AppleJeus

Malware Profile Updated 3 months ago
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AppleJeus is a notorious malware attributed to the North Korean APT Lazarus Group, designed primarily to steal cryptocurrency. This malicious software has been a key instrument in North Korea's financial theft operations, with threat groups pilfering $2.3 billion USD worth of crypto assets between May 2017 and May 2023, according to Elliptic; remarkably, 30% of this sum was stolen from Japan. The malware infects systems via booby-trapped cryptocurrency trading applications like CoinGoTrade, Kupay Wallet, JMT Trading, Dorusio, and Ants2Whale, among others, and has victimized individuals in over thirty countries as of 2020. The deployment strategy for AppleJeus involves disseminating these compromised trading applications, which then infiltrate the user's system and facilitate cryptocurrency theft. Notably, there's an overlap in tools used by AppleJeus (also known as UNC1720) and TEMP. Hermit, suggesting potential shared resources between the two. Furthermore, the threat actor behind AppleJeus previously utilized an older version of POOLRAT in a long-running campaign to spread these rigged applications, further solidifying its connection to this malware. In an alarming revelation, investigations have uncovered that the infamous Gopuram backdoor, deployed through the 3CX supply chain attack affecting victims worldwide, was found to coexist on victim machines alongside AppleJeus. This suggests a high level of sophistication and potentially increased risk for victims, as they face multiple threats simultaneously. The presence of both these backdoors indicates a complex and layered cyberattack strategy employed by the perpetrators.
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Possible Aliases / Cluster overlaps
It's hard to track cluster overlaps and naming conventions between vendors, so here are some possible overlapping names / profiles you also may want to look at.
IDVotesProfile Description
Gopuram
5
Gopuram is a malicious software or malware that infiltrates systems to exploit and cause damage. It has been known to infect systems through suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often without the user's knowledge. Once inside, it can steal personal information, disrupt operations, or even hold
Coingotrade
2
CoinGoTrade is a malicious software (malware) disguised as a legitimate cryptocurrency wallet application. It installs itself in the /Applications/CoinGoTrade.app/Contents/MacOS/ folder and presents a fully functional wallet program to its victims. The malware was first brought to public attention o
Celas Trade Pro
2
Celas Trade Pro is a malicious software application posing as a cryptocurrency trading platform. It was developed by North Korean hackers, referred to as HIDDEN COBRA by the U.S. government, as part of a series of deceptive applications collectively known as the "AppleJeus" family of malware. These
Unc4736
2
UNC4736, a threat actor suspected to have North Korean connections, has been implicated in a series of cybersecurity breaches. The group gained initial access to the 3CX environment when an employee downloaded a financial trading package named X_TRADER from Trading Technologies' website. Unbeknownst
Bloxholder
1
None
Poolrat
1
PoolRat, a harmful malware previously classified as SimpleSea by threat intelligence firms, is designed to exploit and damage computer systems. This C/C++ macOS implant has the capability of collecting basic system information and executing arbitrary commands, including carrying out file operations.
Cryptoneuro Trader
1
CryptoNeuro Trader is a malicious software (malware) that has been used to target and exploit hundreds of cryptocurrency companies, leading to the theft of tens of millions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency. Notable incidents include the theft of $75 million from a Slovenian company in December 20
HIDDEN COBRA
1
Hidden Cobra, also known as the Lazarus Group and Sapphire Sleet, is a North Korean cyberespionage group that has been active since at least 2009. The U.S. Government uses the term Hidden Cobra to refer to malicious cyber activities by the North Korean government, with the BeagleBoyz representing a
Tradertraitor
1
TraderTraitor, also known as Lazarus Group or APT38, is a threat actor attributed to the North Korean government. This group has been linked by the FBI to several recent cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms, with hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen. The attacks share similar
Dorusio
1
Dorusio is a malware application that is part of the "AppleJeus" family, a group of malicious cryptocurrency applications developed by North Korean hackers, also known as HIDDEN COBRA. The Dorusio program, which mimics an open-source cryptocurrency wallet application, was developed alongside other m
Ants2whale
1
Ants2Whale is a malicious software (malware) identified as the seventh version of AppleJeus, a notorious family of North Korean malware targeting cryptocurrency operations. First discovered in late 2020, Ants2Whale operates similarly to its predecessors, with its main function being to provide hacke
Kupay Wallet
1
Kupay Wallet is a malicious software (malware) identified as part of the AppleJeus Version 4 malware family, developed and deployed by North Korean hackers, referred to by the U.S. government as HIDDEN COBRA. The malware was developed between March 2018 and September 2020, alongside other malicious
Miscellaneous Associations
Other elements of context that could aid in the identification of relevance
Backdoor
Malware
3cx
Kaspersky
Korean
Apt
Mandiant
Macos
Loader
Celas Trade ...
Payload
Operation Dr...
t1059.004
t1583.001
Phishing
Linux
Chrome
Encryption
Eset
Github
State Sponso...
Mitre
Bot
Zero Day
Associated Malware
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
Ants2whalehelperis related to
1
Ants2whalehelper is a potent malware that infiltrates systems, causing significant harm and disruption. It operates by installing itself in the /Library/Application Support/Ants2WhaleSupport/ folder of the targeted system, often without the user's knowledge or explicit consent. This malicious softwa
BADCALLUnspecified
1
None
ThreatNeedleUnspecified
1
ThreatNeedle is a malicious software (malware) that has been identified as a tool used by the notorious North Korean Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group, Lazarus. This malware, designed to exploit and damage computer systems, can infiltrate systems through suspicious downloads, emails, or website
FALLCHILLUnspecified
1
FALLCHILL is a malicious software (malware) typically introduced into a system as a file dropped by other HIDDEN COBRA malware. It has been linked to the North Korea-associated Lazarus APT group, who notably utilized a MacOS variant of the malware for the first time. The cybersecurity company that r
CryptoisticUnspecified
1
Cryptoistic is a malware that was compiled on April 2nd, 2020, and is designed to exploit and damage computer systems. It appears to be part of a trend of trojanizing cryptocurrency-related apps and was circulated at the same time as TinkaOTP and CoinGoTrade. While CoinGoTrade is written primarily i
MarsUnspecified
1
Mars is a malicious software (malware) that has been discovered by Trend Micro's Mobile Application Reputation Service (MARS) team. This malware is particularly damaging as it involves two new Android malware families related to cryptocurrency mining and financially-motivated scam campaigns, targeti
Associated Threat Actors
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
Lazarus GroupUnspecified
3
The Lazarus Group, a notorious threat actor believed to be linked to North Korea, has been attributed with a series of significant cyber-attacks over the past few years. The group's malicious activities include the exploitation of digital infrastructure, stealing cryptocurrency, and executing large-
Apt43Unspecified
1
APT43, also known as Kimsuky, is a North Korean state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) group that has been actively involved in cybercrime and espionage. The group has been implicated in a series of attacks exploiting vulnerabilities, which have drawn the attention of various cybersecurity
Associated Vulnerabilities
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
CVE-2022-0609Unspecified
1
CVE-2022-0609 is a zero-day vulnerability discovered in Google Chrome, originating from a flaw in software design or implementation. This security loophole was exploited by North Korean government-backed threat actors in early 2022 to target various US organizations across the media, high-tech, and
Source Document References
Information about the AppleJeus Malware was read from the documents corpus below. This display is limited to 20 results, create a free account to see more
SourceCreatedAtTitle
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Ransomware Dwell Time Hits Low of 24 Hours | #ransomware | #cybercrime | National Cyber Security Consulting
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Connect the Dots on State-Sponsored Cyber Incidents - Targeting of cryptocurrency exchanges and financial service companies
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Advanced threat predictions for 2024 – GIXtools
Securelist
8 months ago
Kaspersky Security Bulletin: APT predictions 2024
CERT-EU
9 months ago
Connect the Dots on State-Sponsored Cyber Incidents - Targeting of cryptocurrency exchanges and financial service companies
CERT-EU
10 months ago
North Korean Hackers Continue to Refine Their Arsenal of Tactics & Techniques
CERT-EU
a year ago
N.K. Hackers Employ Matryoshka Doll-Style Cascading Supply Chain Attack on 3CX
CERT-EU
10 months ago
Cybercriminals can go from click to compromise in less than a day | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware | National Cyber Security Consulting
CERT-EU
10 months ago
Connect the Dots on State-Sponsored Cyber Incidents - Targeting of users of cryptocurrency applications
CERT-EU
a year ago
N.K. Hackers Employ Matryoshka Doll-Style Cascading Supply Chain Attack on 3CX
CERT-EU
a year ago
IT threat evolution in Q2 2023 – GIXtools
CERT-EU
a year ago
IT threat evolution Q2 2023
Securityaffairs
a year ago
FBI identifies wallets holding cryptocurrency funds stolen by North Korea
CERT-EU
a year ago
FBI Finds 1,580 Bitcoin in Crypto Wallets Linked to North Korean Hackers 
CERT-EU
a year ago
APT trends report Q2 2023 – GIXtools
Securelist
a year ago
APT trends report Q2 2023
CERT-EU
a year ago
JumpCloud Intrusion | Attacker Infrastructure Links Compromise to North Korean APT Activity
CERT-EU
a year ago
JumpCloud Cyberattack Linked to North Korean Hackers
MITRE
a year ago
APT trends report Q1 2020
MITRE
a year ago
Three North Korean Military Hackers Indicted in Wide-Ranging Scheme