SHIP'S CHRONICLE: 14 December 2023: "Beware the Silent Serpents of the JetBrains Sea"

"Beware the Silent Serpents of the JetBrains Sea"

Ahoy, me hearties! Gather 'round the captain's table, for I've spied through my spyglass a treacherous tempest brewing in the vast digital oceans. Aye, it's the Tsar Serpents, those covert corsairs of the cyberspace, now setting their malicious sights on the hull of JetBrains!

Our trusted lookout, the CISA, along with its league of vigilant watchers, has sounded the alarm. These crafty Serpents, known to some as APT 29 or CozyBear, have found a weak plank in our vessel - the JetBrains TeamCity servers. They're using a cunning stratagem, CVE-2023-42793, to sneak into the ship's belly, giving them access to precious cargo like source codes and signing certificates​​.

These silent Serpents, with a decade-long legacy of plundering the seas for confidential treasures, have a keen eye for foreign intelligence, encompassing the realms of politics, economics, and military secrets​​. They've employed their devious tricks since September 2023, breaching TeamCity with high privileges, and maneuvering stealthily within the network​​.

Their tools are as varied as the stars in the night sky. With commands as simple as "whoami /priv" and "netstat," they map the ship's layout, lurking in shadows​​. They've been seen pilfering files like a cutthroat steals doubloons, grabbing SQL Server executables and the like, to learn more about their conquered vessels​​.

Aye, but these Serpents are no mere buccaneers; they're cunning and wise. They've mastered the art of evasion, using EDRSandBlast to outsmart our guards - the antivirus and EDR software​​. And once aboard, they elevate their ranks with tools like Mimikatz, gaining control over the entire ship​​.

But beware! For they are not satisfied with a fleeting visit. They set up camp in the depths of our ship, ensuring their stay is long and unchallenged, using scheduled tasks to maintain their presence​​. They even plunder our maps and charts - the Windows Registry hives, to chart their next course of destruction​​.

In some cases, these Serpents, with the cunning of an old sea witch, have used the SharpChromium tool to glean secrets from the ship's logs and diaries - our browsers​​.

So, what do we do, you ask, me brave sailors? First, we must not panic. We must be as cunning and wise as our adversaries. Remember the old sea fable, "The Fox and the Crow." Just as the sly fox flattered the crow to steal its cheese, these Serpents use flattery and deceit to steal our secrets. We must not be fooled by their guises.

Patch the holes in the hull immediately. If ye be using TeamCity, assume ye've been boarded and begin a thorough sweep of the ship. Use the charts and tools provided by CISA and our allies to detect and repel these silent invaders.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon, and remember the words of the old sea dog, "The calmest seas have produced the fiercest storms." Stay vigilant, for in the world of cybersecurity, the most unassuming waves can hide the deadliest of threats.

Now, set sail to calmer seas, and may the wind always be at our back!

🏴‍☠️💻🌊🔗🛡