info@thehackernews.com (The@The Hacker News
//
A new cybersecurity threat, dubbed Hazy Hawk, has emerged, exploiting misconfigured DNS records to hijack abandoned cloud resources. Since at least December 2023, the threat actor has been using DNS CNAME hijacking to seize control of abandoned cloud endpoints belonging to reputable organizations, including Amazon S3 buckets and Microsoft Azure endpoints. By registering new cloud resources with the same names as the abandoned ones, Hazy Hawk redirects traffic to malicious sites, incorporating these hijacked domains into large-scale scam delivery and traffic distribution systems (TDS). This allows them to distribute scams, fake applications, and malware to unsuspecting users, leveraging the trust associated with the original domains.
Infoblox researchers first detected Hazy Hawk's activities in February 2025, when the group successfully took control of subdomains belonging to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Further investigation revealed that global government agencies, major universities, and international corporations such as Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers have also been targeted. Hazy Hawk scans for domains with CNAME records pointing to abandoned cloud endpoints, determining this through passive DNS data validation. They then register a new cloud resource with the same name, causing the original domain's subdomain to resolve to the attacker's controlled resource.
The attack chains often involve cloning legitimate websites to appear trustworthy, and URL obfuscation techniques are employed to hide malicious destinations. Hazy Hawk uses hijacked domains to host malicious URLs that redirect users to scams and malware. What makes Hazy Hawk's operations particularly concerning is the use of trusted domains to serve malicious content, enabling them to bypass detection and exploit the reputation of high-profile entities. Cybersecurity experts advise organizations to diligently monitor and manage their DNS records, ensuring that CNAME records pointing to abandoned cloud resources are removed to prevent unauthorized domain hijacking.
Recommended read:
References :
- BleepingComputer: Threat actors have been using DNS CNAME hijacking to hijack abandoned cloud endpoints of domains belonging to trusted organizations and incorporate them in large-scale scam delivery and traffic distribution systems (TDSes).
- BleepingComputer: Hazy Hawk gang exploits DNS misconfigs to hijack trusted domains
- The Hacker News: Hazy Hawk Exploits DNS Records to Hijack CDC, Corporate Domains for Malware Delivery
- hackread.com: Infoblox reveals Hazy Hawk, a new threat exploiting abandoned cloud resources (S3, Azure) and DNS gaps since Dec…
- The DefendOps Diaries: Explore Hazy Hawk's DNS hijacking tactics and learn how to protect your domains from this emerging cybersecurity threat.
- bsky.app: A threat actor named 'Hazy Hawk' has been using DNS CNAME hijacking to hijack abandoned cloud endpoints of domains belonging to trusted organizations and incorporate them in large-scale scam delivery and traffic distribution systems (TDS).
- www.bleepingcomputer.com: Hazy Hawk has been observed hijacking abandoned cloud resources.
- Virus Bulletin: Researchers Jacques Portal & Renée Burton look into Hazy Hawk, a threat actor that hijacks abandoned cloud resources of high-profile organizations.
- blogs.infoblox.com: Hazy Hawk is a threat actor that hijacks abandoned cloud resources of high-profile organizations.
- www.scworld.com: Misconfigured DNS, neglected cloud assets harnessed in Hazy Hawk domain hijacking attacks
- Infoblox Blog: Cloudy with a Chance of Hijacking Forgotten DNS Records Enable Scam Actor
- DomainTools: Report on the threat actor's tactics and techniques, including targeting abandoned cloud resources.
- Security Risk Advisors: Hazy Hawk Actor Hijacks Abandoned Cloud DNS Records of High-Profile Organizations for Scam Distribution
- cyble.com: Cyble reports on Hazy Hawk campaign hijacks abandoned cloud DNS records from CDC, Berkeley, & 100+ major orgs to distribute scams.
- BleepingComputer: Hazy Hawk exploits abandoned cloud resources from high-profile organizations to distribute scams and malware through traffic distribution systems (TDSes).
Bill Mann@CyberInsider
//
CISA, along with the NSA, FBI, and international cybersecurity partners, has issued a joint advisory regarding the increasing use of the "fast flux" technique by cybercriminals and nation-state actors. This DNS evasion method allows attackers to rapidly change the DNS records associated with their malicious servers, making it difficult to track and block their activities. This tactic is used to obfuscate the location of malicious servers, enabling them to create resilient and highly available command and control infrastructures while concealing malicious operations.
Fast flux, characterized by quickly changing IP addresses linked to a single domain, exploits weaknesses in network defenses. The advisory, titled 'Fast Flux: A National Security Threat,' urges organizations, internet service providers (ISPs), and security firms to strengthen their defenses against these attacks. Service providers, especially Protective DNS providers (PDNS), are urged to track, share information, and block fast flux activity to safeguard critical infrastructure and national security.
Recommended read:
References :
- CyberInsider: CISA Warns of ‘Fast Flux’ Technique Hackers Use for Evasion
- The Register - Security: For flux sake: CISA, annexable allies warn of hot DNS threat
- Industrial Cyber: Advisory warns of fast flux national security threat, urges action to protect critical infrastructure
- Cyber Security News: Hackers Leveraging Fast Flux Technique to Evade Detection & Hide Malicious Servers
- BleepingComputer: CISA, the FBI, the NSA, and international cybersecurity agencies are calling on organizations and DNS providers to mitigate the "Fast Flux" cybercrime evasion technique used by state-sponsored threat actors and ransomware gangs.
- BleepingComputer: CISA warns of Fast Flux DNS evasion used by cybercrime gangs
- The DefendOps Diaries: Understanding and Combating Fast Flux in Cybersecurity
- bsky.app: CISA, the FBI, the NSA, and international cybersecurity agencies are calling on organizations and DNS providers to mitigate the "Fast Flux" cybercrime evasion technique used by state-sponsored threat actors and ransomware gangs.
- www.csoonline.com: Cybersecurity agencies urge organizations to collaborate to stop fast flux DNS attacks
- hackread.com: NSA and Global Allies Declare Fast Flux a National Security Threat
- : National Security Agencies Warn of Fast Flux Threat Bypassing Network Defenses
- www.itpro.com: Cybersecurity agencies have issued a stark message that too little is being done to sniff out malware hiding in corporate networks
- Infoblox Blog: Disrupting Fast Flux with Predictive Intelligence
- www.cybersecuritydive.com: Cybersecurity Dive on CISA FBI warn
- Threats | CyberScoop: International intelligence agencies raise the alarm on fast flux
- Infoblox Blog: Disrupting Fast Flux and Much More with Protective DNS
- blogs.infoblox.com: Disrupting Fast Flux and Much More with Protective DNS
- The Hacker News: Cybersecurity agencies from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States have published a joint advisory about the risks associated with a technique called fast flux that has been adopted by threat actors to obscure a command-and-control (C2) channel.
- thecyberexpress.com: The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), alongside the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and international cybersecurity partners, has issued an urgent advisory titled “Fast Flux: A National Security Threat.†The advisory highlights the growing use of fast flux techniques by cybercriminals and potentially nation-state actors to evade detection and establish highly resilient and stealthy infrastructure for malicious activities.
- Blog: Five Eyes warn threat actors increasing use of ‘fast flux’ technique
Fogerlog@Phishing Tackle
//
A new sophisticated Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform, dubbed "Morphing Meerkat," is exploiting DNS MX records to dynamically deliver tailored phishing pages, targeting over 100 brands. This operation enables both technical and non-technical cybercriminals to launch targeted attacks, bypassing security systems through the exploitation of open redirects on adtech servers and compromised WordPress websites. The platform's primary attack vector involves mass spam delivery and dynamic content tailoring, evading traditional security measures.
Researchers have discovered that Morphing Meerkat queries DNS MX records using Cloudflare DoH or Google Public DNS to customize fake login pages based on the victim's email service provider. This technique allows the platform to map these records to corresponding phishing HTML files, featuring over 114 unique brand designs. This personalized phishing experience significantly increases the likelihood of successful credential theft. The phishing kit also uses code obfuscation and anti-analysis measures to hinder detection, supporting over a dozen languages to target users globally.
Recommended read:
References :
- The Hacker News: Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform that leverages the Domain Name System (DNS) mail exchange (MX) records to serve fake login pages that impersonate about 114 brands.
- : Morphing Meerkat PhaaS Platform Spoofs 100+ Brands
- www.scworld.com: More than 100 brands' login pages have been spoofed by the newly emergent Morphing Meerkat phishing-as-a-service platform through the exploitation of Domain Name System mail exchange records, The Hacker News reports.
- Cyber Security News: Hackers Use DNS MX Records to Generate Fake Login Pages for Over 100+ Brands
- The DefendOps Diaries: Morphing Meerkat: A Sophisticated Phishing-as-a-Service Threat
- www.techradar.com: This new phishing campaign can tailor its messages to target you with your favorite businesses
- Christoffer S.: Morphing Meerkat: Advanced Phishing-as-a-Service Platform Using DNS MX Records for Tailored Attacks
- hackread.com: Details advanced phishing operation exploiting DNS vulnerabilities.
- Infoblox Blog: Threat actors are increasingly adept at leveraging DNS to enhance the effectiveness of their cyber campaigns. We recently discovered a DNS technique used to tailor content to victims.
- www.scworld.com: 'Morphing Meerkat' spoofs 114 brands via DNS mail exchange records
- Cyber Security News: A sophisticated phishing operation has emerged that creatively leverages DNS mail exchange (MX) records to dynamically serve fake login pages tailored to victims' email providers.
- gbhackers.com: The platform, which has been operational since at least January 2020, employs a range of advanced techniques to evade detection and target users globally.
- securityaffairs.com: A PhaaS platform, dubbed 'Morphing Meerkat,' uses DNS MX records to spoof over 100 brands and steal credentials, according to Infoblox Threat Intel
- www.scworld.com: 'Morphing Meerkat' spoofs 114 brands via DNS mail exchange records
- Blog: Cybersecurity researchers are tracking a new phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform, called Morphing Meerkat, that employs DNS over HTTPS (DoH) to avoid detection.
- : Phishing kits going to great lengths to personalise attacks
- Malwarebytes: Infoblox researchers discovered a new phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform, called Morphing Meerkat, that generates multiple phishing kits and spoofs login pages of over 100 brands using DNS mail exchange (MX) records.
- securityaffairs.com: Morphing Meerkat phishing kits exploit DNS MX records
- bsky.app: A newly discovered phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) operation that researchers call Morphing Meerkat, has been using the DNS over HTTPS (DoH) protocol to evade detection.
- Talkback Resources: Morphing Meerkat phishing kits exploit DNS MX records
- Security Risk Advisors: 🚩Morphing Meerkat’s Phishing-as-a-Service Leverages DNS MX Records for Targeted Attacks
- Talkback Resources: New Morphing Meerkat PhaaS platform examined
- Virus Bulletin: An Infoblox report looks into a DNS technique used to tailor content to victims. A phishing kit developed by the Morphing Meerkat actor creatively employs DNS mail exchange (MX) records to dynamically serve fake, tailored login pages, spoofing over 100 brands.
- Phishing Tackle: Phishing-as-a-Service Exposed: DNS-over-HTTPS Fuels the Morphing Meerkat Attack
- Virus Bulletin: An Infoblox report looks into a DNS technique used to tailor content to victims. A phishing kit developed by the Morphing Meerkat actor creatively employs DNS mail exchange (MX) records to dynamically serve fake, tailored login pages, spoofing over 100 brands.
info@thehackernews.com (The@The Hacker News
//
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a large-scale phishing campaign distributing the Lumma Stealer malware. Attackers are using fake CAPTCHA images embedded in PDF documents hosted on Webflow's content delivery network (CDN) to redirect victims to malicious websites. These malicious actors are employing SEO tactics to trick users into downloading the PDFs through search engine results, ultimately leading to the deployment of the information-stealing malware. The Lumma stealer is designed to steal sensitive information stored in browsers and cryptocurrency wallets.
Netskope Threat Labs identified 260 unique domains hosting 5,000 phishing PDF files, affecting over 1,150 organizations and 7,000 users. The attacks primarily target users in North America, Asia, and Southern Europe, impacting the technology, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. Besides Webflow, attackers are also utilizing GoDaddy, Strikingly, Wix, and Fastly to host the fake PDFs. Some PDF files were uploaded to legitimate online libraries like PDFCOFFEE and Internet Archive to further propagate the malware.
Recommended read:
References :
- Infoblox Blog: DNS Early Detection – Fast Propagating Fake Captcha distributes LummaStealer
- Talkback Resources: Fake CAPTCHA PDFs Spread Lumma Stealer via Webflow, GoDaddy, and Other Domains
- The Hacker News: Fake CAPTCHA PDFs Spread Lumma Stealer via Webflow, GoDaddy, and Other Domains
- gbhackers.com: Netskope Threat Labs uncovered a sprawling phishing operation involving 260 domains hosting approximately 5,000 malicious PDF files.
- Talkback Resources: Sticky Werewolf Uses Undocumented Implant to Deploy Lumma Stealer in Russia and Belarus [mal]
- gbhackers.com: Beware! Fake CAPTCHA Hidden LummaStealer Threat Installing Silently
- Cyber Security News: Beware! Fake CAPTCHA Scam That Silently Installs LummaStealer
- gbhackers.com: Lumma Stealer Using Fake Google Meet & Windows Update Sites to Launch “Click Fix� Style Attack
|
|
FlagThis - #infoblox