Cozy Bear’s Grapeloader: A Toast to Cyber Espionage and Malware Misadventures! 🍷💻

Hot Take:

Forget wine and dine, how about whine and spy? Cozy Bear’s latest digital shenanigans make a strong case for declining all invitations, especially if they involve free alcohol. Looks like the only thing getting toasted here is the cybersecurity of European diplomats!

Key Points:

• Cozy Bear, also known as APT 29, is targeting European diplomats with fake wine tasting invitations.
• The malware used in this campaign is called Grapeloader, which is part of a two-step attack that eventually introduces Wineloader.
• Fake invitations are designed to resemble official communications from a European country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The attack uses PowerPoint exploitation and DLL side-loading to deploy malware.
• Cozy Bear’s previous exploits include the 2020 SolarWinds hack and targeting COVID-19 vaccine data.

Wine and Dine, But Make It Malware

Once again, Russia’s Cozy Bear is proving that the pen—or in this case, the phish—is mightier than the sword. This time around, they’re swapping out dinner for a wine tasting, attempting to intoxicate European diplomats with malware instead of merlot. The cyber-spies are back with their tried-and-true tactic of using fake event invitations to sneak malware into inboxes. It’s the digital equivalent of showing up to a fancy gala only to find out it’s a pyramid scheme with a side of espionage.

Grapeloader: The Malware with a Sommelier’s Touch

Check Point researchers have identified the attack as using Grapeloader, a new malware variation with a name that sounds more like a fine wine than a cybersecurity threat. This digital sommelier leverages DLL side-loading through a PowerPoint executable, hiding its nefarious intentions under layers of junk code and obfuscation. Grapeloader is just the appetizer; the main course is Wineloader, a 64-bit trojan that harvests data with the efficiency of a seasoned grape picker, sending it back to the Cozy Bear command-and-control server for a taste test.

Invitation Only: RSVP to Your Own Risk

The invitations are cleverly disguised to mimic messages from a European country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With subject lines like “Wine tasting event (update date)” and “For Ambassador’s Calendar,” it’s no surprise that diplomats across Europe are tempted to click. However, unlike a sommelier selecting a fine vintage, this click leads to a download from a highly protected server that should be avoided more diligently than a corked bottle of chardonnay.

Cozy Bear’s Greatest Hits: Back in the USSR (Cyber Edition)

Cozy Bear is no stranger to the cyber-espionage stage. Known for their role in the infamous 2020 SolarWinds hack, these digital provocateurs have been pilfering secrets and causing chaos for years. Their resume includes meddling in the 2016 US elections and even targeting COVID-19 vaccine data. With a repertoire that would make any James Bond villain green with envy, Cozy Bear continues to innovate their cyber mischief, proving that old bears can learn new tricks—especially when those tricks involve exploiting diplomatic curiosities.

Wine Not? The Cozy Conclusion

In the world of cybersecurity, nothing says “gotcha” like a fraudulent invitation to a posh event. Cozy Bear’s latest escapade is a reminder that even the most seemingly innocuous emails can harbor sinister intentions. So, next time you receive an invitation to a fancy wine tasting or dinner party, remember: it might be less about the bouquet of the wine and more about the bouquet of malicious code waiting to pounce. Cheers to staying cyber-safe, one suspicious invite at a time!