detection.wiki

Detection rules › Sigma

Potential Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity

Status
test
Severity
high
Log source
product windows, category process_creation
Author
Markus Neis, Swisscom
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects registry modifications potentially related to the Ke3chang/TidePool malware as seen in campaigns running in 2019 and 2020

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Defense ImpairmentT1685 Disable or Modify Tools

Event coverage

ProviderEventTitle
SysmonEvent ID 1Process creation
Security-AuditingEvent ID 4688A new process has been created.

Rule body yaml

title: Potential Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity
id: 7b544661-69fc-419f-9a59-82ccc328f205
status: test
description: Detects registry modifications potentially related to the Ke3chang/TidePool malware as seen in campaigns running in 2019 and 2020
references:
    - https://web.archive.org/web/20200618080300/https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/embed/broschuere-2020-06-bfv-cyber-brief-2020-01.pdf
    - https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/operation-ke3chang-resurfaces-with-new-tidepool-malware/
author: Markus Neis, Swisscom
date: 2020-06-18
modified: 2023-03-10
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.g0004
    - attack.t1685
    - detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        # Ke3chang and TidePool both modify the IEHarden registry key, as well as the following list of keys.
        # Setting these registry keys is unique to the Ke3chang and TidePool malware families.
        # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Check_Associations
        # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\DisableFirstRunCustomize
        # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\IEharden
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '-Property DWORD -name DisableFirstRunCustomize -value 2 -Force'
            - '-Property String -name Check_Associations -value'
            - '-Property DWORD -name IEHarden -value 0 -Force'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '-Property DWORD -name DisableFirstRunCustomize -value 2 -Force'
        - '-Property String -name Check_Associations -value'
        - '-Property DWORD -name IEHarden -value 0 -Force'

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
CommandLinematch
  • -Property DWORD -name DisableFirstRunCustomize -value 2 -Force
  • -Property DWORD -name IEHarden -value 0 -Force
  • -Property String -name Check_Associations -value