Threat Hunt of the Month: Quad7 Botnet and Password Spraying Tactics Threaten Microsoft 365 Accounts

In November 2024, GoSecure Threat Hunters have identified an alarming rise in the activity of the Quad7 botnet, a sophisticated network of compromised nodes employed by cybercriminals to perform password spraying attacks on Microsoft 365 accounts. This method strategically avoids common detection methods such as account lockouts by using widely used passwords against a long list of valid users over an extended period. 

Why This Matters 

The Quad7 Botnet’s method of password spraying poses a significant threat because it bypasses typical brute-force protections, making traditional defense mechanisms like account lockout policies ineffective. The technique exploits the practice of using common passwords, thereby increasing the risk of unauthorized access to critical cloud accounts without triggering security alerts. 

Detection and Monitoring 

Our Threat Hunters hypothesized that the Quad7 Botnet is being used to breach valid cloud accounts through password spraying. After validating the availability of necessary log data, our team confirmed the botnet’s activity, and none of our managed clients were compromised. To counter such threats, we have established the following detection rule: 

Detection Rule: Entra ID Account Password Compromised By Quad7 Botnet
Description: Identifies successful Entra ID authentication attempts that exhibit characteristics associated with the Quad7 botnet. 

Recommendations 

Organizations are advised to strengthen their defenses by implementing recommendations from Microsoft and other cybersecurity entities. These include enhancing surveillance of sign-in logs and user activities, employing multi-factor authentication (MFA), and educating users about the risks of password reuse and the importance of using complex passwords. 

Conclusion 

The November Threat Hunt underscores the changing nature of cyber threats and the need for advanced detection and response strategies. GoSecure’s MXDR service provides robust surveillance and threat mitigation to guard against sophisticated threats like those posed by the Quad7 botnet. For further details on bolstering your defenses, or to discuss our findings and recommendations, please contact us directly at (888)-287-5858 or info@gosecure.ai. 

Stay secure! 

Your GoSecure Threat Hunting Team