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* RAT malware campaign tries to evade detection using polyglot files
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RAT MALWARE CAMPAIGN TRIES TO EVADE DETECTION USING POLYGLOT FILES
By
BILL TOULAS
* January 12, 2023
* 05:24 PM
* 0
Operators of the StrRAT and Ratty remote access trojans (RAT) are running a new
campaign using polyglot MSI/JAR and CAB/JAR files to evade detection from
security tools.
The campaign was spotted by Deep Instinct, which reports that the threat actors
achieve moderate success in evading detection by anti-virus engines. This is
notable considering how old and well-documented the two particular RATs are.
Polyglot files combine two or more file formats in a way that makes it possible
for them to be interpreted and launched by multiple different applications
without error.
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breach caused byvendor-exposed database
Threat actors have been using polyglot files to hide malicious code, confuse
security solutions, and bypass protections for several years now.
Most recently, we reported about this technique being employed by the
StrelaStealer malware that targets Outlook and Thunderbird accounts.
Despite Microsoft’s efforts to address the problem by implementing a
signature-based detection system, there are ways to bypass this protection, so
polyglot files continue to be used for malicious purposes.
RAT POLYGLOT CAMPAIGN
One notable case that has been employed since 2018, which is also what Deep
Instinct observed in the latest RAT distribution campaign, is the combination of
JAR and MSI formats into a single file.
JAR files are archives identified as such by a record at their end, while in
MSI, the file type identifier is a “magic header” at the beginning of the file,
so threat actors can easily combine the two formats into a single file.
This dual format allows them to be executed as an MSI in Windows and also
executed as a JAR file by the Java runtime.
JARs are not executables, so they’re not as vigorously checked by anti-virus
tools. Unfortunately, this allows them to hide malicious code and trick the AV
into scanning the MSI part of the file, which should come out clean.
Inspecting the MSI/JAR polyglot (Deep Instinct)
Deep Instinct noticed CAB/JAR combinations instead of MSI in other cases
involving the same two RAT families. CABs are also good candidates for polyglot
combinations with JARs because they, too, feature a magic header for file type
interpretation.
The polyglots used in this campaign are spread by Sendgrid and URL shortening
services like Cutt.ly and Rebrand.ly, while the fetched StrRAT and Ratty
payloads are stored in Discord.
In terms of detection, the CAB/JAR polyglots return six positives out of 59 AV
engines on Virus Total, while 30 security vendors identify the MSI/JAR
polyglots. Hence, the detection rate ranges between 10% and 50%.
MSI/JAR polyglot file missed by half AV engines (BleepingComputer)
Deep Instinct reports that many of the examined polyglots for both StrRAT and
Ratty use the same C2 address and are hosted by the same Bulgarian hosting firm.
Hence, it’s possible that both strains are used in a single campaign run by the
same operator.
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BILL TOULAS
Bill Toulas is a technology writer and infosec news reporter with over a decade
of experience working on various online publications. An open source advocate
and Linux enthusiast, is currently finding pleasure in following hacks, malware
campaigns, and data breach incidents, as well as by exploring the intricate ways
through which tech is swiftly transforming our lives.
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