Iran-Linked Hackers Use New Cavern C2 Framework to Target Israeli Organizations

Source Domain: thehackernews.com

An Iranian hacking group affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) has been wielding a previously undocumented modular command-and-control (C2) framework dubbed Cavern (aka Cav3rn) targeting Israeli organizations.

The activity, which has primarily singled out IT providers and government sectors, has been attributed to a threat cluster tracked by Check Point Research under the moniker Cavern Manticore, which it said shares some level of tactical overlaps with MuddyWater and Lyceum, the latter of which is assessed to be a subgroup within OilRig.

“The framework reflects a mature and adaptable toolset built around a shared .NET foundation, while using multiple compilation formats across different components, including .NET Framework, .NET Mixed-Mode C++/CLI, and .NET Native AOT,” the cybersecurity company said.

“The compilation format itself becomes the anti-analysis layer that forces reverse engineers into multiple toolsets and metadata-reconstruction workflows.”

The components of the C2 framework are used as Cavern Agent and Cavern modules, demonstrating a clear division of responsibilities between core communication capabilities and mission-specific post-exploitation functionality. This architecture has inherent advantages as it allows the operators to tailor deployments based on the victim profile, reduce forensic visibility, and ensure persistent access through bespoke modules for reconnaissance, data theft, tunneling, and lateral movement.

The attack chain documented by Check Point Research commences with SysAid’s software update feature, which is leveraged by the adversary to initiate a DLL side-loading chain that leads to the execution of a trojanized DLL (“uxtheme.dll”) containing the Cavern Agent. The agent, for its part, loads a standalone communication DLL module (“n-HTCommp.dll”) to contact the C2 server (“hospitalinstallation[.]com”) and fetch additional post-exploitation modules on the fly over HTTPS or WebSocket.

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