SLOTHFULMEDIA

SLOTHFULMEDIA is a remote access Trojan written in C++ that has been used by an unidentified "sophisticated cyber actor" since at least January 2017.[1][2] It has been used to target government organizations, defense contractors, universities, and energy companies in Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe.[3][4]

In October 2020, Kaspersky Labs assessed SLOTHFULMEDIA is part of an activity cluster it refers to as "IAmTheKing".[4] ESET also noted code similarity between SLOTHFULMEDIA and droppers used by a group it refers to as "PowerPool".[5]

ID: S0533
Associated Software: JackOfHearts, QueenOfClubs
Type: MALWARE
Platforms: Windows
Contributors: Daniyal Naeem, BT Security
Version: 1.0
Created: 16 November 2020
Last Modified: 13 April 2021

Associated Software Descriptions

Name Description
JackOfHearts

Kaspersky Labs refers to the "mediaplayer.exe" dropper within SLOTHFULMEDIA as the JackOfHearts.[4]

QueenOfClubs

Kaspersky Labs assesses SLOTHFULMEDIA is an older variant of a malware family it refers to as the QueenOfClubs.[4]

Techniques Used

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

SLOTHFULMEDIA has used HTTP and HTTPS for C2 communications.[1]

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

SLOTHFULMEDIA can open a command line to execute commands.[1]

Enterprise T1543 .003 Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service

SLOTHFULMEDIA has created a service on victim machines named "TaskFrame" to establish persistence.[1]

Enterprise T1005 Data from Local System

SLOTHFULMEDIA has uploaded files and information from victim machines.[1]

Enterprise T1001 Data Obfuscation

SLOTHFULMEDIA has hashed a string containing system information prior to exfiltration via POST requests.[1]

Enterprise T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

SLOTHFULMEDIA has sent system information to a C2 server via HTTP and HTTPS POST requests.[1]

Enterprise T1083 File and Directory Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA can enumerate files and directories.[1]

Enterprise T1564 .001 Hide Artifacts: Hidden Files and Directories

SLOTHFULMEDIA has been created with a hidden attribute to insure it's not visible to the victim.[1]

Enterprise T1070 .004 Indicator Removal: File Deletion

SLOTHFULMEDIA has deleted itself and the 'index.dat' file on a compromised machine to remove recent Internet history from the system.[1]

Enterprise T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

SLOTHFULMEDIA has downloaded files onto a victim machine.[1]

Enterprise T1056 .001 Input Capture: Keylogging

SLOTHFULMEDIA has a keylogging capability.[1]

Enterprise T1036 .004 Masquerading: Masquerade Task or Service

SLOTHFULMEDIA has named a service it establishes on victim machines as "TaskFrame" to hide its malicious purpose.[1]

.005 Masquerading: Match Legitimate Name or Location

SLOTHFULMEDIA has mimicked the names of known executables, such as mediaplayer.exe.[1]

Enterprise T1112 Modify Registry

SLOTHFULMEDIA can add, modify, and/or delete registry keys. It has changed the proxy configuration of a victim system by modifying the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap registry.[1]

Enterprise T1057 Process Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA has enumerated processes by ID, name, or privileges.[1]

Enterprise T1055 Process Injection

SLOTHFULMEDIA can inject into running processes on a compromised host.[1]

Enterprise T1113 Screen Capture

SLOTHFULMEDIA has taken a screenshot of a victim's desktop, named it "Filter3.jpg", and stored it in the local directory.[1]

Enterprise T1489 Service Stop

SLOTHFULMEDIA has the capability to stop processes and services.[1]

Enterprise T1082 System Information Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA has collected system name, OS version, adapter information, memory usage, and disk information from a victim machine.[1]

Enterprise T1049 System Network Connections Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA can enumerate open ports on a victim machine.[1]

Enterprise T1033 System Owner/User Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA has collected the username from a victim machine.[1]

Enterprise T1007 System Service Discovery

SLOTHFULMEDIA has the capability to enumerate services.[1]

Enterprise T1569 .002 System Services: Service Execution

SLOTHFULMEDIA has the capability to start services.[1]

References