In January 2025, cybersecurity researchers uncovered a highly sophisticated cyber espionage campaign orchestrated by the RedCurl APT group, also known as EarthKapre. This operation specifically targeted law firms and corporate entities for intelligence gathering and corporate espionage. The attackers employed a multi-stage attack chain that leveraged legitimate tools for data exfiltration, making detection by conventional security measures significantly more challenging. The attack begins with a phishing email disguised as a job opportunity from Indeed. This email contains a PDF file that links to a ZIP archive, which includes a mountable ISO file. When accessed, the ISO presents a single SCR file masquerading as a CV application. Executing this file triggers the attack chain by deploying a malicious payload. The attackers then sideload a compromised DLL, netutils.dll, using the legitimate Adobe process ADNotificationManager.exe, effectively bypassing security controls. RedCurl further obscures its activity by employing sophisticated string encryption techniques, utilizing bcrypt.dll APIs for SHA-256 hashing and AES key derivation. The malware establishes communication with command-and-control (C2) servers hosted on Cloudflare Workers, enabling the retrieval of additional payloads and the exfiltration of stolen data. To conduct reconnaissance, the attackers execute a batch script that gathers detailed system information, including user accounts, installed software, and network configurations. They utilize legitimate tools such as Sysinternals Active Directory Explorer to map out the target domain. The collected data is then compressed and encrypted using 7-Zip before being stealthily transmitted via PowerShell PUT requests to cloud storage services operated by Tab Digital. This intricate attack strategy, which starts with phishing and culminates in the covert exfiltration of sensitive data, underscores the necessity for organizations to implement robust security measures. Companies should enhance their monitoring capabilities to detect abnormal usage of legitimate tools and encrypted traffic directed toward cloud storage services, ensuring they remain resilient against similar threats.
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