A Cyber Journey

• Using UrlScan.io to scan for malicious URLs.
• Using Abuse.ch to track malware and botnet indicators.
• Investigate phishing emails using PhishTool
• Using Cisco's Talos Intelligence platform for intel gathering.

Urlscan.io is a free service developed to assist in scanning and analysing websites. It is used to automate the process of browsing and crawling through websites to record activities and interactions.

When a URL is submitted, the information recorded includes the domains and IP addresses contacted, resources requested from the domains, a snapshot of the web page, technologies utilised and other metadata about the website.

The site provides two views, the first one showing the most recent scans performed and the second one showing current live scans.

URL scan results provide ample information, with the following key areas being essential to look at:

• Summary: Provides general information about the URL, ranging from the identified IP address, domain registration details, page history and a screenshot of the site.
• HTTP: Provides information on the HTTP connections made by the scanner to the site, with details about the data fetched and the file types received.
• Redirects: Shows information on any identified HTTP and client-side redirects on the site.
• Links: Shows all the identified links outgoing from the site's homepage.
• Behaviour: Provides details of the variables and cookies found on the site. These may be useful in identifying the frameworks used in developing the site.
• Indicators: Lists all IPs, domains and hashes associated with the site. These indicators do not imply malicious activity related to the site.

Abuse.ch is a research project hosted by the Institue for Cybersecurity and Engineering at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. It was developed to identify and track malware and botnets through several operational platforms developed under the project. These platforms are:

• Malware Bazaar: A resource for sharing malware samples.
• Feodo Tracker: A resource used to track botnet command and control (C2) infrastructure linked with Emotet, Dridex and TrickBot.
• SSL Blacklist: A resource for collecting and providing a blocklist for malicious SSL certificates and JA3/JA3s fingerprints.
• URL Haus: A resource for sharing malware distribution sites.
• Threat Fox: A resource for sharing indicators of compromise (IOCs).

Let us look into these platforms individually.

MalwareBazaar

As the name suggests, this project is an all in one malware collection and analysis database. The project supports the following features:

• Malware Samples Upload: Security analysts can upload their malware samples for analysis and build the intelligence database. This can be done through the browser or an API.
• Malware Hunting: Hunting for malware samples is possible through setting up alerts to match various elements such as tags, signatures, YARA rules, ClamAV signatures and vendor detection.

FeodoTracker

With this project, Abuse.ch is targeting to share intelligence on botnet Command & Control (C&C) servers associated with Dridex, Emotes (aka Heodo), TrickBot, QakBot and BazarLoader/BazarBackdoor. This is achieved by providing a database of the C&C servers that security analysts can search through and investigate any suspicious IP addresses they have come across. Additionally, they provide various IP and IOC blocklists and mitigation information to be used to prevent botnet infections.

SSL Blacklist

Abuse.ch developed this tool to identify and detect malicious SSL connections. From these connections, SSL certificates used by botnet C2 servers would be identified and updated on a denylist that is provided for use. The denylist is also used to identify JA3 fingerprints that would help detect and block malware botnet C2 communications on the TCP layer.

You can browse through the SSL certificates and JA3 fingerprints lists or download them to add to your deny list or threat hunting rulesets.

URLhaus

As the name points out, this tool focuses on sharing malicious URLs used for malware distribution. As an analyst, you can search through the database for domains, URLs, hashes and filetypes that are suspected to be malicious and validate your investigations.

The tool also provides feeds associated with country, AS number and Top Level Domain that an analyst can generate based on specific search needs.

ThreatFox

With ThreatFox,  security analysts can search for, share and export indicators of compromise associated with malware. IOCs can be exported in various formats such as MISP events, Suricata IDS Ruleset, Domain Host files, DNS Response Policy Zone, JSON files and CSV files.

Email Phishing

Email phishing is one of the main precursors of any cyber attack. Unsuspecting users get duped into opening and accessing malicious files and links sent to them by email, as they appear to be legitimate. As a result, adversaries infect their victims’ systems with malware, harvesting their credentials and personal data and performing other actions such as financial fraud or conducting ransomware attacks.

PhishTool seeks to elevate the perception of phishing as a severe form of attack and provide a responsive means of email security. Through email analysis, security analysts can uncover email IOCs, prevent breaches and provide forensic reports that could be used in phishing containment and training engagements.

PhishTool has two accessible versions: Community and Enterprise. We shall mainly focus on the Community version and the core features in this task. Sign up for an account via this link to use the tool.

The core features include:

• Perform email analysis: PhishTool retrieves metadata from phishing emails and provides analysts with the relevant explanations and capabilities to follow the email’s actions, attachments, and URLs to triage the situation.
• Heuristic intelligence: OSINT is baked into the tool to provide analysts with the intelligence needed to stay ahead of persistent attacks and understand what TTPs were used to evade security controls and allow the adversary to social engineer a target.
• Classification and reporting: Phishing email classifications are conducted to allow analysts to take action quickly. Additionally, reports can be generated to provide a forensic record that can be shared.

Additional features are available on the Enterprise version:

• Manage user-reported phishing events.
• Report phishing email findings back to users and keep them engaged in the process.
• Email stack integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

Cisco Talos

IT and Cybersecurity companies collect massive amounts of information that could be used for threat analysis and intelligence. Being one of those companies, Cisco assembled a large team of security practitioners called Cisco Talos to provide actionable intelligence, visibility on indicators, and protection against emerging threats through data collected from their products. The solution is accessible as Talos Intelligence.

Cisco Talos encompasses six key teams:

• Threat Intelligence & Interdiction: Quick correlation and tracking of threats provide a means to turn simple IOCs into context-rich intel.
• Detection Research: Vulnerability and malware analysis is performed to create rules and content for threat detection.
• Engineering & Development: Provides the maintenance support for the inspection engines and keeps them up-to-date to identify and triage emerging threats.
• Vulnerability Research & Discovery: Working with service and software vendors to develop repeatable means of identifying and reporting security vulnerabilities.
• Communities: Maintains the image of the team and the open-source solutions.
• Global Outreach: Disseminates intelligence to customers and the security community through publications.