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MiniDuke Remote Access Trojan

MiniDuke, also known as CosmicDuke or TinyBaron, is a remote access trojan targeting users in Europe, North America and Asia.
Threat ID:
CC-2563
Category:
Trojan
Threat Severity:
Medium
Threat Vector:
Spear phishing, Phishing
Published:
2 August 2018 12:00 AM
Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

This content has been archived

This article no longer conforms to NHS Digital's standards for cyber alerts, and may contain outdated or inaccurate information. Use of this information contained in this page is at your own risk

Summary

MiniDuke, also known as CosmicDuke or TinyBaron, is a remote access trojan targeting users in Europe, North America and Asia.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

  • Microsoft Windows - All versions

Threat details

It was first seen in 2011 but has gone through multiple revisions since then, adding new capabilities and altering the infection vector.

Sophisticated PDF lure documents distributed in phishing campaigns are used to deliver MiniDuke. These documents contain exploits for two Adobe Reader vulnerabilities as well as a downloader for the main MiniDuke DLL module.

Once installed, MiniDuke will create a new task in the Windows Task Scheduler to spawn an instance of itself at start-up before connecting to a command and control server. It's primary function appears to be data exfiltration, collecting and transmitting files based on their extension and filename, however it is also able to install secondary malware and execute commands.

For further information

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.
  • Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity.
  • User accounts accessed from affected devices should be reset on a clean computer.
  • Your organisation adopts a holistic all-round approach to Cyber Security as advocated by the 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Last edited: 17 February 2020 12:49 pm