StrifeWater

Malware updated a month ago (2024-11-29T14:28:12.347Z)
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StrifeWater is a stealthy Remote Access Trojan (RAT) used in targeted ransomware attacks, primarily deployed by the Iranian APT group, Moses Staff. This malware has been identified as a key tool for initial infiltration and reconnaissance on compromised targets, with various capabilities including listing system files, executing system commands, taking screen captures, creating persistence, and downloading updates and auxiliary modules. StrifeWater is typically introduced into the system under the name "calc.exe" and has the unique ability to remove itself from the system to cover the tracks of the attackers, making it difficult for investigators to fully understand the attack flow. The deployment of StrifeWater appears to be part of a broader hacking operation conducted by Moses Staff, which involves exfiltrating data from targeted organizations using custom tools like PyDCrypt, DCSrv, and StrifeWater. The RAT distinguishes between types of data being sent to the command and control server (C2) using specific parameters, although the functionality of additional modules downloaded based on received commands remains unknown. It's suspected that StrifeWater is one of the main tools used to establish a foothold in victim environments, predominantly during the earlier stages of an attack. Cybereason's Nocturnus Team has been at the forefront of analyzing this previously unknown RAT, StrifeWater, and its role in targeted ransomware attacks. Their XDR Platform successfully detects and blocks StrifeWater RAT and other advanced tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used in these operations. Despite the stealthy nature of StrifeWater, Cybereason's efforts have provided valuable insights into the workings of this RAT and the broader operations of the Moses Staff group.
Description last updated: 2024-05-05T08:26:03.160Z
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Associated Malware
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Alias DescriptionAssociation TypeVotes
The PyDCrypt Malware is associated with StrifeWater. PyDCrypt is a malicious software (malware) variant deployed by the Moses Staff group, primarily targeting Israeli companies. The malware is written in Python and built with PyInstaller, designed to infect other computers on a network and execute the main payload, DCSrv. It is typically used in the lUnspecified
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The DCSrv Malware is associated with StrifeWater. DCSrv is a variant of ransomware developed by the threat group known as Moses Staff. According to research conducted by the Cybereason Nocturnus team, DCSrv was discovered as part of the Moses Staff arsenal, alongside other tools such as PyDCrypt and StrifeWater. The malware disguises itself as the Unspecified
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Associated Threat Actors
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Alias DescriptionAssociation TypeVotes
The Moses Staff Threat Actor is associated with StrifeWater. Moses Staff, an Iranian Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group, has emerged as a significant cybersecurity threat. The Cybereason Nocturnus Team has been monitoring the activities of this group since 2021, and it has been linked to several major ransomware-style attacks. Initially categorized as hacUnspecified
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Source Document References
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