Researchers Detailed Credential Abuse Cycle

Cybercriminals exploit leaked credentials, obtained through various means, to compromise systems and data, enabling them to gain unauthorized access. This can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and financial loss across diverse industries and geographic locations.

Compromised credentials pose a significant security risk primarily due to data breaches and user negligence. In Q3 2024, they accounted for 75% of DRP alerts, highlighting the urgency of understanding and mitigating these threats. 

Infostealers, like LummaC2, RedLine, and Raccoon, silently infiltrate systems to steal sensitive data using techniques like keylogging, form grabbing, and session hijacking, which pose significant risks to businesses worldwide, as stolen credentials often end up on cybercriminal marketplaces before detection.

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RedLine infostealer activity halted after a law enforcement takedown in late October 2024.

However, a resurgence is expected shortly. To mitigate risks, users should avoid browser-stored passwords and employ password managers, while security teams should monitor outbound network traffic for C2 communication. 

Humans inadvertently expose sensitive data through misconfigurations, accidental sharing, or uploading to public repositories, leading to data breaches that can be just as harmful as malicious attacks.

An unintentional VirusTotal upload exposed confidential customer data, potentially compromising additional sensitive information. This highlights the risks of third-party tool usage and the need for robust data handling practices, even within legitimate platforms.

Telegram’s user-friendly interface and lenient moderation policies make it a popular platform for cybercriminals to easily buy, sell, and share stolen credentials, expanding the reach of potential attackers.

Despite recent efforts to remove illegal content, it remains a popular platform for cybercriminals. Credential leak services continue to thrive on the platform, facilitated by third-party services and active promotion on cybercriminal forums. 

A recent analysis by ReliaQuest demonstrates Telegram’s continued use by cybercriminals, despite Durov’s arrest, where threat actors remain undeterred, utilizing the platform to share contact details and conduct illicit activities.

Telegram’s dynamic nature, characterized by rapid credential sharing and channel turnover, hinders effective tracking and mitigation of stolen credentials exposure, posing significant business challenges.

Cybercriminal forums like XSS, Exploit, BreachForums, AggressorDB, and UFOLABS offer free and paid breached email-password combinations from various hacks. These combinations are repeatedly listed and reused, posing a persistent threat to online security.

Russian Market, a specialized cybercrime marketplace, sells compromised credentials with detailed information about their origin. It offers a professional, streamlined purchasing process and a reliable supply of fresh data, making it a popular choice for threat actors.

Stolen credentials enable threat actors to compromise networks through valid account abuse and credential stuffing, which can lead to data exfiltration, extortion, and other malicious activities. Campaigns like UNC5537, which targeted Snowflake instances, demonstrate this.

Threat actors abuse stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access, blend in with expected user behavior, and execute malicious activities like data theft and ransomware deployment, evading detection and increasing dwell time.

Credential stuffing attacks exploit password reuse and data leaks to compromise accounts. Attackers use automated tools to test stolen credentials on various platforms, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information and internal systems.

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