Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: Обход на основе времени
Other sub-techniques of Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion (3)
Adversaries may employ various time-based methods to detect and avoid virtualization and analysis environments. This may include enumerating time-based properties, such as uptime or the system clock, as well as the use of timers or other triggers to avoid a virtual machine environment (VME) or sandbox, specifically those that are automated or only operate for a limited amount of time. Adversaries may employ various time-based evasions, such as delaying malware functionality upon initial execution using programmatic sleep commands or native system scheduling functionality (ex: Scheduled Task/Job). Delays may also be based on waiting for specific victim conditions to be met (ex: system time, events, etc.) or employ scheduled Multi-Stage Channels to avoid analysis and scrutiny.(Citation: Deloitte Environment Awareness) Benign commands or other operations may also be used to delay malware execution. Loops or otherwise needless repetitions of commands, such as Pings, may be used to delay malware execution and potentially exceed time thresholds of automated analysis environments.(Citation: Revil Independence Day)(Citation: Netskope Nitol) Another variation, commonly referred to as API hammering, involves making various calls to Native API functions in order to delay execution (while also potentially overloading analysis environments with junk data).(Citation: Joe Sec Nymaim)(Citation: Joe Sec Trickbot) Adversaries may also use time as a metric to detect sandboxes and analysis environments, particularly those that attempt to manipulate time mechanisms to simulate longer elapses of time. For example, an adversary may be able to identify a sandbox accelerating time by sampling and calculating the expected value for an environment's timestamp before and after execution of a sleep function.(Citation: ISACA Malware Tricks)
Примеры процедур |
|
Название | Описание |
---|---|
Raindrop |
After initial installation, Raindrop runs a computation to delay execution.(Citation: Symantec RAINDROP January 2021) |
P8RAT |
P8RAT has the ability to "sleep" for a specified time to evade detection.(Citation: Securelist APT10 March 2021) |
SUNBURST |
SUNBURST remained dormant after initial access for a period of up to two weeks.(Citation: FireEye SUNBURST Backdoor December 2020) |
BendyBear |
BendyBear can check for analysis environments and signs of debugging using the Windows API |
Egregor |
Egregor can perform a long sleep (greater than or equal to 3 minutes) to evade detection.(Citation: JoeSecurity Egregor 2020) |
Clop |
Clop has used the |
SodaMaster |
SodaMaster has the ability to put itself to "sleep" for a specified time.(Citation: Securelist APT10 March 2021) |
Clambling |
Clambling can wait 30 minutes before initiating contact with C2.(Citation: Trend Micro DRBControl February 2020) |
Ursnif |
Ursnif has used a 30 minute delay after execution to evade sandbox monitoring tools.(Citation: TrendMicro Ursnif File Dec 2014) |
Okrum |
Okrum's loader can detect presence of an emulator by using two calls to GetTickCount API, and checking whether the time has been accelerated.(Citation: ESET Okrum July 2019) |
FatDuke |
FatDuke can turn itself on or off at random intervals.(Citation: ESET Dukes October 2019) |
DarkTortilla |
DarkTortilla can implement the `kernel32.dll` Sleep function to delay execution for up to 300 seconds before implementing persistence or processing an addon package.(Citation: Secureworks DarkTortilla Aug 2022) |
LunarWeb |
LunarWeb can pause for a number of hours before entering its C2 communication loop.(Citation: ESET Turla Lunar toolset May 2024) |
Bumblebee |
Bumblebee has the ability to set a hardcoded and randomized sleep interval.(Citation: Proofpoint Bumblebee April 2022) |
Crimson |
Crimson can determine when it has been installed on a host for at least 15 days before downloading the final payload.(Citation: Proofpoint Operation Transparent Tribe March 2016) |
Gootloader |
Gootloader can designate a sleep period of more than 22 seconds between stages of infection.(Citation: Sophos Gootloader) |
Saint Bot |
Saint Bot has used the command `timeout 20` to pause the execution of its initial loader.(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 OutSteel SaintBot February 2022 ) |
During Operation Dream Job, Lazarus Group used tools that collected `GetTickCount` and `GetSystemTimeAsFileTime` data to detect sandbox or VMware services.(Citation: ClearSky Lazarus Aug 2020) |
|
Tomiris |
Tomiris has the ability to sleep for at least nine minutes to evade sandbox-based analysis systems.(Citation: Kaspersky Tomiris Sep 2021) |
HermeticWiper |
HermeticWiper has the ability to receive a command parameter to sleep prior to carrying out destructive actions on a targeted host.(Citation: Crowdstrike DriveSlayer February 2022) |
Lokibot |
Lokibot has performed a time-based anti-debug check before downloading its third stage.(Citation: Talos Lokibot Jan 2021) |
Snip3 |
Snip3 can execute `WScript.Sleep` to delay execution of its second stage.(Citation: Morphisec Snip3 May 2021) |
RansomHub |
RansomHub can sleep for a set number of minutes before beginning execution.(Citation: Group-IB RansomHub FEB 2025) |
Bisonal |
Bisonal has checked if the malware is running in a virtual environment with the anti-debug function GetTickCount() to compare the timing.(Citation: Kaspersky CactusPete Aug 2020)(Citation: Talos Bisonal Mar 2020) |
StrifeWater |
StrifeWater can modify its sleep time responses from the default of 20-22 seconds.(Citation: Cybereason StrifeWater Feb 2022) |
Pony |
Pony has delayed execution using a built-in function to avoid detection and analysis.(Citation: Malwarebytes Pony April 2016) |
IPsec Helper |
IPsec Helper will sleep for a random number of seconds, iterating 200 times over sleeps between one to three seconds, before continuing execution flow.(Citation: SentinelOne Agrius 2021) |
TrickBot |
TrickBot has used |
metaMain |
metaMain has delayed execution for five to six minutes during its persistence establishment process.(Citation: SentinelLabs Metador Technical Appendix Sept 2022) |
QakBot |
The QakBot dropper can delay dropping the payload to evade detection.(Citation: Cyberint Qakbot May 2021)(Citation: Kaspersky QakBot September 2021) |
LiteDuke |
LiteDuke can wait 30 seconds before executing additional code if security software is detected.(Citation: ESET Dukes October 2019) |
GrimAgent |
GrimAgent can sleep for 195 - 205 seconds after payload execution and before deleting its task.(Citation: Group IB GrimAgent July 2021) |
Bazar |
Bazar can use a timer to delay execution of core functionality.(Citation: NCC Group Team9 June 2020) |
EvilBunny |
EvilBunny has used time measurements from 3 different APIs before and after performing sleep operations to check and abort if the malware is running in a sandbox.(Citation: Cyphort EvilBunny Dec 2014) |
BADFLICK |
BADFLICK has delayed communication to the actor-controlled IP address by 5 minutes.(Citation: Accenture MUDCARP March 2019) |
GoldenSpy |
GoldenSpy's installer has delayed installation of GoldenSpy for two hours after it reaches a victim system.(Citation: Trustwave GoldenSpy June 2020) |
WhisperGate |
WhisperGate can pause for 20 seconds to bypass antivirus solutions.(Citation: Medium S2W WhisperGate January 2022)(Citation: RecordedFuture WhisperGate Jan 2022) |
DRATzarus |
DRATzarus can use the `GetTickCount` and `GetSystemTimeAsFileTime` API calls to measure function timing.(Citation: ClearSky Lazarus Aug 2020) DRATzarus can also remotely shut down into sleep mode under specific conditions to evade detection.(Citation: ClearSky Lazarus Aug 2020) |
GoldMax |
GoldMax has set an execution trigger date and time, stored as an ASCII Unix/Epoch time value.(Citation: MSTIC NOBELIUM Mar 2021) |
GuLoader |
GuLoader has the ability to perform anti-debugging based on time checks, API calls, and CPUID.(Citation: Medium Eli Salem GuLoader April 2021) |
SVCReady |
SVCReady can enter a sleep stage for 30 minutes to evade detection.(Citation: HP SVCReady Jun 2022) |
Brute Ratel C4 |
Brute Ratel C4 can call `NtDelayExecution` to pause execution.(Citation: Palo Alto Brute Ratel July 2022)(Citation: MDSec Brute Ratel August 2022) |
XCSSET |
Using the machine's local time, XCSSET waits 43200 seconds (12 hours) from the initial creation timestamp of a specific file, |
ThiefQuest |
ThiefQuest invokes |
AppleJeus |
AppleJeus has waited a specified time before downloading a second stage payload.(Citation: CISA AppleJeus Feb 2021) |
Обнаружение
Time-based evasion will likely occur in the first steps of an operation but may also occur throughout as an adversary learns the environment. Data and events should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of a chain of behavior that could lead to other activities, such as lateral movement, based on the information obtained. Detecting actions related to virtualization and sandbox identification may be difficult depending on the adversary's implementation and monitoring required. Monitoring for suspicious processes being spawned that gather a variety of system information or perform other forms of Discovery, especially in a short period of time, may aid in detection.
Ссылки
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Связанные риски
Каталоги
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