input
stringlengths
1
785
output
dict
schema
listlengths
0
0
IntelRS.exe waits in an indefinite loop, until AppTransferWiz.DLL defines this state.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Once the state is set, IntelRS.exe proceeds to collect data from various areas in the system as described below: IntelRS.exe loads a Delphi component called DelphiNative.DLL, which implements some additional data theft functionality for the following: The Stealer component uses common techniques to acquire credential d...
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "IntelRS.exe", "start": 23, "end": 34 }, { "text": "data", "start": 55, "end": 59 }, { "text": "various areas in the system as described below", "start": 65, "end": 111 ...
[]
For instance, it loads vaultcli.DLL and uses various APIs shown below to acquire RDP accounts from the Windows vault.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "it", "start": 14, "end": 16 }, { "text": "vaultcli.DLL", "start": 23, "end": 35 }, { "text": "various APIs shown below", "start": 45, "end": 69 }, { "tex...
[]
Harvested data is encrypted and written to disk on the local host.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "Harvested data", "start": 0, "end": 14 }, { "text": "disk", "start": 43, "end": 47 }, { "text": "the local host", "start": 51, "end": 65 } ], "action": [ ...
[]
The filenames for these encrypted files follow this naming scheme: The {stolen data type} parameter indicates where the data was harvested from (e.g., a Web browser, an instant messenger application, installed proxy software).
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Analysis of the malware indicates that the data is encrypted via a Rijndael cipher implementation; more specifically it uses AES which is a specific set of configurations of Rijndael.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "the data", "start": 39, "end": 47 }, { "text": "a Rijndael cipher implementation", "start": 65, "end": 97 } ], "action": [ { "text": "is encrypted", "start": 48, "en...
[]
It uses a key size of 256 bytes and block size of 128 bytes, which conforms to the FIPS-197 specification of AES-256.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
It utilizes the passphrase'HavijeBaba' and a salt of'salam! *% #' as an input to PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2) to derive the key and initialization vector for the encryption.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This key derivation implementation in .NET
{ "entities": {} }
[]
is done using the Rfc2898DeriveBytes class.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The passphrase and salt are Persian language words.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
'' Havij'' means'' carrot'','' Baba'' means'' father'', and'' Salam'' is a common greeting that means'' Peace''.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
We identified 17 droppers during this research, including: The 2009 compile time appears to have been forged, while the 2013 compile times may be legitimate.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
In some cases, we found an implant but not the parent dropper.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
In total, 22 of the 23 implants that we identified during our research had unique compile times ranging from 2013-10-29 until 2014-03-15.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
We identified two implants that were both compiled on 2014-3-15 at 23:16.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
These compile times appear to be legitimate and coincide with attempted intrusion activity attributed to these attackers.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Many of the malicious executables (droppers) that we collected were bundled with legitimate installers for VPN or proxy software.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "Many of the malicious executables (droppers) that we collected", "start": 0, "end": 62 }, { "text": "legitimate installers for VPN or proxy software", "start": 81, "end": 128 } ], "action": [ ...
[]
Examples include: • 6dc7cc33a3cdcfee6c4edb6c085b869d was bundled with an installer for Ultrasurf Proxy software.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "6dc7cc33a3cdcfee6c4edb6c085b869d", "start": 20, "end": 52 }, { "text": "an installer for Ultrasurf Proxy software", "start": 70, "end": 111 } ], "action": [ { "text": "was bundled",...
[]
• 3d26442f06b34df3d5921f89bf680ee9 was bundled with an installer for Gerdoovpn virtual private network software.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "3d26442f06b34df3d5921f89bf680ee9", "start": 2, "end": 34 }, { "text": "an installer for Gerdoovpn virtual private network software", "start": 52, "end": 111 } ], "action": [ { "text...
[]
• 3efd971db6fbae08e96535478888cff9 was bundled with an installer for the Psiphon proxy.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "3efd971db6fbae08e96535478888cff9", "start": 2, "end": 34 }, { "text": "an installer for the Psiphon proxy", "start": 52, "end": 86 } ], "action": [ { "text": "was bundled", ...
[]
• 288c91d6c0197e99b92c06496921bf2f was bundled with an installer for Proxifier software.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "288c91d6c0197e99b92c06496921bf2f", "start": 2, "end": 34 }, { "text": "an installer for Proxifier software", "start": 52, "end": 87 } ], "action": [ { "text": "was bundled", ...
[]
These droppers were also designed to visually spoof the appearance of the above applications.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "These droppers", "start": 0, "end": 14 }, { "text": "the appearance of the above applications", "start": 52, "end": 92 } ], "action": [ { "text": "spoof", "start": 46, ...
[]
These droppers contained icons used in the legitimate installers for these programs.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "These droppers", "start": 0, "end": 14 }, { "text": "icons used in the legitimate installers for these programs", "start": 25, "end": 83 } ], "action": [ { "text": "contained", ...
[]
Analysis of the PDB strings seen in the implants indicates that there may be more than one developer working on the source code for the Stealer builder.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The following two PDB paths were seen in the collection of implants that we collected: These strings indicate that the Stealer source code was stored in two different paths but not necessarily on two different computers.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The f:\Projects\ path may be from an external storage device such as a thumb drive.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
It is therefore possible that only one person has access to the source code, but keeps a separate repository on an external storage device.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Alternatively, the different file paths could be the result of two different actors storing their source code in two different locations.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
In nine of the implants that we collected, we found a consistent portable executable (PE) resource with a SHA256 of 5156aca994ecfcb40458ead8c830cd66469d5f5 a031392898d323a8d7a7f23d3.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This PE resource contains the VSVERSIONINFO.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
In layman's terms, this can best be described as the metadata describing the executable file.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This specific PE resource contained the following information: Note the InternalName of'Stealer.exe'.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This is the attackers' name for this malware family.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
During our research, we recovered two different tools used by the members of the Ajax Security Team in conjunction with targeted intrusion activities.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The first tool, labeled the'Stealer Builder' was compiled on 2014-04-08.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This compile date may indicate that the group is still active.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Upon executing the'Stealer Builder' the user is presented with an option to load the'Builder' or to'Decrypt' logs generated from a victim and exfiltrated to a command-and-control (CnC) server under the groups' control.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "logs", "start": 109, "end": 113 }, { "text": "a command-and-control (CnC) server under the groups' control", "start": 157, "end": 217 } ], "action": [ { "text": "exfiltrated", ...
[]
The Builder option enables an attacker to configure a new Stealer backdoor.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "an attacker", "start": 27, "end": 38 }, { "text": "a new Stealer backdoor", "start": 52, "end": 74 } ], "action": [ { "text": "configure", "start": 42, "end": 51 ...
[]
The user can configure the new backdoor to connect to a specific CnC server with a personalized username and password.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "the new backdoor", "start": 23, "end": 39 }, { "text": "a specific CnC server", "start": 54, "end": 75 }, { "text": "a personalized username and password", "start": 81, "end...
[]
The attacker can bind the backdoor to a legitimate application of his or her choosing, or they can cloak it with an icon designed to make the backdoor appear as though it is a legitimate file.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "The attacker", "start": 0, "end": 12 }, { "text": "the backdoor", "start": 22, "end": 34 }, { "text": "a legitimate application of his or her choosing", "start": 38, "end": ...
[]
We also noted that the Builder did not allow the attacker to select a new passphrase or salt used to encrypt the stolen data.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The passphrase'HavijeBaba' and a salt of'salam! *% #' are both hardcoded into the builder.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
During testing, we observed that backdoors generated by this Stealer Builder had a timestamp of 2013-12-19.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
We had one backdoor in our repository with this same timestamp.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This sample (MD5 1823b77b9ee6296a8b997ffb64d32d21) was configured to exfiltrate data to ultrasms [.] ir.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "This sample (MD5 1823b77b9ee6296a8b997ffb64d32d21)", "start": 0, "end": 50 }, { "text": "data", "start": 80, "end": 84 }, { "text": "ultrasms [.] ir", "start": 88, "end": 10...
[]
The VSVERSIONINFO PE resource mentioned above (SHA256 5156aca994ecfcb40458ead8c830cd66469d5f5 a031392898d323a8d7a7f23d3) is an artifact of the Stealer builder that we recovered.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The builder generates an executable named IntelRapidStart.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
exe.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This executable contains the aforementioned VSVERSIONINFO PE resource.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
We also recovered a tool designed to encode plaintext into Base64 encoded text or decode Base64 encoded text into plaintext.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Members of the Ajax Security Team likely this use tool to encode the configuration data seen in RapidStartTech.stl files.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
As noted above, the RapidStartTech.stl contains the backdoor's FTP credentials, implant name, decoy name, and screenshot interval, along with boolean settings for startup, keylogger, and screenshot plugins.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Encoding and decoding Base64 data is a straightforward task and the standard Linux operating system offers a number of command line tools to achieve this task.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The presence of a Windows-based GUI tool that simplifies encoding and decoding Base64 data indicates that these tools may have been developed for less adept users.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The CnC infrastructure consists of distinct, but linked, clusters that have targeted both the users of anti-censorship tools in Iran as well as defense contractor companies in the U.S.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The first cluster contains the domain used in the Aerospace Conference attack as well as the domains used in phishing attacks designed to capture user credentials: The website used in the Aerospace Conference attack was aeroconf2014 [.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "the domains", "start": 89, "end": 100 }, { "text": "phishing attacks", "start": 109, "end": 125 }, { "text": "user credentials", "start": 146, "end": 162 } ], ...
[]
] org, which is registered to info @usa.gov [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] us.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
However, historical WHOIS information shows that the domain was registered by keyvan.ajaxtm @gmail [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] com-the same domain used to register ajaxtm [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org, the website of the Ajax Security Team.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The same email addresses were used to register variations of domain names associated with popular services provided by companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo and LinkedIn.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The second cluster comprises the CnC infrastructure used in the anti-censorship attacks.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The majority of the samples we analyzed connect to intel-update [.] com and update-mirror [.] com, which were registered by james.mateo @aim [.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "The majority of the samples we analyzed", "start": 0, "end": 39 }, { "text": "intel-update [.] com and update-mirror [.] com", "start": 51, "end": 97 } ], "action": [ { "text": "con...
[]
] com.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The domain intel-update [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] com resolved to the IP address 88.150.227.197, which also hosted domains registered by osshom @yahoo [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] com, many of which are consistent with the pattern of registering domains with associations to Google and Yahoo services.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
We also observed crossover with a sample that connected to both intel- update [.] com and ultrasms [.] ir, which was registered by lvlr98 @gmail [.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "a sample", "start": 32, "end": 40 }, { "text": "both intel- update [.] com and ultrasms [.] ir", "start": 59, "end": 105 } ], "action": [ { "text": "connected", "start": 46,...
[]
] com.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
These two clusters are linked by a common IP address (5.9.244.151), which is used by both ns2.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
aeroconf2014 [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org and office.windows- essentials [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] tk.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
A third cluster of activity was found via analysis of 1d4d9f6e6fa1a07cb0a66a9ee06d624a.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
This sample is a Stealer variant that connects to the aforementioned intel-update [.] com as well as plugin-adobe [.] com.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "This sample", "start": 0, "end": 11 }, { "text": "the aforementioned intel-update [.] com as well as plugin-adobe [.] com", "start": 50, "end": 121 } ], "action": [ { "text": "conne...
[]
The domain plugin-adobe [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] com resolved to 81.17.28.235.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Other domains seen resolving to IP address nearby include the following: Aside from the sample connecting to plugin- adobe [.] com, we have not discovered any malware connecting to these domains.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "the sample", "start": 84, "end": 94 }, { "text": "plugin- adobe [.] com", "start": 109, "end": 130 } ], "action": [ { "text": "connecting", "start": 95, "end": 105 ...
[]
During our investigation, we were able to recover information on 77 victims from one CnC server that we discovered while analyzing malware samples that were disguised as anti-censorship tools.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "malware samples", "start": 131, "end": 146 }, { "text": "anti-censorship tools", "start": 170, "end": 191 } ], "action": [ { "text": "were disguised", "start": 152, ...
[]
While analyzing the data from the victims, we found that the majority had either their timezone set to'' Iran Standard Time'' or had their language setting set to Persian: The largest concentration of victims is in Iran, based on the premise that Persian language settings and'' Iran Standard Time'' correlate the victim...
{ "entities": {} }
[]
As such, we believe that attackers disguised malware as anti-censorship tools in order to target the users of such tools inside Iran as well as Iranian dissidents outside the country.
{ "entities": { "entity": [ { "text": "attackers", "start": 25, "end": 34 }, { "text": "malware", "start": 45, "end": 52 }, { "text": "anti-censorship tools", "start": 56, "end": 77 }, { "text...
[]
The Ajax Security Team appears to have been formed by personas named'' HUrr! c4nE!'' and'' Cair3x'' in 2010.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Both members were engaged in website defacements prior to the forming of the Ajax Security Team, and both were members of Iranian hacker forums such as ashiyane [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org and shabgard [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Other members include'' 0day'','' Mohammad PK'' and'' Crim3r''.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The Ajax Security Team website at ajaxtm [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org had a Web forum with at least 236 members.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The group published several exploits for content management systems and engaged in defacements.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
Initially, the defacements seemed to be motivated by a desire to demonstrate the group's prowess-they even defaced an Iranian government website.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
However, the group appears to have become increasingly political.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
For example, in a blog post in 2012,'' Cair3x'' announced the targeting of Iran's political opponents.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
In 2013, the Ajax Security Team, and'' HUrr! c4nE!'' in particular, took part in'' #OpIsrael'' and'' #OpUSA''.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
By early 2014, the Ajax Security Team appears to have dwindled.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
There have been no defacements since December 2013.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
The website and forum at ajaxtm [.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
] org operated by'' HUrr! c4nE!'', aka'' k3yv4n'', is no longer active.
{ "entities": {} }
[]
'' HUrr! c4nE!'' has the most open/documented Internet persona of the Ajax Security Team.
{ "entities": {} }
[]