Threats Tagged 'pondrat'

A sophisticated memory-only toolset used by a North Korean Lazarus subgroup targeting financial and cryptocurrency organizations consists of three malware families forming a chain. DPAPILoader decrypts and loads RemotePELoader from disk using Windows Data Protection API. RemotePELoader beacons to command-and-control servers and retrieves RemotePE, a fully-fledged remote access trojan executed entirely in memory without filesystem artifacts. The toolset employs environmental keying via DPAPI, EDR evasion through HellsGate technique and ETW patching, actor-in-the-loop payload delivery, and shared hosting infrastructure on Namecheap. RemotePE features comprehensive RAT capabilities including file operations, process management, command execution, and a plugin system for dynamically loading additional payloads, while maintaining persistence through masquerading as legitimate Windows services.

This report analyzes three remote access trojans (RATs) used by a Lazarus subgroup targeting financial and cryptocurrency organizations. The RATs, named PondRAT, ThemeForestRAT, and RemotePE, were observed during incident response cases. PondRAT is a simple RAT used as an initial payload, while ThemeForestRAT offers more functionality and operates in-memory. RemotePE is a more advanced RAT deployed in later attack stages. The actor uses social engineering for initial access and employs various tools for network discovery. The report details the RATs' capabilities, command and control mechanisms, and similarities to previously known malware families. It highlights the actor's persistent threat and evolving tactics in targeting high-value financial targets.

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