Shamoon Wiper Trojan

First observed in 2012, Shamoon (also referred to as DistTrack) is a modular data-wiping trojan believed to have been created by a Middle Eastern-affiliated advanced persistent threat for use against governments in the region.

Threat ID:: CC-2844
Category:: Trojan
Threat Severity:: Medium
Threat Vector:: Spear phishing
Published:: 13 December 2018 12:00 AM

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Summary

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows - All versions

Threat details

Despite this, recent Shamoon infections have been observed in Europe and Asia, indicating the possibility new threat actors are using the malware in more wide-reaching campaigns

Shamoon is initially delivered in sophisticated spear-phishing campaigns containing a dropper module embedded within a document, When opened, this module will create a service called 'NtsSrv', which is used to download and install wiping and reporting components. 'NtsSrv' will also attempt to propagate to other devices on the network using a hard-coded list of both default and stolen credentials.

Once installed, the wiper module will download a specific driver (Eldos) necessary for it to function, before deleting files and overwriting the Master Boot Record (MBR) to prevent data retrieval. The reporter module is used to connect to a command and control (C2) server, at which point the types of file to be deleted as well as the trigger time and date for the wiper can be specified. The reporter can able download other modules to the device and will send system information back to the C2 server before the MBR is overwritten.

Update 03 Jan 2019

A new Shamoon variant has been observed using certificates signed by the Chinese technology company Baidu. The appears to be no new functionality, with the variant disguising itself as a Baidu-branded system optimisation tool and using the Enigma Protector commercial packing utility. Political images included within the variant suggest it is being deployed by the Iranian-affiliated APT33 advanced persistent threat.

Threat updates

Date	Update
3 Jan 2019	A new Shamoon variant has been observed using certificates signed by the Chinese technology company Baidu. The appears to be no new functionality, with the variant disguising itself as a Baidu-branded system optimisation tool and using the Enigma Protector commercial packing utility. Political images included within the variant suggest it is being deployed by the Iranian-affiliated APT33 advanced persistent threat.

Date

Update

3 Jan 2019

Remediation steps

Type	Step
	To prevent and detect an infection, ensure that: 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. Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate. 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.

Type

Step

To prevent and detect an infection, ensure that:

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.
Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate.
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 12:58 pm