Russia Recognized as Major Cyber Power and Threat Actor
/ 4 min read
Quick take - The article discusses Russia’s capabilities as a military and cyber power, highlighting the historical context of state-sponsored cyber operations, particularly the Moonlight Maze incident, and detailing ongoing threats posed by the Turla group and its sophisticated malware, Snake, while also mentioning recent U.S. counterintelligence efforts to dismantle this network.
Fast Facts
- Russia is recognized as a significant military, nuclear, space, and cyber power, with a history of state-sponsored cyber operations dating back to the late 1990s, exemplified by the “Moonlight Maze” incident.
- The Moonlight Maze operation involved the theft of a vast volume of classified documents from U.S. entities, marking one of the first advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks and setting the stage for future cyber espionage.
- The Russian cyber group Turla, linked to the Federal Security Service (FSB), remains a prominent threat, with ongoing operations and a sophisticated malware network known as Snake, which has been targeted by U.S. counterintelligence efforts.
- The FBI’s tool PERSEUS has been authorized to disable Snake on compromised systems, although Turla continues to pose a significant risk with its stealthy tactics, including masquerading as legitimate Windows processes.
- Resources for threat hunting against Turla’s activities, including a free hunting package and guides, are available to help identify and investigate suspicious behavior related to the Snake malware.
Russia’s Cyber Power and Operations
Overview of Russian Cyber Capabilities
In recent developments, Russia has been acknowledged as a formidable military, nuclear, space, and cyber power. The country has a long-standing history of state-sponsored cyber operations, with Russian state hackers being active since the late 1990s. One of the notable incidents is the “Moonlight Maze” operation, which involved the theft of classified documents from U.S. universities and government agencies. The volume of stolen documents during this period was substantial, metaphorically described as exceeding the height of the Washington Monument, which is 555 feet or 169 meters. Moonlight Maze is recognized as one of the first advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks, laying the groundwork for future cyber espionage activities.
Turla and the MEDUSA Operation
Russian intelligence and security agencies continue to operate highly skilled offensive cyber groups, with Turla standing out as one of the most effective and longstanding cyber entities. Turla is affiliated with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and has been linked to the Moonlight Maze incidents, remaining a significant player in contemporary cyber operations.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated a counterintelligence operation named MEDUSA, specifically targeting Turla’s malware network known as Snake. The investigation into Snake and related malware has spanned nearly two decades, during which the FSB utilized Snake from a facility in Ryazan, Russia, to pilfer military documents and compromise various targets. Snake is described as highly sophisticated, capable of operating across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) has characterized Snake as possessing a “rare level of stealth.”
Ongoing Threats and Mitigation Efforts
Operating as its own botnet, Snake routes stolen data through infected machines to avoid detection. The FBI has developed a tool named PERSEUS to communicate with these infected machines, enabling the agency to dismantle Snake’s network. A recent federal judge’s authorization allowed the FBI to issue commands to disable Snake on compromised computers, marking a significant operational achievement. However, despite the dismantling of Snake, Turla remains an active threat group.
In May 2023, intelligence partners from the Five Eyes alliance released an advisory detailing Turla’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) related to the Snake implant. Upon infection, Snake creates a service named “WerFaultSvc,” used to decrypt its components and load them into memory. This service name is a deliberate tactic to mimic a legitimate Windows executable, evading detection. The behavior of Snake aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework’s sub-technique of masquerading, specifically T1036.005: “Match Legitimate Name or Location.”
Notably, Snake’s version of “WerFault.exe” is executed from the %windows%\WinSxS\ directory, diverging from the typical location of legitimate binaries. Analysts can identify potential malicious activity by monitoring for native Windows executables that are moved or copied from their original directories. A threat hunting package titled “Copying Files from Native Windows Directory for Masquerading” is available for free in the Community Edition of HUNTER471, compatible with various endpoint detection and response (EDR) and logging systems. The query logic in this hunt package aims to filter out legitimate Windows binaries and alerts on suspicious activity, warranting further investigation into the parent process executing suspicious commands. Additional resources and guides for threat hunting related to Turla are also available, including video content and registration for HUNTER471’s Community Edition.
Original Source: Read the Full Article Here
