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FALLCHILL: North Korean RAT

FALLCHILL is a remote access trojan (RAT) that uses a pair of malware proxies to communicate with its command and control (C2) server.
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Summary

FALLCHILL is a remote access trojan (RAT) that uses a pair of malware proxies to communicate with its command and control (C2) server.

Threat details

It is suspected that FALLCHILL was produced by the North Korean government (also known as HIDDEN COBRA) and as such its capabilities are focused towards data gathering and exfiltration. Infection occurs either through by a user downloading a file from a compromised website or as a file dropped by another North Korean-affiliated malware. Because of this additional malware may be present on a user's system. Once installed FALLCHILL collects basic information on the OS version, processor, local IP and MAC address, system name and user ID before sending it on to the C2 server. The malware then persists on the system.

FALLCHILL also contains the following built-in functions for remote operation:

  • create, execute, and terminate processes
  • search, modify, move, and execute files and directories
  • retrieve installed disk information
  • delete artifacts associated with its infection

Remediation advice

To prevent and detect a trojan infection, ensure that:

Remediation steps

Type Step
  • A robust program of education and awareness training is delivered to users to ensure they don’t open attachments or follow links within unsolicited emails.
  • All operating systems, antivirus and other security products are kept up to date.
  • All day to day computer activities such as email and internet are performed using non-administrative accounts.
  • Strong password policies are in place and password reuse is discouraged.
  • Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity.
  • User accounts accessed from infected machines should be reset on a clean computer

Last edited: 17 February 2020 11:30 am