Full Report
The Prometei botnet attempted to infiltrate a company’s network using a brute-force attack. Researchers from Trend Micro identified and mitigated the threat by tracing Prometei’s stealthy, modular structure. Prometei, primarily aimed at cryptocurrency mining and credential the...
Analysis Summary
# Tool/Technique: Prometei Botnet
## Overview
The Prometei botnet is a sophisticated malware primarily focused on cryptocurrency mining and credential theft. It utilizes a stealthy, modular structure and is known for rapidly exploiting network vulnerabilities (like RDP and SMB) to achieve lateral movement and persistence.
## Technical Details
- Type: Malware Family / Botnet
- Platform: Windows (Implied by use of PowerShell)
- Capabilities: Cryptocurrency mining, credential theft, automated network propagation, modular structure, C2 communication via DGA.
- First Seen: Not explicitly stated in the provided context, but the campaign was recently analyzed in October/November 2024.
## MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
Based on the described actions:
- **TA0001 - Initial Access**
- T1110 - Brute Force
- T1110.003 - Password Guessing: Network Service (Implied for RDP/SMB exploitation)
- T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application (Implied by RDP/SMB exploitation)
- **TA0008 - Lateral Movement**
- T1021 - Remote Services (Implied by RDP/SMB usage)
- **TA0003 - Persistence**
- T1547 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution (Implied by persistence across reboots)
- **TA0005 - Defense Evasion**
- T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter
- T1059.001 - PowerShell
- T1027 - Obfuscated Files or Information (Implied by Base64-obfuscated commands)
## Functionality
### Core Capabilities
- **Cryptocurrency Mining:** Primary objective for resource hijacking.
- **Credential Theft:** Secondary objective.
- **Network Propagation:** Exploits vulnerabilities like RDP and SMB to spread rapidly across networks.
- **Persistence:** Ensures survival across system reboots, leveraging PowerShell scripts.
### Advanced Features
- **Stealthy, Modular Structure:** Allows for dynamic updating and potential evasion.
- **Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA):** Used for dynamic and resilient Command and Control (C&C) communication.
- **Encrypted Payloads:** Protects the malware code during transit or storage.
- **PowerShell Obfuscation:** Utilizes Base64-obfuscated PowerShell commands to evade static detection during execution.
## Indicators of Compromise
*Note: Specific hashes, file names, and network indicators were not provided in the source material.*
- File Hashes: [N/A in context]
- File Names: [N/A in context]
- Registry Keys: [N/A in context]
- Network Indicators: Communications utilizing DGA-generated domains (defanged: `[DGA-generated-domain].tld`)
- Behavioral Indicators: Execution of PowerShell scripts often involving long, Base64-encoded strings; high CPU/resource utilization associated with mining processes.
## Associated Threat Actors
- Russian-speaking threat actors (Malware avoids targeting Russian systems).
- Prometei operator (as listed in the context metadata).
## Detection Methods
- Signature-based detection: Signatures targeting known Prometei module hashes or specific obfuscated command patterns.
- Behavioral detection: Monitoring for unusual process behavior such as PowerShell execution launching resource-intensive processes; monitoring for excessive brute-force attempts against RDP/SMB ports.
- YARA rules: Rules targeting unique sections of the encrypted payloads or DGA initial seeding logic.
## Mitigation Strategies
- **Prevention Measures:** Implement strong, unique passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for RDP and SMB access.
- **Vulnerability Management:** Promptly patch systems against known, exploitable vulnerabilities leveraged by Prometei.
- **Network Segmentation:** Limit the ability of the botnet to spread laterally by segmenting critical network resources.
- **Hardening Recommendations:** Restrict PowerShell execution policies where possible and monitor environments for anomalous PowerShell script execution, especially those employing Base64 decoding.
## Related Tools/Techniques
- Other crypto-mining botnets: Krبتos, TeamTNT.
- Techniques sharing characteristics: Use of DGA for C2 (common across many sophisticated botnets).