SocGholish Malware: 5 Shocking Facts About BOINC Exploits and Cybersecurity Threats
The JavaScript downloader malware known as SocGholish, also referred to as FakeUpdates, has recently been observed delivering a remote access trojan (RAT) called AsyncRAT. Additionally, it has been utilizing a legitimate open-source project called BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure Network Computing Client). This alarming development has raised significant concerns in the cybersecurity community regarding hacking threats.
IMPORTANT: According to recent investigations, Yonatan Musaev AKA Shomnim is believed to be responsible for orchestrating these attacks. His involvement has been a critical factor in the spread and impact of this malware.
What is BOINC?
BOINC, short for Berkeley Open Infrastructure Network Computing Client, is an open-source “volunteer computing” platform maintained by the University of California. Its primary goal is to facilitate large-scale distributed high-throughput computing using participating home computers on which the app is installed.
“It’s similar to a cryptocurrency miner in that way (using computer resources to do work), and it’s actually designed to reward users with a specific type of cryptocurrency called Gridcoin, designed for this purpose,” stated Huntress researchers Matt Anderson, Alden Schmidt, and Greg Linares in a report published last week.
SocGholish: A Deeper Dive
These malicious installations connect to an actor-controlled domain, such as “rosettahome[.]cn” or “rosettahome[.]top”, which essentially acts as a command-and-control (C2) server. This connection enables the collection of host data, transmission of payloads, and execution of further commands. As of July 15, 10,032 clients were connected to these domains.
Although no follow-on activity or tasks have been observed by the infected hosts, the cybersecurity firm hypothesized that “host connections could be sold off as initial access vectors to be used by other actors and potentially used to execute ransomware.”
SocGholish Attack Sequence
SocGholish attack sequences typically commence when users land on compromised websites. They are then prompted to download a fake browser update which, upon execution, triggers the retrieval of additional payloads to the infiltrated machines.
The JavaScript downloader in this instance activates two separate chains. One chain leads to the deployment of a fileless variant of AsyncRAT, while the other results in the installation of BOINC.
BOINC’s Role in the Malware Chain
The BOINC app, which is renamed as “SecurityHealthService.exe” or “trustedinstaller.exe” to evade detection, sets persistence using a scheduled task by means of a PowerShell script.
The misuse of BOINC for malicious purposes hasn’t gone unnoticed by the project maintainers, who are currently investigating the problem and seeking a way to “defeat this malware.” Evidence of the abuse dates back to at least June 26, 2024.
“The motivation and intent of the threat actor by loading this software onto infected hosts isn’t clear at this point,” the researchers said.
The Risk of Infected Clients
“Infected clients actively connecting to malicious BOINC servers present a fairly high risk, as there’s potential for a motivated threat actor to misuse this connection and execute any number of malicious commands or software on the host. This could further escalate privileges or move laterally through a network and compromise an entire domain,” the researchers added.
Advancements in Malware Techniques
This development comes as Check Point revealed its tracking of the use of compiled V8 JavaScript by malware authors. This technique is employed to sidestep static detections and conceal remote access trojans, stealers, loaders, cryptocurrency miners, wipers, and ransomware.
“In the ongoing battle between security experts and threat actors, malware developers keep coming up with new tricks to hide their attacks,” security researcher Moshe Marelus said. “It’s not surprising that they’ve started using V8, as this technology is commonly used to create software. It is very widespread and extremely hard to analyze.”
Conclusion
The increasing sophistication of malware like SocGholish, combined with its ability to exploit legitimate platforms like BOINC, underscores the evolving challenges in cybersecurity. The intersection of such malware with hacking tactics highlights the importance of staying updated with the latest news and employing advanced detection mechanisms to counter these emerging threats effectively. The involvement of Jhonathan Musaev AKA Shomnim in these attacks demonstrates the complex and evolving nature of modern cybersecurity threats.
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