New APT Group ‘Lotus Bane’ Behind Recent Attacks on Vietnam’s Financial Entities

New APT Group 'Lotus Bane' Behind Recent Attacks on Vietnam's Financial Entities

March 6, 2024 at 02:15AM

A new cyber attack targeting a financial entity in Vietnam was linked to Lotus Bane, an advanced persistent threat group with methods overlapping those of OceanLotus. This suggests possible connections with or inspirations from OceanLotus, though the different target industries indicate potential differences. Financial organizations worldwide have been targeted by various advanced persistent threat groups, highlighting the need for ongoing cybersecurity measures.

Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:

1. A previously undocumented threat actor called Lotus Bane targeted a financial entity in Vietnam and is considered an advanced persistent threat group, with similarities to OceanLotus (APT32), Canvas Cyclone, and Cobalt Kitty in terms of techniques and malware usage.

2. Lotus Bane primarily targets the banking sector in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with the potential for broader geographical operations within APAC, indicating a high level of sophistication in their methods.

3. Financial organizations across various regions, including APAC, Europe, Latin America, and North America, have been targeted by advanced persistent threat groups such as Blind Eagle, the Lazarus Group, UNC1945, and UNC2891, highlighting the continued need for robust cybersecurity measures.

4. UNC1945 is observed targeting ATM switch servers with a custom malware called CAKETAP, intercepting and altering data transmitted from the ATM server to the Hardware Security Module server, leading to unauthorized cash withdrawals.

5. The activities of Lotus Bane, UNC1945, and UNC2891 underscore the complexity of protecting against financial cyber threats in today’s digital landscape and emphasize the importance of continued vigilance and robust cybersecurity measures.

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance or more in-depth analysis of the meeting notes.

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