Iranian Cybercriminals Target Aerospace Workers via LinkedIn

A phishing campaign, active since last September, is targeting users on LinkedIn and other platforms by impersonating job recruiters in the aerospace industry.

ClearSky attributed the campaign to Iranian-linked threat actor TA455, which uses a spear-phishing approach to target and lure individuals. Once connected with its victims, the threat actors encourage them to download a zip file called "SIgnedConnection.zip."

Along with this, the threat actors also provide a PDF guide to their victims to instruct them on how to safely download and open the zip files.

The zip file contains an executable file that loads the malware onto the victim's device through DLL side-loading. A DLL file called "secure32[.]dll" is loaded onto their system, allowing the attacker access to run an undetected code.

Once this is done, the malware initiates an infection chain, which ultimately deploys Snail Resin malware, opening a backdoor titled "SlugResin." This malware and backdoor are both attributed to Charming Kitten, another Iranian threat actor, according to researchers at ClearSky.

The group uses several methods to evade detection, including encoding command-and-control (C2) communications on GitHub to make it more difficult for traditional detection tools to recognize that it's a threat, and it mimics tactics associated with Lazarus Group, causing complications in attribution.

Like past campaigns, TA455 is targeting aerospace professionals, so individuals in this field on platforms such as LinkedIn should be wary of messages and connections they receive from unknown sources.

Don't miss the upcoming free Dark Reading Virtual Event, "Know Your Enemy: Understanding Cybercriminals and Nation-State Threat Actors," Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. ET. Don't miss sessions on understanding MITRE ATT&CK, using proactive security as a weapon, and a masterclass in incident response; and a host of top speakers like Larry Larsen from the Navy Credit Federal Union, former Kaspersky Lab analyst Costin Raiu, Ben Read of Mandiant Intelligence, Rob Lee from SANS, and Elvia Finalle from Omdia. Register now!