Silk Hermit (Velvet Chollima)

 Profile: Silk Hermit (a.k.a. Velvet Chollima)

Name:  Silk Hermit (Velvet Chollima)

Origin: Likely linked to North Korean cyber operations.

First Identified: The exact date of first identification is not specified, but Silk Hermit has been active for several years, evolving in tactics and sophistication.

Primary Targets:

• Silk Hermit typically targets entities with political, military, or strategic significance, often aligned with the interests of the North Korean government.
• Known for targeting South Korean institutions, government agencies, and potentially other international targets linked to geopolitical interests of the DPRK.

Infection Method:

• Often uses spear-phishing emails with malicious attachments or links.
• Employs social engineering techniques to trick targets into compromising their systems.
• May use watering hole attacks, compromising websites frequented by the target group.

Primary Function:

• Conducts espionage and intelligence gathering operations.
• Focuses on acquiring sensitive political, military, and strategic information.
• May engage in sabotage operations or dissemination of disinformation.

Evasion Techniques:

• Uses sophisticated encryption and obfuscation methods to avoid detection.
• Employs polymorphic code to alter its appearance and evade signature-based detection.
• Utilizes living-off-the-land techniques, leveraging legitimate system tools for malicious purposes.

Impact:

• Compromises sensitive government and military information.
• Potentially disrupts critical infrastructure and operations.
• Influences geopolitical dynamics through strategic intelligence gathering and operations.

Defensive Recommendations:

• Implement strong email security protocols and anti-phishing measures.
• Conduct regular cybersecurity training for employees to recognize and report phishing attempts.
• Employ advanced threat detection systems capable of identifying sophisticated and evolving threats.
• Ensure regular system updates and patch management to close potential security vulnerabilities.
• Utilize endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions for continuous monitoring and response.

Current Status: Active, with ongoing monitoring and defensive measures recommended.

Velvet Chollima (Silk Hermit) exemplifies the advanced, state-sponsored cyber capabilities of actors linked to the North Korean regime. Their operations are characterized by stealth, sophistication, and a focus on high-value geopolitical targets.

Silk Hermit can be associated with various techniques from the MITRE ATT&CK framework, reflecting its sophisticated cyber espionage capabilities. Here are some of the key techniques that align with their known tactics and methods:

1. Spear-Phishing (T1566): Velvet Chollima frequently uses spear-phishing emails with malicious attachments or links to target specific individuals or organizations.
2. Social Engineering (T1598): They employ deceptive tactics to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or gaining access to their systems.
3. Execution Through API (T1106): The group may use application programming interfaces (APIs) to execute code, a common tactic in sophisticated cyber operations.
4. Obfuscated Files or Information (T1027): Velvet Chollima is known for using encryption and polymorphic code to obscure its malware, evading signature-based detection.
5. System Network Configuration Discovery (T1016): They might perform reconnaissance to discover details about network configurations, aiding in lateral movement and data exfiltration.
6. Credential Dumping (T1003): This involves extracting credentials from target systems, a technique used in espionage to gain further access to sensitive information or systems.
7. Lateral Movement (T lateral_movement): The group likely employs various techniques to move laterally through a network after gaining initial access.
8. Data Encrypted for Impact (T1486): In cases of sabotage or disruption, they could encrypt data to cause impact to the target organization.
9. Command and Control (T1071): Velvet Chollima likely uses various protocols and methods to maintain communication with compromised hosts.
10. Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol (T1048): The group may use non-standard protocols or encrypted channels to exfiltrate data stealthily.

These techniques illustrate Silk Hermit capabilities in conducting cyber espionage and potentially disruptive activities, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive strategies against such advanced threat actors.