Hackers are increasingly exploiting packers to spread malware

Cybersecurity researchers from Test Level have uncovered an growing pattern of hackers exploiting industrial packing instruments like BoxedApp to hide and distribute varied malware strains. Over the previous 12 months, a major surge within the abuse of BoxedApp merchandise has been noticed, significantly in assaults focusing on monetary establishments and authorities organisations.

BoxedApp presents a spread of economic packers – together with BoxedApp Packer and BxILMerge – which offer superior options like Digital Storage (Digital File System, Digital Registry), Digital Processes, and a common instrumentation system (WIN/NT API hooking). Whereas these instruments are designed for official functions, menace actors have been leveraging them to pack malicious payloads, evade detection, and harden evaluation efforts.

In line with the researchers’ investigation, the primary abused BoxedApp merchandise are BoxedApp Packer and BxILMerge, each constructed on high of the BoxedApp SDK. These merchandise grant menace actors entry to the SDK’s most superior options, enabling them to create customized, distinctive packers that leverage cutting-edge capabilities whereas remaining various sufficient to keep away from static detection.

The advantages of utilizing superior, distinctive options supplied by BoxedApp SDK outweigh the disadvantages of using a identified industrial packer. Among the many most notable options and capabilities are Digital File System, Digital Registry, Digital Processes (PE Injection), WIN/NT API hooking SDK, common packing (destroying authentic PE Imports, compression, and so forth.), producing single-file bundles, and guaranteeing all I/O to Digital Storage stays in reminiscence with out dropping recordsdata to disk.

Though BoxedApp merchandise have been obtainable for a number of years, their abuse for malicious functions has considerably elevated previously 12 months, with no public acknowledgment of their connection to BoxedApp till now. Whereas utilizing industrial packers has each execs and cons for attackers, the superior capabilities they supply appear to outweigh the potential drawbacks.

Execs of utilizing BoxedApp merchandise for malware distribution embrace:

• Dependable, ready-to-use merchandise with superior capabilities
• Obtainable BoxedApp SDK for creating customized, various packers
• Proprietary Digital Storage system (Digital File System, Digital Registry)
• Creation of Digital Processes for PE injection
• Easy SDK for hooking WIN/NT APIs
• Normal packing (destroys authentic PE Imports, performs compression, and so forth.)
• Manufacturing of single-file bundles with all dependencies in Digital Storage
• All I/O to Digital Storage stays in reminiscence, stopping file drops on disk
• Problem in distinguishing between common and malicious packed purposes (excessive false optimistic price)

Cons embrace:

• Straightforward static detection of the unique BoxedApp merchandise used for packing
• Generic static detection of sure SDK options generally abused for malicious functions (e.g., WIN/NT API hooking, Digital Course of – PE injection)
• Excessive false optimistic detection price for non-malicious purposes packed by BoxedApp

Regardless of the excessive false optimistic price, which might end in discrepancies and set off detections even for non-malicious purposes, the built-in Home windows Defender and different top-tier antivirus options are usually unaffected.

The researchers analysed roughly 1,200 BoxedApp-packed samples submitted to VirusTotal within the final three years and efficiently processed by VT sandboxes. Alarmingly, 25% of those samples have been detected as malicious primarily based on their behaviour. The VirusTotal submission timeline of those malicious samples exhibits an growing pattern of BoxedApp abuse for malware deployment.

Among the many mostly deployed malware households have been RATs (Distant Entry Trojans) comparable to QuasarRAT, NanoCore, NjRAT, Neshta, AsyncRAT, and LodaRAT, in addition to stealers like RevengeRAT, AgentTesla, RedLine, and Remcos. Moreover, situations of ransomware like LockBit have been additionally detected.

The researchers carried out an in-depth evaluation of the BoxedApp internals, specializing in the ensuing binary constructions packed by totally different merchandise. This evaluation offered insights into unpacking the Digital Storage and reconstructing the primary malicious binaries. Yara signatures have been additionally offered to help in statically detecting the packer in use whereas distinguishing the precise product employed.

(Photograph by Arthur Edelmans)

See additionally: Sonatype exposes malicious PyPI package deal ‘pytoileur’

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Tags: boxedapp, cyber safety, cybersecurity, hacking, infosec, malware, packers, safety