Microsoft ClickOnce Weaponized in 'OneClik' Attacks Targeting Energy Sector

A new wave of highly sophisticated cyberattacks is targeting critical energy infrastructure by weaponizing Microsoft's ClickOnce application deployment technology. Dubbed 'OneClik' by security researchers, this campaign represents a dangerous evolution in critical infrastructure threats by combining legitimate cloud services with Microsoft's trusted deployment framework.

ClickOnce, a Microsoft technology designed for streamlined application deployment, is being exploited to deliver malicious payloads to oil and gas organizations without triggering standard security alerts. The attackers have developed a method to execute their attacks without requiring any user interaction - a significant advancement in attack tradecraft that dramatically increases the threat potential.

The attack chain begins with compromised credentials or initial access through other means, after which the attackers leverage ClickOnce's automatic update capabilities to push malicious packages. These packages are hosted on legitimate cloud storage services, blending in with normal network traffic and avoiding traditional indicators of compromise.

Security analysts note several concerning aspects of this campaign:

1. Cloud Abuse: The use of mainstream cloud platforms for payload delivery makes detection exceptionally challenging, as these services are whitelisted in most corporate environments.

1. Persistence Mechanism: The ClickOnce framework provides built-in persistence through its automatic update features, allowing attackers to maintain long-term access.

1. Lateral Movement: Once established, the malware uses ClickOnce's network deployment capabilities to spread across connected systems in energy sector networks.

Critical infrastructure operators, particularly in the energy sector, are advised to implement additional controls around ClickOnce deployments, including strict application whitelisting and network segmentation. Microsoft has been notified about the abuse of its technology, but no patch or mitigation specific to this attack vector has been released as of this reporting.

The 'OneClik' campaign underscores the growing trend of attackers abusing legitimate IT administration tools and frameworks, making defense increasingly challenging. As critical infrastructure becomes more digitalized, such advanced persistent threats (APTs) represent a clear and present danger to national security and economic stability.