Terdot Banking Trojan

Terdot is an advanced banking trojan with similarities to the ZeuS malware that is is able to collect a variety of information from both the browser and machine itself.

Threat ID:: CC-1802
Category:: Trojan
Threat Severity:: Medium
Threat Vector:: Exploit
Published:: 22 November 2017 12:00 AM

Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

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Summary

Terdot is an advanced banking trojan with similarities to the ZeuS malware that is is able to collect a variety of information from both the browser and machine itself.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows - All Versions

Threat details

It is targeted primarily at Canadian financial organisations, however activity has been observed in the US, UK, Germany and Australia.

Distributed by the Sundown exploit kit, Terdot uses a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) proxy server to inspect and redirect traffic. This sophisticated proxy attack is able to hijack HTTPS traffic by placing itself in a system's network sockets using a legitimate executable - part of Mozilla's Network Security Services (NSS) package. This means it can add its own certificates to a system's certificate store enabling collection and viewing of SSL-encrypted traffic.

As it is injected onto a user's browser, Terdot can be used to steal any information entered into the browser or stored in cookies, and can imitate someone using compromised social media accounts. It is also able to download and execute files from a remote server, raising the possibility of further malware infection.

Terdot contains anti-detection and removal capabilities, using genuine tools to operate. Upon delivery several security countermeasures are downloaded, one of which is a domain generation algorithm (DGA). This generates unique, dynamic domains for its command & control (C2) communications, making it difficult to sinkhole. Terdot can also forge certificates for domains visited during MitM attacks, bypassing transport layer security (TLS) restrictions.

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.

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 11:40 am