APT18

APT18 is a threat group that has operated since at least 2009 and has targeted a range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, human rights groups, government, and medical. [1]

ID: G0026
Associated Groups: TG-0416, Dynamite Panda, Threat Group-0416
Version: 2.2
Created: 31 May 2017
Last Modified: 11 April 2024

Associated Group Descriptions

Name Description
TG-0416

[2][3]

Dynamite Panda

[2][3]

Threat Group-0416

[2]

Techniques Used

Domain ID Name Use
Enterprise T1071 .001 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols

APT18 uses HTTP for C2 communications.[4]

.004 Application Layer Protocol: DNS

APT18 uses DNS for C2 communications.[4]

Enterprise T1547 .001 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder

APT18 establishes persistence via the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key.[3][4]

Enterprise T1059 .003 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell

APT18 uses cmd.exe to execute commands on the victim’s machine.[4][3]

Enterprise T1133 External Remote Services

APT18 actors leverage legitimate credentials to log into external remote services.[5]

Enterprise T1083 File and Directory Discovery

APT18 can list files information for specific directories.[4]

Enterprise T1070 .004 Indicator Removal: File Deletion

APT18 actors deleted tools and batch files from victim systems.[1]

Enterprise T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

APT18 can upload a file to the victim’s machine.[4]

Enterprise T1027 .013 Obfuscated Files or Information: Encrypted/Encoded File

APT18 obfuscates strings in the payload.[4]

Enterprise T1053 .002 Scheduled Task/Job: At

APT18 actors used the native at Windows task scheduler tool to use scheduled tasks for execution on a victim network.[1]

Enterprise T1082 System Information Discovery

APT18 can collect system information from the victim’s machine.[4]

Enterprise T1078 Valid Accounts

APT18 actors leverage legitimate credentials to log into external remote services.[5]

Software

ID Name References Techniques
S0106 cmd [1] Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, File and Directory Discovery, Indicator Removal: File Deletion, Ingress Tool Transfer, Lateral Tool Transfer, System Information Discovery
S0032 gh0st RAT [5] Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, Command and Scripting Interpreter, Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service, Data Encoding: Standard Encoding, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, Dynamic Resolution: Fast Flux DNS, Encrypted Channel: Symmetric Cryptography, Encrypted Channel, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading, Indicator Removal: Clear Windows Event Logs, Indicator Removal: File Deletion, Ingress Tool Transfer, Input Capture: Keylogging, Modify Registry, Native API, Non-Application Layer Protocol, Process Discovery, Process Injection, Query Registry, Screen Capture, Shared Modules, System Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32, System Information Discovery, System Services: Service Execution
S0071 hcdLoader [1][2] Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service
S0070 HTTPBrowser [5] Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, File and Directory Discovery, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Search Order Hijacking, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading, Indicator Removal: File Deletion, Ingress Tool Transfer, Input Capture: Keylogging, Masquerading: Match Legitimate Name or Location, Obfuscated Files or Information
S0124 Pisloader [6] Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Data Encoding: Standard Encoding, File and Directory Discovery, Ingress Tool Transfer, Obfuscated Files or Information, System Information Discovery, System Network Configuration Discovery

References