Phishing Attacks Target Ukraine’s Defence Sector
Since the unsuccessful Russian invasion of Ukraine the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) has warned of a new set of cyber attacks that it said were aimed at defence companies in the country as well as its security and defence forces.
Phishing emails are currently targeting Ukrainian defence companies and defence forces with apparent connections to a fake NATO standards conference.
The latest series of phishing attacks has been attributed to the hacker group UAC-0185, with the latest targets being Ukrainian defence companies and security forces. Ukraine’s cyber defence authorities say that the attackers have also been using sophisticated tactics that impersonate the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which is a legitimate organisation, to deceive their victims.
The phishing emails, which were detected by CERT-UA, promoted a conference on December 5th in Kyiv, which was ostensibly aimed at aligning Ukrainian defence industry products with NATO standards, according to Ukraine’s State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP). The emails contained a malicious link titled “Attachment contains important information for your participation.”
If the recipient clicks the link and opened the attached file, the system will be infected with malware, allowing the hackers access to sensitive data.
UAC-0185 has been active since at least 2022, and known for targeting military and defense-related systems, as well as stealing credentials from messaging platforms, including Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp. According to reports, UAC-0185 has used in previous operations specialised tools like MeshAgent and UltraVNC (both are open-source remote-administration /remote-desktop software utilities) to gain unauthorised remote access to defence industry and military systems, enabling the theft of critical information.
The latest phishing campaign is part of a broader effort by the group to infiltrate Ukrainian military networks, with the aim of gathering intelligence and disrupting military operations.
There is an increasing cyber threat Ukraine faces amid ongoing conflicts, with national security increasingly dependent on both physical defence measures and cyber security. The identity of the attackers is often not known, however many cyber attacks on Ukraine suggest Russian cyber operations. With the continued targeting of defense-related sectors, Ukraine’s cyber security authorities are focused on enhancing their defences and preventing further intrusions.
The evolving tactics of UAC-0185 underscore the increasing importance of cyber security in modern warfare, with digital operations playing an integral role in the ongoing conflict.
One such campaign comprise a series of phishing emails which targeted Ukrainian defence companies and security and defence forces with a fake NATO standards conference.The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) detailed that these emailed advertised a conference held on December 5 in Kyiv, aimed at aligning the products of domestic industrial companies with NATO standards.
According to Mandiant, who exposed UNC4221 at a security conference earlier this year, these particular Russian hackers specialise in collecting "battlefield-relevant data through the use of Android malware, phishing operations masquerading as Ukrainian military applications...."
CERT UA | Mandiant | I-HLS | Infosecurity Magazine | Hacker News | SOCPrime | The Record |
Image: Ideogram
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