It has been a while that I did not find an interesting malicious Python script. All the scripts that I recently spotted were always the same: a classic intostealer using Discord as C2 channel. Today I found one that contains a lot of anti-sanboxing techniques. Let's review them. For malware, it's key to detect the environment where they are executed. When detonated inside a sandbox (automatically or, manually, by an Analyst), they will be able to change their behaviour (most likely, do nothing)
Like all scripting languages running in the Windows eco-system, Python can call any Microsoft API call and there are useful to perform check at operating system. Here is what the scripts try to detect:
1. Is the script running inside a debugger?
from ctypes import *
XVeGwgv = windll.kernel32.IsDebuggerPresent()
if XVeGwgv == 0:
2. Does the host have enough physical memory?
import ctypes
class CaMiHTTSf (ctypes.Structure):
_fields_ = [
("dwLength", ctypes.c_ulong),
("dwMemoryLoad", ctypes.c_ulong),
("ullTotalPhys", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("ullAvailPhys", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("ullTotalPageFile", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("ullAvailPageFile", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("ullTotalVirtual", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("ullAvailVirtual", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
("sullAvailExtendedVirtual", ctypes.c_ulonglong),
]
jJrSHLb = CaMiHTTSf()
jJrSHLb.dwLength = ctypes.sizeof(CaMiHTTSf)
ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalMemoryStatusEx(ctypes.byref(jJrSHLb))
if jJrSHLb.ullTotalPhys/1073741824 > 3:
3. Is there a user behind the keyboard, pressing keys?
import win32api
nPnpCRlvJ = 0
CsZoAodMwrnNBW = 100
while nPnpCRlvJ < CsZoAodMwrnNBW:
BBpvCYBI = win32api.GetAsyncKeyState(1)
RkfbrNjlQLiYMc = win32api.GetAsyncKeyState(2)
if BBpvCYBI % 2 == 1:
nPnpCRlvJ += 1
if RkfbrNjlQLiYMc % 2 == 1:
nPnpCRlvJ += 1
if nPnpCRlvJ >= CsZoAodMwrnNBW:
4. Is the mouse moving?
from time import sleep
import win32api
dJpkzPW = 30
ESPKUCFSNpN, MNoTiqFAmrJb = win32api.GetCursorPos()
sleep(30)
sToXQq, nGVNgR = win32api.GetCursorPos()
if ESPKUCFSNpN - sToXQq != 0 or MNoTiqFAmrJb - nGVNgR != 0:
5. Is the script spending too much time in a debugger (ex: Python debugger)
from time import sleep
from socket import AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM
import sys
import datetime
import time
import socket
import struct
client = socket.socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM)
client.sendto((bytes.fromhex("1b") + 47 * bytes.fromhex("01")), ("us.pool.ntp.org",123))
msg, address = client.recvfrom( 1024 )
BsaylVZq = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(struct.unpack("!12I",msg)[10] - 2208988800)
sleep(100000)
client.sendto((bytes.fromhex("1b") + 47 * bytes.fromhex("01")), ("us.pool.ntp.org",123))
msg, address = client.recvfrom( 1024 )
if ((datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp((struct.unpack("!12I",msg)[10] - 2208988800)) - BsaylVZq).seconds >= 100000):
Only if all these checks results are negative, then the Python will perform the malicious actions and inject a shellcode in memory...
Note that this script remains simple. They are plenty of sandbox-evasion techniques available[1].
The script (SHA256:a6eac5716bce341f14569d69fcac4f449e9c0f1e97adeb9cb4d02dc82962a30a) has a VT score of 12/61[2].
[1] https://evasions.checkpoint.com
[2] https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/a6eac5716bce341f14569d69fcac4f449e9c0f1e97adeb9cb4d02dc82962a30a/detection
Xavier Mertens (@xme)
Xameco
Senior ISC Handler - Freelance Cyber Security Consultant
PGP Key