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SquirtDanger RAT Botnet

SquirtDanger is a newly observed remote access trojan and botnet being sold on several dark net sites.
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Summary

SquirtDanger is a newly observed remote access trojan and botnet being sold on several dark net sites.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Threat details

At the time of publication it is unclear how SquirtDanger is being delivered though there are unconfirmed reports indicating it is being delivered through spam campaigns conducted by the botnet itself. Once delivered, SquirtDanger will create and installation directory and copy itself to it. The following directories have been observed:

  • %TEMP%\Microsoft_SQL_SDKs\AzureService.exe
  • %TEMP%\MonoCecil\Fazathron.exe

Once this is done it will create a new instance of itself before terminating the original process. SquirtDanger will then create a new executable to act as a persistence mechanism. If the exectuable does not detect an instance of SquirtDanger present it will write a new copy to disk and spawn a new instance. The following exectuables have been observed:

  • %TEMP%\MSBuild.exe
  • %TEMP%\OmagarableQuest.exe

By default, SquirtDanger contains no additional functionality, instead downloading modules once installed.This is likely done to keep the initial package size small and avoid anti-virus scans. These modules provide SquirtDanger with the capability to:

  • Download, upload and execute files.
  • List, initiate and terminate processes.
  • Take screenshots.
  • Gather directory information.
  • List drives.
  • Steal browser passwords and cryptocurrency wallet addresses.

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, anti-virus 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 affected devices should be reset on a clean computer.

Last edited: 17 February 2020 12:55 pm