Novel Cactus ransomware leverages VPN flaws for network compromise

North Korean state-sponsored hacking operation Kimsuky, also known as Velvet Chollima and Thallium, has launched a global cyberespionage campaign with the updated reconnaissance malware dubbed "ReconShark," BleepingComputer reports. Spear-phishing emails with a link to a malicious document on Microsoft OneDrive have been used by Kimsuky to facilitate infections with ReconShark, which is an evolved version of the BabyShark malware previously used by Kimsuky, according to a Sentinel Labs report. Windows Management Instrumentation is exploited by ReconShark to facilitate the collection of system information, as well as the checking of running security software on the targeted machine before proceeding with direct data exfiltration. "The ability of ReconShark to exfiltrate valuable information, such as deployed detection mechanisms and hardware information, indicates that ReconShark is part of a Kimsuky-orchestrated reconnaissance operation that enables subsequent precision attacks, possibly involving malware specifically tailored to evade defenses and exploit platform weaknesses," said the report, which also noted ReconShark's ability to retrieve additional payloads.