BlackShadow
Since Dec 18, 2021, BlackShadow has listed 3 organizations on its leak site.
Listings per month
- Total listings
- 3
- First listing
- Dec 18, 2021
- Latest listing
- Dec 18, 2021
- MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 26
BlackShadow is an Iranian-linked hack-and-leak group (linked to the Agrius APT) that targeted Israeli companies including insurance firm Shirbit and hosting provider Cyberserve, leaking medical records of 290,000 patients, using extortion as a tool of geopolitical disruption rather than purely for financial gain.
It posted no listings in the last 12 months.
The group's reported origin is Iran.
The group is associated with 1 malware families.
Also known as: AMERICIUM, DEV-0022, Agrius, Agonizing Serpens, UNC2428, SPECTRAL KITTEN
Most targeted sector: Financial Services, with 2 listings (67% of the total).
Targeted countries
Targeted sectors
Showing 3 of 3 results
26 MITRE ATT&CK techniques across 12 stages are documented in the group's attacks.
- 1
Resource development
Infrastructure, accounts and tools for the attack are prepared.
T1583Acquire Infrastructure - 2
Initial access
The attacker gets into the corporate network for the first time.
T1078.002Valid Accounts: Domain AccountsT1190Exploit Public-Facing Application - 3
Execution
Malicious code runs on the target system.
T1059.003Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell - 4
Persistence
Access survives reboots and password changes.
T1078.002Valid Accounts: Domain AccountsT1505.003Server Software Component: Web ShellT1543.003Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service - 5
Privilege escalation
The attacker moves to accounts with higher privileges.
T1078.002Valid Accounts: Domain AccountsT1543.003Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service - 6
Credential access
Passwords, tokens and session data are stolen.
T1003.001OS Credential Dumping: LSASS MemoryT1003.002OS Credential Dumping: Security Account ManagerT1110Brute ForceT1110.003Brute Force: Password Spraying - 7
Discovery
Systems, accounts and data on the network are mapped.
T1018Remote System DiscoveryT1046Network Service Discovery - 8
Lateral movement
The attacker moves to other systems inside the network.
T1021.001Remote Services: Remote Desktop ProtocolT1570Lateral Tool Transfer - 9
Collection
Data to be stolen is selected and gathered.
T1005Data from Local SystemT1074.001Data Staged: Local Data StagingT1119Automated CollectionT1560.001Archive Collected Data: Archive via Utility - 10
Exfiltration
Data is moved out of the organization; the threat to publish it in the listing relies on this data.
T1041Exfiltration Over C2 Channel - 11
Other techniques
T1036MasqueradingT1078.002Valid Accounts: Domain AccountsT1140Deobfuscate/Decode Files or InformationT1685Disable or Modify Tools
The group is associated with 1 malware families.
Malware families
- Apostle
Published reports on this actor:
- https://www.oodaloop.com/archive/2024/01/02/critical-infrastructure-remains-the-brass-ring-for-cyber-attackers-in-2024/
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/agonizing-serpens-targets-israeli-tech-higher-ed-sectors/
- https://socprime.com/blog/agonizing-serpens-attack-detection-iran-backed-hackers-target-israeli-tech-firms-and-educational-institutions/
Source: MISP Galaxy, Malpedia.
What does a ransomware group do?
Ransomware groups break into corporate networks, move data out and encrypt systems. If the ransom is not paid, they list the organization on a leak site and threaten to publish the data.
How does BlackShadow get into organizations?
The attacker gets into the corporate network for the first time.
- T1078.002 · Valid Accounts: Domain Accounts
- T1190 · Exploit Public-Facing Application
Which defenses matter most?
Priority defenses based on the documented techniques:
- Keep internet-facing VPN, remote desktop and firewall interfaces patched, and require multi-factor authentication on these accounts.
- Allow scripts and macros only for users who need them, and keep behavioral rules enabled in endpoint protection.
- Monitor newly created services, scheduled tasks and startup entries.
- Reduce local administrator accounts and perform privileged tasks from separate, monitored accounts.
- Regularly check whether employee passwords and session cookies appear in infostealer logs.
- Monitor accounts that run many queries in a short time and unusual network scans.
- Segment the network and expose management protocols only on the management network.
- Monitor large file archiving operations.
- Monitor unusual data volumes sent to cloud storage and file transfer services.
What should you do if your organization is listed on a leak site?
- Record the listing and any published sample files; do not visit the leak site from the corporate network.
- Isolate affected systems and preserve logs without deleting them.
- Determine which data left the organization; if personal data is involved, review notification obligations with your legal team.
- Make any decision about the ransom demand together with legal, management and incident response.
- Do not bring systems back online before the attacker’s entry point is closed.
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