WhiteShadow Dropper Trojan

First observed in August 2019, White Shadow is a lightweight macro-based dropper trojan used to deliver several well-known malware including Nanocore, FormBook, Agent Tesla, and AzorULT.

Threat ID:: CC-3238
Category:: Trojan
Threat Severity:: Medium
Threat Vector:: Email-spam
Published:: 3 October 2019 12:00 AM

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

Summary

First observed in August 2019, White Shadow is a lightweight macro-based dropper trojan used to deliver several well-known malware including Nanocore, FormBook, Agent Tesla, and AzorULT.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows - All versions

Threat details

White Shadow is delivered as a macro-enabled Microsoft Office document distributed via spam email campaigns. Unlike most malware delivered in this manner, White Shadow is constructed entirely from the macros contained within the document.

Once installed, White Shadow will contact a remote Microsoft SQL Server instance to execute a query and save the result as an archived executable file. It will then extract and decode the file, before installing it on the affected system.

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.

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 2:57 pm