APT37 targets Journalists & Security Researchers
2021-12-04 • 0xthreatintel •
APT37 is reported targeting journalists and security researchers with malicious Hangul Word Processor documents themed around COVID-19 vaccine disinformation and Upbit policy changes. The analyzed HWP lures contain embedded files, shellcode, PE files, and base64-encoded PowerShell that spawn command interpreters and use HTTP POST requests for command-and-control. The PowerShell downloads additional plugins into the APPDATA folder from C2 paths including ljs5950[.]cafe24[.]com/bbs/samsung/do[.]php and kjdnc[.]gp114[.]net/data/log/do[.]php. The activity maps to spearphishing attachments, PowerShell and Windows command execution, registry and system discovery, persistence via Run keys or startup folders, and web-protocol C2, making it relevant for tracking DPRK-linked targeting of researchers and media.
Indicators of Compromise
| Type | Value | First Seen | Last Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| HASH | b0ca169c6a64336e48fe8d5c0e83762… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 304d569374625857323cae7ce6a1a4b… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 81ee247eb8d9116893e5742d12b2d8c… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 9d6fa64e0c0f3ec7442cb72bfaa016c… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | c69f4052c34efc8b0b51892c53488c0… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | dbbecbafd905f0b4a2c8194cba3c879… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 8879de48468dd650152cb3aa150349d… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 40359e0e92a99b428778ac4e9d70fbc… | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| DOMAIN | ljs5950.cafe24.com | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 23.32.238.240 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 40.126.31.137 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 104.89.38.104 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 104.111.242.51 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 23.48.202.145 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 20.190.154.19 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 222.122.86.177 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 8.248.143.254 | 2021-12-04 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | f17502d3e12615b0fa8868472a4eabfb | 2021-11-29 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 72e5b8ea33aeb083631d1e8b302e76af | 2021-11-29 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | 5a7ef48fe0e8ae65733db64ddb7f2478 | 2021-11-29 | 2021-12-04 |
| HASH | c155f49f0a9042d6df68fb593968e110 | 2021-11-29 | 2021-12-04 |
| DOMAIN | kjdnc.gp114.net | 2020-07-14 | 2021-12-04 |
| IPv4 | 211.115.92.200 | 2020-07-14 | 2021-12-04 |