name: Possible Backdoor Activity Associated With MUDCARP Espionage Campaigns
id: 988C59C5-0A1C-45B6-A555-0C62276E327E
version: 1
date: '2020-01-22'
author: iDefense Cyber Espionage Team, iDefense
type: batch
description: Monitor your environment for suspicious behaviors that resemble the techniques
  employed by the MUDCARP threat group.
narrative: 'This story was created as a joint effort between iDefense and Splunk.\

  iDefense analysts have recently discovered a Windows executable file that, upon
  execution, spoofs a decryption tool and then drops a file that appears to be the
  custom-built javascript backdoor, "Orz," which is associated with the threat actors
  known as MUDCARP (as well as "temp.Periscope" and "Leviathan"). The file is executed
  using Wscript.\

  The MUDCARP techniques include the use of the compressed-folders module from Microsoft,
  zipfldr.dll, with RouteTheCall export to run the malicious process or command. After
  a successful reboot, the malware is made persistent by a manipulating `[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]''help''=''c:\\windows\\system32\\rundll32.exe
  c:\\windows\\system32\\zipfldr.dll,RouteTheCall c:\\programdata\\winapp.exe''`.
  Though this technique is not exclusive to MUDCARP, it has been spotted in the group''s
  arsenal of advanced techniques seen in the wild.\

  This Analytic Story searches for evidence of tactics, techniques, and procedures
  (TTPs) that allow for the use of a endpoint detection-and-response (EDR) bypass
  technique to mask the true parent of a malicious process. It can also be set as
  a registry key for further sandbox evasion and to allow the malware to launch only
  after reboot.\

  If behavioral searches included in this story yield positive hits, iDefense recommends
  conducting IOC searches for the following:\

  \

  1. www.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. chemscalere[.]com\

  1. about.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. autoconfig.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. autodiscover.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. catalog.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. cpanel.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. db.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. ftp.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. mail.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. news.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. update.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. webmail.chemscalere[.]com\

  1. www.candlelightparty[.]org\

  1. candlelightparty[.]org\

  1. newapp.freshasianews[.]comIn addition, iDefense also recommends that organizations
  review their environments for activity related to the following hashes:\

  \

  1. cd195ee448a3657b5c2c2d13e9c7a2e2\

  1. b43ad826fe6928245d3c02b648296b43\

  1. 889a9b52566448231f112a5ce9b5dfaf\

  1. b8ec65dab97cdef3cd256cc4753f0c54\

  1. 04d83cd3813698de28cfbba326d7647c'
references:
- https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/scope-of-mudcarp-attacks-highlight-1/
- http://blog.amossys.fr/badflick-is-not-so-bad.html
tags:
  analytic_story: Possible Backdoor Activity Associated With MUDCARP Espionage Campaigns
  category:
  - Adversary Tactics
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  usecase: Advanced Threat Detection
