Kimsuky Unleashes TRANSLATEXT Malware on South Korean Academic Institutions

An investigation has found that a North Korea-linked threat actor, known as Kimsuky, has been involved in the use of a malicious Google Chrome extension to steal sensitive information to collect information as part of an ongoing intelligence collection effort. Observing the activity in early March 2024, Zscaler ThreatLabz has codenamed the extension TRANSLATEXT, emphasizing its ability to gather email addresses, usernames, passwords, cookies, and screenshots as well as its ability to gather this information. 

This targeted campaign is said to have targeted South Korean academia, specifically those focused on North Korean politics. There is a notorious North Korean hacker group known as Kimsuky that has been active since 2012, perpetrating cyber espionage and financial-motivated attacks against South Korean businesses. Kimsuky is widely known as a notorious hacker crew. In the remote server’s PowerShell script, general information about the victim is uploaded as well as creating a Windows shortcut that enables a user to retrieve another script from the remote server through a PowerShell script. TRANSLATEXT’s exact delivery method remains unclear, which makes it even more difficult for defenders to protect themselves from it. 

Despite this, Kimsuky is well known for utilizing sophisticated spear-phishing and social engineering attacks to trick the target into initiating the infection process. Two files appear to be connected to Korean military hist

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