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Murkios Trojan

Murkios is a newly observed information stealing trojan and botnet available for sale on a number of dark web forums.

Threat ID:
CC-2952
Category:
Threat Severity:
Medium
Threat Vector:
Published:
27 February 2019 12:00 AM
Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

Summary

Murkios is a newly observed information stealing trojan and botnet available for sale on a number of dark web forums.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows - All versions

Threat details

At the time of publication, it is unclear how Murkios is delivered, although there are unconfirmed reports indicating it may be distributed as an attachment in small-scale spam campaigns.

Once executed, Murkios will drop five EXE files, each with different functionality:

  • start.exe - Checks operating system version, adds malicious user accounts, bypasses User Account Control restrictions and installs other modules.
  • systems.exe - Installs RDP Wrapper Library, a legitimate Remote Desktop Protocol tool designed for multiple concurrent sessions.
  • uid.txt - Creates and stores a unique identifier for the affected system.
  • winsys.exe - Captures screen images and sends all extracted information back to the C2 server using an SSH tunnel. Will also receive the UID from the C2 server.
  • winsystem.exe - A variant of the legitimate PuTTY Link (Plink) network session tool, used to connect to other devices on the same network.

Remediation steps

Type Step

To prevent and detect a trojan 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: 14 February 2020 2:51 pm