nerbianratcovid19-proofpoint2022

2026-09-23

Nerbian RAT Using COVID-19 Themes Features Sophisticated Evasion Techniques

by Andrew Northern, Pim Trouerbach, Tony Robinson, Axel F

May 11, 2022

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/nerbian-rat-using-covid-19-themes-features-sophisticated-evasion-techniques

Notes
Proofpoint
malware
anti-analysis
anti-reversing
Golang
RAT
Nerbian
COVID-19
World Health Organization
malware using open source libraries
Nerbia – Don Quixote
Golang adoption by threat actors – low barrier to entry, ease of use
phishing
Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
pr0xylife
Twitter https://x.com/pr0xylife/status/1519704793593307136
email attachment
who.inter.svc@gmail[.]com, announce@who-international[.]com
who_covid19.rar with who_covid19.doc inside, covid19guide.rar with covid19guide.doc inside, covid-19.doc
macro
Microsoft Word
RAR
phishing lure
Health Service Executive (HSE)
Ireland
National Council for the Blind of Ireland
batch (.bat) file
powershell IWR
UpdateUAV.exe
dropper
UPX
packer
K:/W_Work/Golang/src/RAT_Dropper/main_gen.go
main_downloadNerbian
code reuse, code reuse as attribution
go-ole/go-ole Component Object Module
gonutz/w32 Win32 API
mitchellh/go-ps
StackExchange/wmi WMI, WQL
p3tr0v/chacal
anti-debug, anti-vm, anti-forensics
GitHub
Chacal - “Golang anti-vm framework for Red Team and Pentesters”
anti-vm checks:
.. small hard disk size
.. name of hard disk contains “virtual”, “vbox”, “vmware”
.. MAC address has OUI: 00:0c:29, 00:50:56, 08:00:27, 52:54:00, 00:21:F6, 00:14:4F, 00:0F:4B, 00:10:E0, 00:00:7D, 00:21:28, 00:01:5D, 00:21:F6, 00:A0:A4, 00:07:82, 00:03:BA, 08:00:20, 2C:C2:60, 00:10:4F, 00:0F:4B, 00:13:97, 00:20:F2, 00:14:4F
.. process name contains: processhacker.exe, procmon.exe, pestudio.exe, procmon64.exe, x32dbg.exe, x64dbg.exe, CFF Explorer.exe, procexp64.exe, procexp.exe, pslist.exe, tcpview.exe, tcpvcon.exe, dbgview.exe, RAMMap.exe, RAMMap64.exe, vmmap.exe, ollydbg.exe, agent.py, autoruns.exe, autorunsc.exe, filemon.exe, regmon.exe, idaq.exe, idaq64.exe, ImmunityDebugger.exe, Wireshark.exe, dumpcap.exe, HookExplorer.exe, ImportREC.exe, PETools.exe, LordPE.exe, SysInspector.exe, proc_analyzer.exe, sysAnalyzer.exe, sniff_hit.exe, windbg.exe, joeboxcontrol.exe, joeboxserver.exe, joeboxserver.exe, ResourceHacker.exe, Fiddler.exe, httpdebugger.exe
.. memory analysis tools running: DumpIt.exe, RAMMap.exe, RAMMap64.exe, vmmap.exe
.. time measurement function
.. IsDebuggerPresent
.. NIC name contains: Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection, Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1, Software Loopback Interface 1
persistence
payload
hxxps://www[.] fernandestechnical [.]com/pub/media/ssl -> C:\ProgramData\USOShared\MoUsoCore.exe
scheduled task MicrosoftMouseCoreWork
malware encrypted configuration
malware working hours
working directory
command and control
keylogger
screen capture
screenshots: kbinani/screenshot
SSL
base64
SMBIOS
malduck
binascii
Python Python malware
HTTP GET, HTTP POST
HTTP, HTTPS
AES
encryption
concatenation
go-smbios
maldoc
malware vetting target hosts
obfuscation
strings
IoCs: YARA, Snort, Suricata, hashes

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