Cybersecurity researchers have identified new infrastructure associated with the financially motivated threat actor known as FIN7. The recent findings indicate that communications are being directed to the FIN7 infrastructure from IP addresses linked to Post Ltd in Russia and SmartApe in Estonia, as reported by Team Cymru in collaboration with Silent Push and Stark Industries Solutions. This investigation builds upon previous work that highlighted Stark Industries IP addresses dedicated to hosting FIN7 infrastructure, suggesting a sophisticated network supporting the group’s cybercriminal activities.
Further analysis revealed that the hosts associated with FIN7 were likely acquired through a reseller network, which is common in the hosting industry. Many virtual private server providers utilize reseller programs, enabling customers to procure infrastructure while adhering to the terms outlined by the parent company. This connection suggests that FIN7 may be leveraging such reseller services to mask its operations and evade detection.
Team Cymru’s research uncovered four IP addresses tied to Post Ltd and three from SmartApe, indicating outbound communications with previously identified Stark-assigned hosts. Over a 30-day observation period, significant interactions were noted between these new clusters and at least 15 Stark-assigned hosts, reinforcing the idea of a coordinated infrastructure supporting FIN7’s activities.
Following responsible disclosure, Stark has suspended the services associated with the identified hosts. The analysis conducted by Team Cymru involved reviewing metadata related to these communications, confirming that established connections were made based on the evaluation of TCP flags and sampled data transfer volumes. This investigation highlights the ongoing challenges in tracking and mitigating the sophisticated operations of cybercriminal groups like FIN7.
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