Joint Advisory Reveals Cyberthreat Actor APT40’s Tactics and How to Mitigate Them

The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) have collaborated with global agency partners to release a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory about APT40, a People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber group, highlighting the threat it poses to networks in the US, Australia, the UK, Canada and Europe.[1]

APT40 demonstrates an impressive ability to convert proof-of-concept (POC) exploits of new vulnerabilities into operational tools, deploying them almost immediately against vulnerable networks. This group consistently conducts thorough reconnaissance on targeted networks, including those in the authoring agencies’ countries, to identify and exploit vulnerable systems. By focusing on outdated or unmaintained devices, APT40 efficiently deploys its exploits, often leveraging vulnerabilities dating back to 2017. The authoring agencies predict that APT40 will continue using POCs for new, high-profile vulnerabilities within hours or days of their public disclosure.

Previously, APT40 used compromised websites as command-and-control hosts. However, the group has advanced its methods, now exploiting compromised devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) devices, as operational infrastructure and last-hop redirectors. 

Many of these SOHO devices remain outdated or unpatched, making them prime targets for N-day exploitation, the period between when the vulnerability is disclosed and when affected systems are patched, a period that can often take days or even weeks. Once compromised, these devices serve as platforms to launch attacks that blend with legitimate traffic, posing significant challenges for network defenders. 

The advisory lists specific mitigations for organizations to detect and respond to APT40 attacks. These mitigations include:  

 

Logging and monitoring

  • Implement comprehensive logging across all critical systems, including network devices, servers, and applications. 
  • Log relevant events, such as authentication attempts, privilege escalation, and suspicious network traffic. 
  • Review and analyze logs regularly for signs of malicious activity, including unusual login patterns, unauthorized access attempts, or suspicious network connections.  
  • Use a security information and event management (SIEM) system to centralize and correlate logs from different sources for better threat detection and response. 

Intrusion detection and prevention

  • Use intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) to monitor network traffic and detect known attack patterns or signatures. 
  • Configure IDPS to generate alerts or act automatically when it detects suspicious activity. 
  • Regularly update IDPS signatures and rules to stay protected against the latest threats. 

Endpoint detection and response

  • Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions on critical systems to monitor and analyze endpoint activities. 
  • Configure EDR solutions to collect and analyze endpoint logs, system events, and file activity for detecting and responding to malicious behavior. 
  • Use real-time monitoring and alerting to identify and respond to potential threats quickly. 

Threat intelligence and sharing

  • Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds and stay updated on the latest APT40 indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). 
  • Share threat intelligence with trusted partners and relevant security communities to enhance collective defense against APT40 and similar threats. 

How Snare Can Help

APT40’s ability to exploit vulnerabilities and compromise endpoint devices highlights that no cybersecurity solution can guarantee complete protection. Enhance your cybersecurity posture by gaining detailed visibility into potential threats and obtaining the forensic data necessary to respond to incidents effectively with Snare’s secure data engine. Install Snare on both endpoints and servers and ensure comprehensive coverage and monitor critical assets across your network. This approach not only helps detect and mitigate threats but also provides the detailed logs needed to comply with regulatory requirements and address concerns from senior leadership and the board. 

Try Snare today and strengthen your cybersecurity strategy with comprehensive logging and monitoring capabilities. 

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