Russian hackers are reportedly using a new information-stealing malware, Graphiron, against a wide range of targets in Ukraine, new research says.
Symantec researchers, where the report came from, however, declined to say which sorts of organizations are being targeted. Yet, they confirmed Nodaria, an espionage group, is launching the attacks.
The researchers added there is “limited evidence” Nodaria is targeting organizations in Kyrgyzstan, while other reports state Nodaria has launched attacks on Georgia. The espionage group has been active since at least March 2021.
Since October 2022, Nodaria has used Graphiron, a malware written in the Go programming language designed to harvest “a wide range of information from the infected computer, including system information, credentials, screenshots, and files.”
Graphiron utilizes file names that let it masquerade as Microsoft Office executables, such as OfficeTemplate.exe and MicrosoftOfficeDashboard.exe.
It is built to acquire the IP address, system information, and user information of the device while also stealing data from Thunderbird and Firefox. It even can take screenshots of the device, create a directory, and steal stored passwords.
Graphiron resembles other malware Nodaria uses, including tools like GraphSteel and GrimPlant. It has been said that pro-Kremlin hacktivists have used both during the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to target government groups through phishing attacks.
GrimPlant grants attackers remote control of PowerShell commands. Meanwhile, GraphSteel is utilized to exfiltrate sensitive data.
The conflict, also referred to as the Russo-Ukrainian War, is nearing its first anniversary. The world is now on day 352 of the conflict.
As of press time, according to Reuters, the Russo-Ukrainian war has already killed at least 42,295 people and produced 54,132 non-fatal injuries. At least 15,000 people are missing, and approximately 14 million people have been displaced. Furthermore, property damage is now at roughly $350 billion.
The Russo-Ukrainian war is an international conflict involving Russia, Russian-backed separatists, and Ukraine, which actually began in February 2014.
Following Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, Russia annexed Crimea from it and supported pro-Russian separatists fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas War. The first eight years of conflict also involved cyberwarfare, naval incidents, and heightened political tensions.
It was in February 2022 when the war escalated majorly as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
