Cozy Bear – Russian Threat Group
Introduction
Cozy Bear, also known as APT29 or The Dukes, is a Russian nation-state sponsored hacking group that has been active since at least 2008.
The group is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and is known for its sophisticated cyber espionage capabilities.
Background
The exact nature of Cozy Bear’s relationship with the Russian government is unclear, but there is significant evidence to suggest that the group is operating with the support and approval of Russian intelligence agencies.
Many cybersecurity experts believe that the group is directly controlled by the FSB, and some have speculated that it may be part of a larger, coordinated effort by the Russian government to engage in cyber espionage and influence operations.
Capabilities & Techniques
Cozy Bear is known for its sophisticated cyber espionage capabilities and its use of advanced persistent threat (APT) tactics and techniques.
The group is particularly adept at using spear-phishing techniques to gain access to target networks, and has been known to use a range of social engineering tactics to trick users into clicking on malicious links or downloading malicious attachments.
Cozy Bear has developed multiple malware families, including PolyglotDuke, RegDuke, FatDuke, and WellMess, which it uses in its attacks. The group tailors its malware to the victim’s IT environment and updates its backdoor components over time with cryptography, trojan functionality, and anti-detection changes.
The group’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) also includes supply chain attacks, watering hole attacks, and exploiting vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.
Once inside a target network, Cozy Bear typically uses a range of techniques, including password spraying and privilege escalation, to move laterally and gain access to sensitive data.
Among other techniques and initial infection methods, Cozy Bear was also witnessed exploiting several vulnerabilities such as:
- CVE-2018-13379 – Fortinet FortiOS
- CVE-2019-9670 – Zimbra Collaboration Suite
- CVE-2019-11510 – Pulse Secure VPN Appliance
- CVE-2019-19781 – Citrix ADC Network Gateway
- CVE-2020-4006 – VMware Workspace ONE Access
- CVE-2022-30170 – Windows Credential Roaming Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.
Former Cases
The group has been linked to a number of high-profile cyber attacks targeting government agencies, financial institutes, retail companies, supply chain companies and much more.
Here are some popular former cases of Cozy Bear:
SolarWinds
Cozy Bear goes hand in hand with SolarWinds almost like peanut butter goes hand in hand with jelly. We simply cannot mention one without the other.
The SolarWinds attack was a large-scale cyber attack that came to light in December 2020. The attack targeted SolarWinds, a US-based software company that develops IT infrastructure management software used by numerous government agencies and major technology companies.
The attack involved the insertion of a malicious code into SolarWinds’ Orion software, which allowed the attackers to gain access to sensitive information and networks. The attackers were able to compromise the networks of numerous government agencies, including the US Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as major technology companies such as Microsoft.
The attack is thought to have been ongoing for several months before it was discovered, and the full extent of the damage caused is still being assessed.
The SolarWinds attack was one of the most significant cyber attacks in recent history and the impact of this particular event is still relevant three years later.
US Presidential Elections
The Cozy Bear attack against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) during the 2016 US presidential election was a significant cyber attack that Cozy Bear have all the reasons to be proud of.
The attack involved the theft of thousands of sensitive emails and documents from the DNC’s servers, which were subsequently leaked to the public.
The attack was widely seen as an attempt to influence the outcome of the election in favor of then-candidate Donald Trump, and it sparked widespread controversy and scrutiny.
The attack was part of a broader pattern of interference by Russian hackers in the 2016 election, which included the spread of propaganda and disinformation through social media channels.
The US government formally attributed the attack to Russian intelligence agencies, and numerous investigations were launched into the matter that led to the conclusion that Cozy Bear and other Russia threat groups are responsible for this case.
Conclusions
Cozy Bear sounds like a harmless anime character, a bit sleepy maybe. although in real life, Cozy Bear is a real nightmare for many organizations and governments worldwide. It is a highly skilled and dedicated group with huge amounts of resources.
As mentioned, the group is believed to have been operating on behalf of the Russian Federation which makes it impossible to stop them.
Cozy Bear is known for its confidence in its ability to repeatedly penetrate its targets and operate undetected, which is a skill that is not so popular among all threat groups.