emotet_malware_dhs_report_ta18_201a.yml

name: Emotet Malware DHS Report TA18-201A
id: bb9f5ed2-916e-4364-bb6d-91c310efcf52
version: 2
date: '2024-09-24'
author: Bhavin Patel, Splunk
status: production
description: Detect rarely used executables, specific registry paths that may confer
  malware survivability and persistence, instances where cmd.exe is used to launch
  script interpreters, and other indicators that the Emotet financial malware has
  compromised your environment.
narrative: 'The trojan downloader known as Emotet first surfaced in 2014, when it
  was discovered targeting the banking industry to steal credentials. However, according
  to a joint technical alert (TA) issued by three government agencies (https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA18-201A),
  Emotet has evolved far beyond those beginnings to become what a ThreatPost article
  called a threat-delivery service(see https://threatpost.com/emotet-malware-evolves-beyond-banking-to-threat-delivery-service/134342/).  For
  example, in early 2018, Emotet was found to be using its loader function to spread
  the Quakbot and Ransomware variants. 

  According to the TA, the the malware continues to be among the most costly and destructive
  malware affecting the private and public sectors. Researchers have linked it to
  the threat group Mealybug, which has also been on the security communitys radar
  since 2014.

  The searches in this Analytic Story will help you find executables that are rarely
  used in your environment, specific registry paths that malware often uses to ensure
  survivability and persistence, instances where cmd.exe is used to launch script
  interpreters, and other indicators that Emotet or other malware has compromised
  your environment.'
references:
- https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA18-201A
- https://www.first.org/resources/papers/conf2017/Advanced-Incident-Detection-and-Threat-Hunting-using-Sysmon-and-Splunk.pdf
- https://www.vkremez.com/2017/05/emotet-banking-trojan-malware-analysis.html
tags:
  category:
  - Malware
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  usecase: Advanced Threat Detection