Cybersecurity researchers at ESET have exposed the Spacecolon toolset, a malicious toolset employed to disseminate different versions of the Scarab ransomware across global victim organizations. The toolset’s entry tactics involve exploiting vulnerable web servers and utilizing brute-force attacks on Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) credentials, as detailed in ESET’s recent advisory.
The presence of Turkish strings in certain Spacecolon versions suggests the potential involvement of a Turkish-speaking developer. Although Spacecolon’s origins date back to at least May 2020, ongoing campaigns continue, with the most recent build compiled in May 2023. Despite thorough analysis, ESET has not attributed the toolset to any known threat actor group, referring to the operators as “CosmicBeetle.”
From a technical perspective, the Spacecolon toolset encompasses three primary Delphi components: ScHackTool, ScInstaller, and ScService. These components empower CosmicBeetle to establish remote access, deploy additional tools, and execute ransomware attacks.
ScHackTool orchestrates the deployment of ScInstaller and ScService, with ScInstaller’s sole role being to install the backdoor ScService, granting CosmicBeetle the capability to execute commands, retrieve system information, and download payloads. In addition to these core components, the operators rely on an assortment of third-party tools, both legitimate and malicious, available on demand.
ESET’s investigation also revealed the emergence of a new ransomware strain named ScRansom, believed to be developed by the same entity behind Spacecolon. ScRansom, sharing similar Turkish strings in its code and graphical user interface, utilizes the AES-128 encryption algorithm to encrypt various drives, generating a key from a hardcoded string.
While it has not yet been observed in active attacks, ESET suggests that ScRansom is still in its developmental stage. For a comprehensive understanding of the Spacecolon toolset’s connection to Scarab ransomware and the evolving threat landscape, readers are encouraged to refer to ESET’s official research publication.
