Russian cyber group seen preparing to attack banks

The group's preparations, which have included writing new malware, registering domain names similar to those of intended targets, and setting up command-and-control servers, were discovered by analysts from security firm Root9B.

The group has been active since at least 2007 and is known by various names including APT28 and Pawn Storm. Several security vendors believe it operates out of Russia and has possible ties to that country's intelligence agencies.

The group's primary malware tool is a backdoor program called Sednit or Sofacy that it delivers to victims through spear-phishing emails or drive-by downloads launched from compromised websites.

The Root9B analysts came across a phishing domain at the end of April that was similar to that of a Middle Eastern financial institution, according to a report published Tuesday. When they dug deeper they uncovered new Sofacy malware samples and servers and domains that were being set up by the group for an upcoming operation.

Based on the information gathered so far, Root9B believes the group's planned targets include Commercial Bank International in the UAE, Bank of America, TD Canada Trust, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), United Bank for Africa, Regions Bank, and possibly Commerzbank.

The company has alerted the financial institutions, as well as international and U.S. authorities. It's not clear if the attacks have started yet, but the Root9B analysts believe that when they do, they will likely include spear-phishing.

The company released hashes for the new malware samples it has identified and the IP address of a command-and-control server set up by the attackers, so that companies can block them on their networks.

Based on the evidence they've seen, the Root9B analysts believe that there might be two subgroups within APT28: One that targets military and government organizations and one that targets financial institutions and banks.

Of course, the attackers might now decide to delay the operation in order to change their infrastructure and targets. So, financial institutions should remain vigilant and should examine all email messages for possible spear-phishing attempts.