N. Korean Hacking Group Is Targeting Security Researchers

A North Korean hacking group that targets security researchers has now created a fake offensive security firm. This firm which is believed to be state-sponsored,  has been exposed by Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG).

The TAG, which specialises in tracking advanced persistent threat (APT) groups) has identified an on-going campaign targeting security researchers working on vulnerability research and development at different companies and organisations. 

The attacker’s latest batch of social media profiles continue the trend of posing as fellow security researchers interested in exploitation and offensive security.  

On LinkedIn, two accounts have been identified impersonating recruiters for antivirus and security companies.  Google TAG, , said at the time that the North Korean cyber attackers had established a web of fake profiles on social media, including Twitter, Keybase, and LinkedIn.  "In order to build credibility and connect with security researchers, the actors established a research blog and multiple Twitter profiles to interact with potential targets," Google said. "They've used these Twitter profiles for posting links to their blog, posting videos of their claimed exploits, and for amplifying and retweeting posts from other accounts that they control." 

When members of the group reached out to their targets, they would ask if their intended victim wanted to collaborate on cyber security research, before sending them a malicious MS Visual Studio development tool project containing a backdoor. They might also ask researchers to visit a blog laden with malicious code including browser exploits.  

In an update the TAG's Adam Weidemann said that the state-sponsored group has now changed tactics by creating a fake offensive security company "SecuriElite", with new social media profiles and a branded website. The fake company claims to be based in Turkey offering penetration testing services, software security assessments, and exploits. 

A link to a PGP public key has been added to the website. While the inclusion of PGP is standard practice as an option for secure communication, the group has used these links in the past as a means to lure their targets into visiting a page where a browser-based exploit is waiting to deploy.  

In addition, the SecuriElite 'team' has been furnished with a fresh set of fake social media profiles. The threat actors are posing as fellow security researchers, recruiters for cybersecurity firms, and in one case, the HR director of "Trend Macro" -- not to be confused with the legitimate company Trend Micro.  

Google's team linked the North Korean group with the usage of Internet Explorer zero-day in January. The company believes that it is likely they have access to more exploits and will continue to use them in the future against legitimate security researchers.  Google says they have reported all identified social media profiles to the platforms to allow them to take appropriate action.   

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