The HiatusRAT malware has made a resurgence after a hiatus, launching a fresh wave of targeted activity directed towards Taiwan-based organizations and a U.S. military procurement system. The cyber threat group responsible for HiatusRAT has adopted new tactics, including recompiling malware samples for different architectures and hosting them on new virtual private servers (VPSs).
These actions have been described as “brazen” and highly audacious by cybersecurity experts, indicating their determination to continue their operations. The identity of the threat actors remains unknown, and the extent of their origins and motivations is yet to be determined.
Furthermore, the targets of these attacks range from commercial firms such as semiconductor and chemical manufacturers to municipal government organizations in Taiwan and a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) server responsible for handling defense contracts.
The attackers have demonstrated an adaptable approach, utilizing recompiled HiatusRAT binaries designed for various architectures, including Arm, Intel 80386, x86-64, MIPS, MIPS64, and i386. A telemetry analysis of the malware’s connections has revealed a significant proportion originating from Taiwan, particularly favoring Ruckus-manufactured edge devices.
The HiatusRAT infrastructure is composed of payload and reconnaissance servers that communicate directly with victim networks. These servers are under the control of Tier 1 servers, which are managed by Tier 2 servers. The attackers have been observed using different IP addresses to connect to a U.S. Department of Defense server, although their precise objectives remain unclear.
While the specific motives behind these attacks are not fully determined, it’s speculated that the adversaries may have been seeking publicly available information related to military contracts. Despite previous disclosures of their tactics, the threat actors continue to evolve and adapt their strategies, underscoring the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to counter such threats effectively.
