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CyberNiggers is a cyber threat group known for breaching organizations, selling access to compromised systems, and stealing sensitive data, including military files and personally identifiable information (PII). The group targets a wide array of entities, including the US Military, federal contractors, and multinational corporations. A prominent member and apparent leader is known by the alias "IntelBroker." CyberNiggers employs a strategic approach to information gathering, raising concerns about national security, individual privacy, and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. This article provides a comprehensive profile of CyberNiggers, including their origins, tactics, targets, attack campaigns, and defense strategies, with a particular focus on IntelBroker's role and the connection between them.
Origins & Evolution
CyberNiggers emerged as a significant threat actor following the disruption of BreachForums, a notorious cybercrime forum. The group, characterized by its overtly racist name, announced its revival and active recruitment on the revived BreachForums. They actively use (and intend to build on this) platform for communication and operations. While the group is considered relatively small, it targets critical infrastructure, drawing attention from international intelligence agencies like the Five Eyes. It has been active since at least late 2023.
IntelBroker, a key figure within CyberNiggers, has been active since at least October 2022, gaining notoriety in 2023. IntelBroker joined CyberNiggers on BreachForums in 2023 and orchestrated many of the group's significant cyberattacks. While CyberNiggers is currently considered inactive, IntelBroker remains active and has taken ownership of BreachForums (as of August 2024). IntelBroker claims to be a Serbian individual operating from Russia, emphasizing a focus on data acquisition and exploitation, and a desire to manage a cybercrime forum.
Tactics & Techniques
CyberNiggers, often led by IntelBroker, employs a range of tactics to achieve its objectives. These include:
Initial Access via Stealer Logs: A primary tactic is using stealer logs – credentials and other sensitive data harvested from compromised systems by infostealer malware. This provides initial access to target networks.
Exploitation of Vulnerabilities: The group exploits known vulnerabilities in software and systems. This includes using zero-day exploits.
Social Engineering: Although more attributed to associate groups like Tortoiseshell, social engineering has been attributed to the group, to gain initial access.
Credential Stuffing and Brute-Force Attacks: Using stolen credentials to gain access to accounts.
Selling Access: A key part of their business model is selling access to compromised systems on forums like BreachForums. This differentiates them from groups that solely focus on data theft.
Data Exfiltration: After gaining access, the group exfiltrates sensitive data, including PII, military files, source code, and other valuable information.
Data Filtering and Exploitation: IntelBroker, in particular, uses tools like
ripgrepto efficiently search through large datasets (like stealer logs) for specific information, such as URLs, usernames, and passwords. This allows them to target high-value accounts, including those with administrative privileges.Git Repository Exploitation: IntelBroker specifically targets Git repositories, using tools like
git-dumperto clone them and search for sensitive information like database credentials, API keys, and proprietary code vulnerabilities.Hardcoded Credentials: They exploit hardcoded credentials found within compromised systems.
Obfuscation: They use techniques to hide their activities and make detection more difficult.
Ransomware/Wiping Software (IntelBroker, past): IntelBroker developed and used "Endurance" ransomware, which was actually wiping software, against U.S. government agencies, although IntelBroker has seemingly moved away from ransomware since 2023.
DDoS Attacks: The group has tools to orchestrate DDoS attacks.
Targets or Victimology
CyberNiggers targets a wide range of organizations and industries, with a notable focus on:
US Military and Federal Contractors: This directly impacts national security.
Multinational Corporations: Specific targets have included General Electric (GE) and Cisco.
Government Agencies: Including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and USCIS.
Healthcare: DC Health Link (health insurance marketplace) was a significant target.
Grocery Chains: Weee! (grocery chain) was breached, exposing customer data.
Critical Infrastructure: Colonial Pipeline
Various Sectors: Technology, government, business services, education, financial services, and healthcare
While primarily targeting US-based entities, they also target UK, South Africa, India, and Turkey. Russia is notably excluded, likely due to IntelBroker's potential location.
Their motivations are primarily financial gain through the sale of stolen data and access, although the racist ideology implied by their name suggests potential ideological motivations. The targeting of government entities and critical infrastructure also suggests potential geopolitical motives, though this is less clear than the financial drivers.
Attack Campaigns
Several notable attack campaigns have been attributed to CyberNiggers and IntelBroker:
General Electric (GE) Breach (Late 2023): CyberNiggers claimed to have stolen data, including sensitive military files from DARPA. The low asking price for this data raised questions about its authenticity.
Weee! Grocery Service Breach: IntelBroker claimed responsibility for stealing data from approximately 11 million users.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): IntelBroker infiltrated the customer database.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement & USCIS: IntelBroker accessed data of over 100,000 U.S. citizens.
DC Health Link: IntelBroker breached the health insurance marketplace, exposing data of members of Congress.
Europol: IntelBroker compromised employee information, source code, and operational guidelines.
Apple: IntelBroker claimed to acquire source code for internal Apple tools.
AMD: IntelBroker claimed a breach including data on future products, employee, customer, and financial data.
Cisco Data Breach (October 2024): Masterminded by IntelBroker, with collaborators EnergyWeaponUser and zjj, this involved the theft of source code, hardcoded credentials, certificates, and other sensitive data. This breach posed a significant supply chain risk.
Colonial Pipeline: Reportedly responsible for Colonial Pipeline Breach.
Numerous Other Targets: Including Accenture, KitchenPal, UsDoT, and Vauxhall Motors, among many others.
Pandabuy: IntelBroker assisted another hacker in breaching this site.
Acuity: IntelBroker and another hacker breached this site together.
Defenses
Defending against CyberNiggers and similar threat actors requires a multi-layered approach:
Strong Password Policies and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This mitigates the risk of credential-based attacks.
Regular Security Awareness Training: Educate employees about phishing, phishing, social engineering, and other attack vectors.
Vulnerability Management and Patching: Regularly scan for and patch vulnerabilities in software and systems.
Network Segmentation: Limit the impact of a breach by segmenting networks.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Deploy EDR solutions to detect and respond to malicious activity on endpoints.
Threat Intelligence: Leverage threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about the latest TTPs of threat actors like CyberNiggers and IntelBroker.
Incident Response Plan: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to effectively respond to breaches.
Zero Trust Architecture: Implement a Zero Trust model, verifying every access request regardless of origin.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Implement DLP measures to prevent sensitive data from leaving the organization.
Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM): Thoroughly assess the security posture of third-party vendors and partners, particularly in the context of supply chain attacks.
Source Code Security: Implement rigorous source code security audits, secure coding practices, and vulnerability management.
Access Control: Implement stringent access control measures to protect critical systems and data.
Network Monitoring and Anomaly Detection: Employ network monitoring and anomaly detection tools to identify suspicious activities.
Log Auditing: Implement supply chain log auditing to monitor for suspicious behavior.
Stay updated on the latest patch management strategy.
Conclusion
CyberNiggers, with IntelBroker as a key figure, represents a significant cyber threat due to their diverse targeting, strategic approach, and use of sophisticated tactics. Their activities, ranging from data theft and sale to potential involvement in ransomware and DDoS attacks, highlight the need for robust cybersecurity defenses across all sectors. The group's association with BreachForums and their focus on exploiting vulnerabilities and using stealer logs underscore the importance of proactive security measures, threat intelligence, and incident response planning. The ongoing evolution of this threat, coupled with the potential for supply chain attacks, makes vigilance and adaptation critical for organizations seeking to protect themselves. Organizations should consider a vulnerability assessments strategy to stay ahead.
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Arun KL
Arun KL is a cybersecurity professional with 15+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud security, vulnerability management, Penetration Testing, security operations, and incident response. He is adept at designing and implementing robust security solutions to safeguard systems and data. Arun holds multiple industry certifications including CCNA, CCNA Security, RHCE, CEH, and AWS Security.
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