I4C's Role in Safeguarding Cyberspace

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is actively working towards initiatives to combat the emerging threats in cyberspace. I4C is one of the crucial extensions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, working extensively to combat cyber crimes and ensure the overall safety of netizens. The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ equipped with a 24x7 helpline number 1930,  is one of the key component of the I4C.

Components Of The I4C

1. National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit
2. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
3. National Cyber Crime Training Centre
4. Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit
5. National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre
6. National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem
7. Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation Team.

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Conclusion

I4C, through its initiatives and collaborative efforts, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding cyberspace and ensuring the safety of netizens. I4C reinforces India's commitment to combatting cybercrime and promoting a secure digital environment. The recent development by designating the I4C as an agency to notify the instances of unlawful activities in cyberspace serves as a significant step to counter cybercrime and promote an ethical and safe digital environment for netizens.

References

• https://www.deccanherald.com/india/centre-designates-i4c-as-agency-of-mha-to-notify-unlawful-activities-in-cyber-world-2936976
• https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/home-ministry-authorises-i4c-to-issue-takedown-notices-under-it-act-124031500844_1.html
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/it-ministry-empowers-i4c-to-notify-instances-of-cybercrime-101710443217873.html
• https://i4c.mha.gov.in/about.aspx#:~:text=Objectives%20of%20I4C,identifying%20Cybercrime%20trends%20and%20patterns

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Introduction

Apple launched Passkeys with iOS 16 as a more authentic and secure mechanism. It is safer than passwords, and it is more efficient in comparison to passwords. Apple users using iOS 16 passkeys features should enable two-factor authentication.  The passkeys are an unchallenging mechanism than the passwords for the passkeys. The user just has to open the apps and websites, and then the biometric sensor automatically recognises the face and fingerprints. There can be a PIN and pattern used to log instead of passwords. The passkeys add an extra coating of protection to the user’s systems against cyber threats like phishing attacks by SMS and one-time password-based. In a report 9 to 5mac, there is confirmation that 95% of users are using passkeys. Also, with the passkeys, users’ experience will be better, and it is a more security-proof mechanism. The passwords were weak, reused credentials and credentials leaked, and the chances of phishing attacks were real.

What are passkeys?

Passkey is a digital key linked to users’ accounts and websites or applications. Passkeys allow the user to log into any application and website without entering passwords, usernames, or other details. The aim of this new feature is to replace the old long pattern of entering passwords for going through any websites and applications.

The passkeys are developed by Microsoft, Apple, and Google together, and it is also called FIDO Authentication (Fast identity online). It eliminates the need to remember passwords and the need for typing. So, the passkeys work as they replace the password with a unique digital key, which is tied to the account then, the key is stored in the device itself, and it is end-to-end encrypted. The passkeys will always be on the sites on which users specifically created them. the passkeys use the technology of cryptography for more security purposes.  And the passkeys guarantee against the phish.

And since the passkeys follow FIDO standards so, this also can be used for third-party nonapple devices as the third-party device generate a QR code that enables the iOS user to scan that to log in. It will recognise the face of the person for authentication and then asks for permission on another device to deny or allow.

How are passkeys more secure than passwords?

The passkeys follow the public key cryptographic protocols that support the security keys, and they work against phishing and other cyber threats. It is more secure than SMS and apps based on one-time passwords. And another type of multi-factor authentication.

Why are passwords insecure?

The users create passwords easily, and it is wondering if they are secure. The very important passwords are short and easy to crack as they generally relate to the user’s personal information or popular words. One password is reused by the user to the different accounts, and then, in this case, hacking one account gives access to all accounts to the hackers. The problem is that passwords have inherent flaws, like they could be easily stolen.

Are passkeys about to become obligatory?

Many websites restrict the type of passwords, as some websites ask for mixtures of numbers and symbols, and many websites ask for two-factor authentication. There is no surety about the obligation of passkeys widespread as it is still a new concept and it will take time, so it is going to be optional for a while.

• There was a case of a Heartland payment system data breach, and Heartland was handling over 100 million monthly credit card transactions for 175,000 retailers at the time of the incident. Visa and MasterCard detected the hack in January 2009 when they notified Heartland of suspicious transactions. And this happened due to a password breach. The corporation paid an estimated $145 million in settlement for illegal payments. Today, data-driven breaches affect millions of people’s personal information.
• GoDaddy reported a security attack in November that affected the accounts of over a million of its WordPress customers. The attacker acquired unauthorised access to GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress hosting environment by hacking into the provisioning system in the company’s legacy Managed WordPress code.

Conclusion

The use of strong and unique passwords is an essential requirement to safeguard information and data from cyberattacks, but still, passwords have its own disadvantages. And by the replacement of passwords, a passkey, a digital key that ensures proper safety and there is security against cyberattacks and cybercrimes through passkey. There are cases above-mentioned that happened due to the password’s weaker security. And in this technology world, there is a need for something for protection and prevention from cybercrimes, and the world dumps passwords and adopts passkeys.

References

• https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/switch-to-passkeys-more-secure-than-passwords-on-ios-16-iphone-14/
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/google-is-ending-passwords-rolls-out-passkeys-for-easy-log-in-how-to-set-it/articleshow/99988444.cms?from=mdr
• https://security.googleblog.com/2023/05/making-authentication-faster-than-ever.html#:~:text=Because%20they%20are%20based%20on,%2Dfactor%20authentication%20(MFA).