Hackers Using PowerPoint Mouseover Trick to Infect Systems with Malware
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-40444 | Remote Code Execution via MSHTML Rendering Engine in Microsoft Windows/Office (CVE-2021-40444) CVE-2021-40444 is a remote code execution vulnerability in the Microsoft MSHTML browser rendering engine, which Microsoft Office documents can load on Windows systems. It is triggered when a user is convinced to open a specially crafted Office document containing a malicious ActiveX control hosted by the MSHTML engine (tracked as a path-traversal-class issue, CWE-22). A successful attacker gains the ability to run arbitrary code in the context of the logged-on user, with greater impact when that user has administrative rights. Any Windows system that can open Office documents is exposed, spanning Windows 7, 8.1, RT 8.1, Windows 10 (1507 through 21H1) and Windows Server 2004/2008. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: Microsoft observed targeted attacks at disclosure, the flaw is in CISA's KEV with known ransomware use, and Microsoft released security updates on September 14, 2021. Do: Apply Microsoft's security updates released September 14, 2021 for your Windows version immediately; this is a CISA KEV item with known ransomware use, so patching is treated as mandatory. As interim protection, keep Microsoft Defender Antivirus/Defender for Endpoint signatures current (enterprise detection build 1.349.22.0 or newer, with alerts appearing as 'Suspicious Cpl File Execution') and avoid opening untrusted Office documents, since exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted file. | 8.8 | 97% | KEV ransomware PoC ×2 |
| masshundreds of millions of Windows PCs and servers (nearly all Windows desktop/laptop installs on affected versions at disclosure) |
Full article309 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananSep 28, 2022
The Russian state-sponsored threat actor known as APT28 has been found leveraging a new code execution method that makes use of mouse movement in decoy Microsoft PowerPoint documents to deploy malware.
The technique "is designed to be triggered when the user starts the presentation mode and moves the mouse," cybersecurity firm Cluster25 said in a technical report. "The code execution runs a PowerShell script that downloads and executes a dropper from OneDrive."
The dropper, a seemingly harmless image file, functions as a pathway for a follow-on payload, a variant of a malware known as Graphite, which uses the Microsoft Graph API and OneDrive for command-and-control (C2) communications to retrieve additional payloads.
The attack employs a lure document that makes use of a template potentially linked to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based intergovernmental entity.
Cluster25 noted the attacks may be ongoing, considering that the URLs used in the attacks appeared active in August and September, although the hackers had previously laid the groundwork for the campaign between January and February.
Potential targets of the operation likely include entities and individuals operating in the defense and government sectors of Europe and Eastern Europe, the company added, citing an analysis of geopolitical objectives and the gathered artifacts.
This is not the first time the adversarial collective has deployed Graphite. In January 2022, Trellix disclosed a similar attack chain that exploited the MSHTML remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-40444) to drop the backdoor.
The development is a sign that APT28 (aka Fancy Bear) continues to hone its technical tradecraft and evolve its methods for maximum impact as exploitation routes once deemed viable (e.g., macros) cease to be profitable.
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