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HttpTroy Backdoor Deployed in Targeted South Korean Cyberattack

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3 unique sources, 5 articles

Summary

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The North Korea-linked threat actor Kimsuky has been linked to a new campaign distributing a new variant of Android malware called DocSwap via QR codes hosted on phishing sites mimicking Seoul-based logistics firm CJ Logistics. The attack involved a ZIP file containing a Microsoft Windows screensaver (.scr) file, which displayed a PDF invoice written in Korean and loaded the attack chain until the backdoor program was running. The article also highlights the advanced obfuscation techniques used by HttpTroy to evade detection and the broader campaign by North Korean state-sponsored groups targeting various sectors. The attack is part of a broader campaign by North Korean state-sponsored groups targeting governments in the Asia-Pacific region, especially South Korea, as well as targets in the United States and Europe. Kimsuky has previously used password-protected ZIP files and AI-generated deepfake photos in their attacks. The groups use legitimate services and Windows processes to dodge security tools and different encryption methods for each step in a multistage infection chain. They also use techniques such as memory-resident execution and dynamic API resolution to help the malicious code avoid detection. Additionally, Kimsuky is targeting organizations involved in North Korea-related policy, research, and analysis, including non-governmental organizations, think tanks, academic institutions, strategic advisory firms, and government entities in the U.S. The group is using QR codes in phishing campaigns, a technique known as 'quishing,' to redirect victims to malicious locations disguised as questionnaires, secure drives, or fake login pages. The FBI has warned about Kimsuky's use of malicious QR codes in spear-phishing campaigns targeting entities in the U.S., highlighting the group's history of subverting email authentication protocols and exploiting improperly configured DMARC record policies.

Timeline

  1. 18.12.2025 09:43 3 articles · 22d ago

    Kimsuky Distributes DocSwap Android Malware via QR Phishing

    Kimsuky is targeting organizations involved in North Korea-related policy, research, and analysis, including non-governmental organizations, think tanks, academic institutions, strategic advisory firms, and government entities in the U.S. The group is using QR codes in phishing campaigns, a technique known as 'quishing,' to redirect victims to malicious locations disguised as questionnaires, secure drives, or fake login pages. Kimsuky actors have pretended to be foreign investors, embassy employees, think tank members, and conference organizers to trick victims. In June 2025, Kimsuky sent a spearphishing email inviting recipients to a non-existent conference. Quishing operations frequently end with session token theft and replay, enabling attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication and hijack cloud identities without triggering the typical 'MFA failed' alerts. Quishing attacks are described as an 'MFA-resilient identity intrusion vector' because they originate from unmanaged mobile devices outside standard Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and network monitoring. The FBI has warned about Kimsuky's use of malicious QR codes in spear-phishing campaigns targeting entities in the U.S., highlighting the group's history of subverting email authentication protocols and exploiting improperly configured DMARC record policies.

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  2. 03.11.2025 12:42 3 articles · 2mo ago

    HttpTroy Backdoor Deployed in Targeted South Korean Cyberattack

    The attack involved a ZIP file containing a Microsoft Windows screensaver (.scr) file, which displayed a PDF invoice written in Korean and loaded the attack chain until the backdoor program was running. The article also highlights the advanced obfuscation techniques used by HttpTroy to evade detection and the broader campaign by North Korean state-sponsored groups targeting various sectors. The attack is part of a broader campaign by North Korean state-sponsored groups targeting governments in the Asia-Pacific region, especially South Korea, as well as targets in the United States and Europe. Kimsuky has previously used password-protected ZIP files and AI-generated deepfake photos in their attacks. The groups use legitimate services and Windows processes to dodge security tools and different encryption methods for each step in a multistage infection chain. They also use techniques such as memory-resident execution and dynamic API resolution to help the malicious code avoid detection.

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Information Snippets

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