| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Threat Actors | Unknown actors offering the HeartCrypt PaaS targeting various regions and industries. |
| Campaign Overview | HeartCrypt is a Packer-as-a-Service (PaaS) launched in February 2024, used to protect malware by obfuscating code within legitimate binaries. Advertised in underground forums and Telegram, it supports 32-bit Windows payloads for $20 per file. |
| Target Regions (Victims) | Observed campaigns in Latin America and other global regions. Specific targets include industries and individuals. |
| Methodology | HeartCrypt injects malicious code into legitimate executables. Techniques include: ➡ Control flow hijacking ➡ Obfuscation (stack strings, junk bytes, etc.) ➡ Anti-sandboxing methods (loop emulation and Windows Defender evasion) |
| Product Targeted | Windows systems, particularly 32-bit binaries. |
| Malware Reference | Associated with LummaStealer, Remcos RAT, XWorm, Quasar RAT, RedLine Stealer, and others. |
| Tools Used | ➡ Telegram ➡ Underground forums (e.g., XSS.is, Exploit.in, BlackHatForums) ➡ API abuse (e.g., LoadResource, VirtualProtect) |
| Vulnerabilities Exploited | Anti-sandbox evasion techniques targeting: ➡ Windows Defender’s VDLL ➡ VM detection with d3d9 library ➡ Dependency emulation checks |
| TTPs | ➡ Packer services for malware ➡ Use of legitimate binaries for obfuscation ➡ Extensive use of control flow obfuscation (jmp instructions, PIC) ➡ Dynamic API resolution ➡ Tailored payload injection into binaries |
| Attribution | Development observed since July 2023 by unknown operators, possibly cybercriminal syndicates. |
| Recommendations | ➡ Implement robust sandboxing to detect obfuscated code ➡ Monitor suspicious use of LoadResource and other API calls ➡ Enhance behavioral analysis to detect unusual control flow manipulations ➡ Educate users about risks of downloading executables from unverified sources |
| Source | Palo Alto Networks (Unit 42) |
Read full article: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/packer-as-a-service-heartcrypt-malware/
The above summary has been generated by an AI language model
