[BreachExchange] New Ursnif Banking Malware Campaign Steals Credit Card, Banking, and Payment Information

[Destry Winant]

https://gbhackers.com/ursnif-banking-malware/

Avast Threat Labs researchers obtained information on possible victims
of Ursnif malware.

Ursnif is a banking trojan and a variant of the Gozi malware observed
being spread through various automated exploit kits, Spearphishing
attachments, and malicious links. Ursnif is associated primarily with
data theft, but variants also include components (backdoors, spyware,
file injectors, etc.)

Ursnif, the Bank Trojan Evolved

Ursnif malware began life in 2007 as a banking Trojan but has evolved
over the years and has remained a constant and persistent threat.

One of its features is being called “last-minute persistence,” and it
is a tricky way of installing the malware payload least likely to get
detected, using the moments right before the machine shuts down and
right when the machine turns on to execute its commands.

Another Ursnif upgrade is its sophisticated dropping process, using
phishing techniques to entice user involvement in the least suspicious
way possible, and then using another lesser bank bot as the shell in
which Ursnif hides until it’s safe to come out.

If the malware senses it is in a sandbox or other environment where it
can be studied, Ursnif will not be deployed. The advanced bot can also
steal more than bank information, it can also access certain emails
and browsers and can reach its virtual fingers into cryptocurrency
wallets.

The banking malware often spread using native-language email lures.
Among many countries around the globe, Ursnif malware has
significantly impacted Italy.

Avast researchers found usernames, passwords, credit card, banking,
and payment information that appears to have been stolen from Ursnif
victims by the malware operators.

There was also evidence of over 100 Italian banks targeted in the
information obtained and over 1,700 stolen credentials for a single
payment processor.

The research team have taken the initiative to share this information
with the payment processors and banks they could identify. The team
has also shared this with financial services information sharing
groups such as CERTFin Italy.

“With this information, these companies and institutions are taking
steps to protect their customers and help them recover from the impact
of Ursnif.”, Avast says. “Avast believes strongly in information
sharing to protect everyone on the internet and this is an example of
how Avast Threat Labs research can help protect not just our customers
but everyone on the internet”.