Monday, November 4, 2024
Homecyber securityAMBERSQUID: Novel Cryptojacking Attack Leverages AWS Services

AMBERSQUID: Novel Cryptojacking Attack Leverages AWS Services

Published on

Malware protection

Cryptojacking is a malicious cyberattack in which an attacker stealthily utilizes a victim’s computer or device to mine cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Monero without the victim’s knowledge or agreement.

This usually entails infecting the victim’s PC with malware that mines using the victim’s processing power and resources. 

Security experts at the Sysdig Threat Research Team (TRT) recently uncovered a novel cloud-native cryptojacking attack dubbed “AMBERSQUID” that leverages AWS services.

- Advertisement - SIEM as a Service

Novel Cryptojacking Attack

Overlooked services in AMBERSQUID operation can cost victims over $10,000/day. AMBERSQUID exploits the cloud services without AWS resource approval, complicating the incident response by targeting multiple services.

AMBERSQUID was found by analyzing 1.7M Linux Docker images, revealing hidden malicious payloads.

AMBERSQUID attack chain (Source – Sysdig)

The initial container on Docker Hub led to a broader investigation, uncovering accounts initially using basic cryptominer containers before transitioning to AWS-specific services in this analysis.

Here below, we have mentioned all the active Docker Hub accounts:-

  • https://hub.docker.com/u/delbidaluan
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/tegarhuta
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/rizal91
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/krisyantii20
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/avriliahasanah
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/buenosjiji662
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/buenosjiji
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/dellaagustin582
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/jotishoop
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/krisyantii20
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/nainasachie
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/rahmadabdu0
  • https://hub.docker.com/u/robinrobby754

Deep exploration of delbidaluan/epicx reveals an attacker’s GitHub account housing Amplify app source code and mining scripts, employing multiple code versions for evasion.

The delbidaluan/epic container uses entrypoint.sh as ENTRYPOINT, with various images executing distinct scripts in the same format.

The initial script, amplify-role.sh, establishes the ‘AWSCodeCommit-Role,’ a role the attacker uses to grant permissions to AWS Amplify and other services.

Document
FREE Webinar

Live DDoS Attack Simulation

Attend the Live DDoS Website & API Attack Simulation webinar to gain knowledge on various types of attacks and how to prevent them.

AWS Services Exploited

Here below, we have mentioned all the AWS services that are exploited:-

  • AWS Amplify
  • Amazon ECS
  • AWS CodeBuild
  • AWS CloudFormation
  • Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling
  • Amazon SageMaker

Wallets Used

Here below, we have mentioned all the wallets used:-

  • Zephyr
  • Tidecoin
  • Verus
  • Monero
  • QRL
  • Bamboo

Cost to the Victim

In the below chart, costs to the victim were mentioned:-

Cost to the victim (Source – Sysdig)

CSPs like AWS offer diverse services beyond EC2, often overlooked due to limited visibility, but they, too, grant access to computing resources.

Monitor all CSP services for misuse, employ higher-level usage logging if needed, and respond swiftly to detect and contain threats like AMBERSQUID. 

At the moment, this threat targeted the AWS only, but it also underscores risks for other CSPs.

Keep informed about the latest Cyber Security News by following us on Google NewsLinkedinTwitter, and Facebook.

Tushar Subhra
Tushar Subhra
Tushar is a Cyber security content editor with a passion for creating captivating and informative content. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news.

Latest articles

Threat Actors Allegedly Claiming Leak of Dell Partner Portal Data

A well-known dark web forum threat actor allegedly claimed responsibility for leaking data from...

Securing Your SaaS Application Security

The rapid growth of cloud computing has made SaaS applications indispensable across industries. While...

LightSpy iOS Malware Enhanced with 28 New Destructive Plugins

The LightSpy threat actor exploited publicly available vulnerabilities and jailbreak kits to compromise iOS...

ATPC Cyber Forum to Focus on Next Generation Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Issues

White House National Cyber Director, CEOs, Key Financial Services Companies, Congressional and Executive Branch...

Free Webinar

Protect Websites & APIs from Malware Attack

Malware targeting customer-facing websites and API applications poses significant risks, including compliance violations, defacements, and even blacklisting.

Join us for an insightful webinar featuring Vivek Gopalan, VP of Products at Indusface, as he shares effective strategies for safeguarding websites and APIs against malware.

Discussion points

Scan DOM, internal links, and JavaScript libraries for hidden malware.
Detect website defacements in real time.
Protect your brand by monitoring for potential blacklisting.
Prevent malware from infiltrating your server and cloud infrastructure.

More like this

Threat Actors Allegedly Claiming Leak of Dell Partner Portal Data

A well-known dark web forum threat actor allegedly claimed responsibility for leaking data from...

LightSpy iOS Malware Enhanced with 28 New Destructive Plugins

The LightSpy threat actor exploited publicly available vulnerabilities and jailbreak kits to compromise iOS...

New PySilon RAT Abusing Discord Platform to Maintain Persistence

Cybersecurity experts have identified a new Remote Access Trojan (RAT) named PySilon. This Trojan...