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By security practitioners, for security practitioners

Analysis of GalComm Chrome Extension Malware

A deep dive into malicious, browser-jacking Chrome extensions facilitated by Israeli Internet marketing service GalComm.

The Google Chrome Web Store has a history of malicious actors abusing it to deliver malware-laden browser extensions. While Chrome extensions do have a granular permissions specification with specifics about what each extension can read and change stated in the installer (with a “show details” click), the extent and gravity of those permissions is often understated or not well understood by users.

Last year, SOC-as-a-Service provider Pillr discovered a particular long running browser extension malware campaign presenting in its monitored endpoints. This was a security incident, stopped before it became a breach, which is in line with a notable finding from a 2018 Verizon investigative report: in “60% of cases, the breach was discovered by an external party.”[1]

In this article, threat researcher Kelsey O’Connell covers the tactics and technique utilized for the GalComm malware.

CommuniGal…malware by any name

Many of these extensions had one commonality, their registrar, CommuniGal Communication Ltd. (Also goes by – GalComm, CommuniGal, and Gal Communication Ltd), a company located in Netanya, Israel.

These malicious browser extensions are considered Man-in-the-Browser attacks and can be mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1176: Browser Extensions.[2]

To determine whether a browser extension is malicious, analysis must be done on the various permissions they require. Many browser extensions request over-reaching permissions, such as the ability to view all activity on every website visited, access to cookies (can be used in credential stealing), ability to make changes to privacy settings, capture audio directly from the microphone, and a multitude of others.

In the permissions section of the extensions, specific domains are listed. Performing a search using ICANN Lookup reveals that these extensions are registered under CommuniGal Communication Ltd.

Figure 1: ICANN Lookup of the domain: apiprxy.com

All the extensions requested excessive permissions. Some of the most intrusive of the permissions are:

all_urls

Read and change all your data on the websites you visit, including file:///* (local storage)

Access to run on all sites and schemes, including file:///* (local storage)

bookmarks

Read and change your bookmarks

cookies

Query and modify cookies, and to be notified when they change (Can be used for credential stealing)

management

Access and manage your installed apps, extensions, and themes

storage

Store, retrieve, and track changes to user data

tabs

Read your browsing history

Interact with browser’s tab system, create, modify, and rearrange tabs and windows in the browser

topSites

Read a list of your most frequently visited websites

webRequest

webRequestBlocking

Observe and analyze traffic and to intercept, block, or modify request in-flight

Although these domains are linked to extensions that have been labeled malicious and removed from the Chrome Web Store, they are still registered with CommuniGal Communications Ltd. and are not set to expire until the year 2022.

novaSOC is seeing this as a far-reaching, widespread campaign. Although many of these extensions discovered by novaSOC are newly discovered identifiers, some of the malicious extensions were previously written about in Tom’s Guide[3] and an Awake Security report.[4]

Reach of Incident by the Numbers

  • 61 Unique Extension Identifiers
  • 27 Unique Domains
  • 12 Unique Extension Names (case sensitive)
  • 30 Previously Unidentified Extension Identifiers
  • 20 Previously Unidentified Domains

Diving into Source Code

Extension Name: Search Manager
Extension Identifier: bahkljhhdeciiaodlkppoonappfnheoi
Users: 1,000,000
Reviews: 3,578
Web Store Rating: 4.0/5

With the help of data that was captured in our own backend, we were able to take a closer look at the source code for the Chrome extension “Search Manager.” The source code gives us a better understanding of what the extension is: 1) what it is doing, and 2) who is it communicating with? Figure 2 below is a snippet of the extension’s manifest.json file. It shows that this extension is a browser hijacker that changes the browser’s default search engine to “http://srchbar[.]com”.

Figure 2: Snippet of manifest.json file

Shown in Figure 2, Line 16 of the manifest.json file includes the URL for the favorites icon (favicon). But is it really a favorites icon? Using a browser isolator, navigating to http://srchbar[.]com/?favicon does not lead to a nice little .png file; instead, it instantly redirects to the Yahoo! Search page (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Yahoo! page after redirection
Figure 4: First part of redirected URL

Buried in the query string of the URL is the attribution for what redirected/referred the user to Yahoo! (Figure 5), Search Manager.

Figure 5: Search Manager referral

Diving even deeper into the source code leaves no doubt as to the nefarious nature of these extensions. Figure 6 shows the AmpSearchServiceLocalList.json file.

Figure 6: AmpSearchServiceLocalList.json file

The first and most revealing string reads “advertisers.” The rest of the code shows ID numbers, company names, possible permutations and typos of the brand names, redirection URLs, and applicable search terms.

The redirection domain leads to ampxdirect[.]com, a domain that is registered to “adMarketplace.” The company name is an indicator of adware, which employs the use of referral codes and URL redirects (browser hijacking). The referral code is used to track and give financial incentives to the referrer (i.e. the adware creator) for every click, then redirects the user to the specified website.

Conclusion

GalComm is a registrar that appears complicit in the dubious activities of these extensions, which are used to create ad revenue for the makers of these extensions, unbeknownst to the users. Browser extensions often face less scrutiny than downloaded software, so they easily fly under the radar of the user who is just looking for a convenient feature-driven solution and are disarmed by the implied legitimacy of the Chrome Web Store. Users should acquaint themselves with the permissions that an extension is requesting and educate themselves on what an extension does under the hood.

Threat Indicators

Below are Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) discovered in GalComm malware. IOCs are used to detect malware infections and can be actively searched for during threat hunting or set as alarms.

Chrome Extension Name Chrome Extension Identifier
DoctoPDF ijcgfgdkipppfbkiikoddcjflephnpmf
DoctoPDF jfgkpeobcmjlocjpfgocelimhppdmigj
DoctoPDF keceijnpfmmlnebgnkhojinbkopolaom
DOCtoPDF jgjakaebbliafihodjhpkpankimhckdf
DOCtoPDF mdodmpdhcdbdlbeahilnfoeidccceegj
DOCtoPDF npaklgbiblcbpokaiddpmmbknncnbljb
DOCtoPDF pgahbiaijngfmbbijfgmchcnkipajgha
EasyConvert annjkojdjjedabhfdnfacdiafkmpijbl
EasyConvert baimmgglolfkaaefedmlgfkdajckmpfm
EasyConvert bngebgoljdhmkgmecefkcfhjngffihii
EasyConvert gfihbklhmmihlkkjnemjppijdlmkcgbb
EasyConvert gofhadkfcffpjdbonbladicjdbkpickk
EasyConvert hmamdkecijcegebmhndhcihjjkndbjgk
EasyConvert jkppdkadcnfnafkfjdhgbmhklhilimli
EasyConvert labpefoeghdmpbfijhnnejdmnjccgplc
EasyConvert lpajppfbbiafpmbeompbinpigbemekcg
EasyConvert ojmoedcpcgeminijlnogdmkelkcfalfl
PDF Extra ipagcbjbgailmjeaojmpiddflpbgjngl
PDF Ninja Converter khhemdcdllgomlbleegjdpbeflgbomcj
PDF Opener elflophcopcglipligoibfejllmndhmp
PDF Opener ggijmaajgdkdijomfipnpdfijcnodpip
PDF Opener jkdngiblfdmfjhiahibnnhcjncehcgab
PDFcreate hjncnnhioabgjeokhinifgjcallhenll
Search Manager bahkljhhdeciiaodlkppoonappfnheoi
Search Manager bhoagceacaklimpcejjofabngcjkebfg
Search Manager cpgoblgcfemdmaolmfhpoifikehgbjbf
Search Manager gihcgddmlhacnmdenbdkokeaffnekgob
Search Manager icmgebopaejnjlncllgmcenbbflikfjd
Search Manager kbdbmddhlgckaggdapibpihadohhelao
Search Manager kjcfanhkgmaaneaenocapblddnobeeci
Search Manager kjgaljeofmfgjfipajjeeflbknekghma
Search Manager ljnppgaebjnbbahgmjajfbcoabdpopfb
Search Manager majekhlfhmeeplofdolkddbecmgjgplm
Search Manager mhinpnedhapjlbgnhcifjdkklbeefbpa
Search Manager mopkkgobjofbkkgemcidkndbglkcfhjj
Search Manager nahhmpbckpgdidfnmfkfgiflpjijilce
Search Manager nccfgpamboionigdpfjmijhlgmgdbael
Search Manager ocilpnnapnkmcdabaeoobbamlniheaep
Search Manager olojcnagmcbplpdddabmpfehhlleobpb
Search Manager ommbgnllpkjnidkcnginhlacffdcdijc
Search Manager pilplloabdedfmialnfchjomjmpjcoej
Search Manager pknkncdfjlncijifekldbjmeaiakdbof
Search Manager ijahobfejgeblmkpcmgpelfibgnnjpil
Search Manager gemcaenpcldkhfkohjjkfgfopgghpkng
TheDocPDFConverter fmbgbhkodhifcbilahghgbloblanpeig
TheDocPDFConverter gdifegeihkihjbkkgdijkcpkjekoicbl
TheDocPDFConverter kifdhfgalmlmpcbbbimokkipeobjmpcl
TheDocPDFConverter onkopdeihmdimjphfbmlefelnegjkefb
ViewPDF apjnadhmhgdobcdanndaphcpmnjbnfng
ViewPDF ciiobgcookficfhfccnjfcdmhekiadje
ViewPDF dipecofobdcjnpffbkmfkdbfmjfjfgmn
ViewPDF feahcinjmgpdpiidkcemfgkakemfamjg
ViewPDF ghgjhnkjohlnmngbniijbkidigifekaa
ViewPDF hbhldhipemjbfcdlanhifabdgapnhgbd
ViewPDF jkofpdjclecgjcfomkaajhhmmhnninia
ViewPDF lhjdepbplpkgmghgiphdjpnagpmhijbg
ViewPDF mpledlgefahhhgodkdamhlplcjdgalme
ViewPDF ncepfbpjhkahgdemgmjmcgbgnfdinnhk
ViewPDF pnciakodcdnehobpfcjcnnlcpmjlpkac
Your Docs To PDF nofdiclilfkicekdajkiaieafeciemlh
YourEasyConvert fpagmddnoehfplillifalekcnfehinhb
Suspected Malicious Domains
apiprxy.com
docpdfconv.com
doctopdf.io
doctopdfpro.com
doctopdftech.com
easyconvertt.com
ezconvertor.com
fastdoctopdf.com
getdoctopdf.com
getsrchmgr.com
mysrchmanager.com
pdfconvert.ninja
pdfsrch.com
searchmanagertech.com
searchmgr.com
srchbar.com
srchmgrk.com
srchmgrl.com
srchmgrq.com
thedocpdfconverter.com
thedoctopdf.com
thepdfcreate.com
thepdfopener.com
viewpdf.com
viewpdf.io
yourdocstopdf.com
youreasyconvert.com

References

  1. Verizon 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report
    https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir.pdfx
  2. https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1176/
  3. “Nearly 80 Chrome extensions caught spying – how to protect yourself”. -Nicholas Fearn. https://www.tomsguide.com/news/chrome-extension-spyware
  4. “The Internet’s New Arms Dealers: Malicious Domain Registrars”. Awake Security. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3455675/wp-the-internets-new-arms-dealers-malicious-domain-registrars.pdf

The author

Kelsey O’Connell is a researcher with novaSOC‘s Threat Operations Team, investigating suspected malicious software/services and profiling advanced persistent threats.

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