CyberHappenings logo
☰

Track cybersecurity events as they unfold. Sourced timelines, daily updates. Fast, privacy‑respecting. No ads, no tracking.

GhostRedirector Campaign Targets Windows Servers with Rungan and Gamshen

First reported
Last updated
πŸ“° 2 unique sources, 2 articles

Summary

Hide β–²

A threat cluster named GhostRedirector has compromised at least 65 Windows servers in Brazil, Thailand, and Vietnam. The attacks deployed a passive C++ backdoor called Rungan and an IIS module named Gamshen. The threat actor has been active since at least August 2024. The primary goal of the attacks is to manipulate search engine results to boost the ranking of specific websites, including gambling sites. The campaign targets various sectors, including education, healthcare, insurance, transportation, technology, and retail. Initial access is gained through an SQL injection vulnerability, followed by the use of PowerShell to deliver additional tools. The threat actor is assessed with medium confidence to be China-aligned.

Timeline

  1. 04.09.2025 20:58 πŸ“° 2 articles Β· ⏱ 12d ago

    GhostRedirector Campaign Compromises 65 Windows Servers

    The campaign targets gambling websites to boost their search rankings. The threat actor uses EfsPotato and BadPotato exploits for privilege escalation. Gamshen is implemented as a native IIS component with malicious capabilities. Gamshen intercepts HTTP requests to inject links to target websites. The threat actor's goal is to create backlinks from compromised websites to boost search rankings. Microsoft has warned about the threat of malicious IIS modules. ESET recommends using dedicated accounts, strong passwords, and multifactor authentication for IIS server administrators.

    Show sources

Information Snippets

Similar Happenings

SlopAds Fraud Ring Exploits 224 Android Apps to Drive 2.3 Billion Daily Ad Bids

A fraudulent ad operation, SlopAds, has been identified, exploiting 224 Android apps to generate 2.3 billion ad bids daily. The apps, collectively downloaded 38 million times across 228 countries, use steganography and hidden WebViews to create fraudulent ad impressions and clicks. The operation was disrupted after Google removed the offending apps from the Play Store. The SlopAds campaign is notable for its sophisticated tactics, including conditional fraud execution and the use of AI-themed services for command and control. The fraudulent behavior is triggered only when apps are downloaded via ad clicks, making detection more challenging. The campaign's infrastructure includes multiple domains and a complex feedback loop designed to evade security researchers. The campaign's highest concentration of ad impressions originated from the United States (30%), followed by India (10%) and Brazil (7%).

FileFix Attack Using Steganography to Deploy StealC Infostealer

A new FileFix social engineering campaign impersonates Meta account suspension warnings to trick users into installing the StealC infostealer malware. The attack uses steganography to hide malicious scripts and executables within a JPG image. The campaign targets various credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and cloud services. The FileFix technique abuses the File Explorer address bar to execute PowerShell commands, bypassing traditional detection methods. The attack was discovered by Acronis and observed over a two-week period, with multiple variants using different payloads and domains. The StealC malware aims to steal sensitive information from infected devices, including browser credentials, messaging app data, and cryptocurrency wallets. The FileFix technique was created by red team researcher mr.d0x and has been previously used by the Interlock ransomware gang. The attack uses a multilingual phishing site to trick users into copying and pasting a malicious command into the File Explorer address bar. The campaign abuses Bitbucket repositories to host malicious components, leveraging trust in the platform to bypass detection. The FileFix campaign is the most widespread, customized, and sophisticated to date, targeting users in over 16 countries. The phishing site has been translated into at least 16 different languages. The attack chain involves a phishing email impersonating Facebook security, warning users of account suspension. The attack uses AI-generated images in the steganography process. The FileFix technique is more elegant and less suspicious than ClickFix, using File Explorer instead of the Run dialog. The FileFix attack offers a broader range of high-value targets due to its use of File Explorer. Security researcher Eliad Kimhy predicts an increase in FileFix attacks in the near future.

UNC6040 and UNC6395 Target Salesforce Platforms in Data Theft Campaigns

The FBI has issued an alert about two cybercriminal groups, UNC6040 and UNC6395, targeting Salesforce platforms for data theft and extortion. UNC6395 exploited compromised OAuth tokens for the Salesloft Drift application, while UNC6040 used vishing campaigns and modified Salesforce tools to breach Salesforce instances. Both groups have been active since at least October 2024, impacting multiple organizations. UNC6040 has been linked to extortion activities, with Google attributing these to a separate cluster, UNC6240, which has claimed to be the ShinyHunters group. The ShinyHunters group, along with Scattered Spider and LAPSUS$, recently announced they are going dark, but experts warn that the threat persists. UNC6040 impersonated corporate IT support personnel to gain access to Salesforce environments and used modified versions of Salesforce's Data Loader to exfiltrate data. Salesforce re-enabled integrations with Salesloft technologies, except for the Drift app, which remains disabled.

Increased browser targeting by threat actors

Threat actors are increasingly targeting web browsers as a primary attack vector. This shift is driven by the browser's central role in accessing sensitive data and cloud applications, making it an attractive target for credential theft and session hijacking. High-profile incidents, such as the Snowflake breach, underscore the need for enhanced browser security measures. The browser's role in accessing sensitive data and cloud applications makes it a prime target for attackers. The Snowflake breach, which exploited stolen credentials, highlights the risks associated with browser-based attacks. Experts emphasize the need for stronger browser security to mitigate these threats. Browser-based attacks include phishing for credentials and sessions, malicious copy & paste (ClickFix), malicious OAuth integrations, malicious browser extensions, malicious file delivery, and exploiting stolen credentials and MFA gaps. These attacks exploit the browser's role in accessing business applications and data, making it crucial for security teams to focus on browser security.

Supply Chain Attack on npm Packages with Billions of Weekly Downloads

A supply chain attack compromised multiple npm packages with over 2.6 billion weekly downloads. Attackers injected malicious code into these packages after hijacking a maintainer's account via phishing. The malware targets web-based cryptocurrency transactions, redirecting them to attacker-controlled wallets. The attack was detected and mitigated by the NPM team, who removed the malicious versions within two hours. The phishing campaign targeted multiple maintainers, using a fake domain to trick them into updating their 2FA credentials. The malicious code operates by hooking into JavaScript functions and wallet APIs, intercepting and altering cryptocurrency transactions. The attack impacts users who installed the compromised packages during a specific time window and have vulnerable dependencies. The attack targeted Josh Junon, also known as Qix, who received a phishing email mimicking npm. The phishing email prompted the maintainer to enter their username, password, and 2FA token, which were stolen via an adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attack. The attack affected 20 packages, including ansi-regex, chalk, debug, and others, with over 2 billion weekly downloads. The malware intercepts cryptocurrency transaction requests by computing the Levenshtein distance to swap the destination wallet address. The payload hooks into window.fetch, XMLHttpRequest, and window.ethereum.request, along with other wallet provider APIs. The attack also compromised another maintainer, duckdb_admin, to distribute the same wallet-drainer malware. The affected packages from the second maintainer include @coveops/abi, @duckdb/duckdb-wasm, and prebid, among others. The attack impacted roughly 10% of all cloud environments. The attackers diverted five cents worth of ETH and $20 worth of a virtually unknown memecoin. The attacker’s wallet addresses holding significant amounts have been flagged, limiting their ability to convert or use the funds.