Analysis

  • max time kernel
    149s
  • max time network
    150s
  • platform
    windows11-21h2_x64
  • resource
    win11-20260130-en
  • resource tags

    arch:x64arch:x86image:win11-20260130-enlocale:en-usos:windows11-21h2-x64systemwindows
  • submitted
    18/04/2026, 03:58

General

  • Target
    2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
  • Size 770KB
  • Sample260418-ejl3naav8l
  • SHA256 c6fcc03df11a6ed7ca2b2d4ab739c7e5306d6781c8c84824b1d4700854637f35
  • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

Malware Config

Signatures

  • Renames multiple (255) files with added filename extension

    This suggests ransomware activity of encrypting all the files on the system.

  • Drops file in Drivers directory 3 IoCs
  • Executes dropped EXE 3 IoCs
  • Reads user/profile data of web browsers 3 TTPs

    Infostealers often target stored browser data, which can include saved credentials etc.

  • Adds Run key to start application 2 TTPs 2 IoCs
  • Enumerates connected drives 3 TTPs 21 IoCs

    Attempts to read the root path of hard drives other than the default C: drive.

  • Drops file in Program Files directory 64 IoCs
  • Drops file in Windows directory 4 IoCs
  • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery 1 TTPs 10 IoCs

    Attempt gather information about the system language of a victim in order to infer the geographical location of that host.

  • Runs net.exe
  • Suspicious behavior: EnumeratesProcesses 64 IoCs
  • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory 9 IoCs

Processes

  • C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
    "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe"
    1⤵
    • Drops file in Drivers directory
    • Adds Run key to start application
    • Drops file in Windows directory
    • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
    • Suspicious behavior: EnumeratesProcesses
    • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
    PID:4004
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
      net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:4792
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
        C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        PID:912
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe
      C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a10E3.bat
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:2484
      • C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
        "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe"
        3⤵
        • Executes dropped EXE
        PID:2420
    • C:\Windows\Logo1_.exe
      C:\Windows\Logo1_.exe
      2⤵
      • Drops file in Drivers directory
      • Executes dropped EXE
      • Adds Run key to start application
      • Enumerates connected drives
      • Drops file in Program Files directory
      • Drops file in Windows directory
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious behavior: EnumeratesProcesses
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:3300
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:4400
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:716
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:1064
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:1108
  • C:\Windows\uninstall\rundl132.exe
    C:\Windows\uninstall\rundl132.exe
    1⤵
    • Drops file in Drivers directory
    • Executes dropped EXE
    • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
    PID:656

Network

        MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v16

        Replay Monitor

        Loading Replay Monitor...

        Downloads

        RCXAAC8.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroCEF\RCXAAC8.tmp
        • Size 156KB
        • SHA256 261f73cebbe70145f24d9cc48a1c648f66f56a97edcdab2c3b1ef90658b242a0
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        AdobeARM.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe.Exe
        • Size 1.2MB
        • SHA256 76fb425ac99b4632bcdf91d4ecb04c6c1a2eaaf67bdccd1c499bf4cf805c40c3
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        msedgewebview2.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\132.0.2957.140\msedgewebview2.exe.Exe
        • Size 3.3MB
        • SHA256 6861753f9473ef777a3c177f62644f9fcc1410cf68370821bb53689954ee33bf
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        msedge.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\139.0.3405.125\msedge.exe.Exe
        • Size 4.0MB
        • SHA256 184f9ce862a629f614f52c55302c83d66373d84d49b7bf6148d0b292fe4a38fa
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        7z.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe.Exe
        • Size 642KB
        • SHA256 5e89376d5ec95f90121feb6e483eae963d5a45abfa732d41b85e5e652cdb7ea6
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCX9E50.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\7-Zip\RCX9E50.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 8430c75dbd7750a357121146751eaeb08d61607d7cc5f77f1cce912bdc3c632f
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCX9F51.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-1.8\bin\RCX9F51.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 c25e84ae56ea6eb8570726c9fee4c94df1f3c0b76aaddf231d9e7d89d85fb706
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXA215.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\RCXA215.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 29bb39f3fb9e640b811aef534df5432363888155b6a4c92a09cd769752973899
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXA236.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\RCXA236.tmp
        • Size 100KB
        • SHA256 2755f8e3d8d567a84e8de7fac5e94a394c23ab67024940fc2ce51a69ca6aff56
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXB734.tmp

        • Path C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Setup\{AC76BA86-7AD7-1033-7B44-AC0F074E4100}\RCXB734.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 8764356caf703bf9711a0da29d19149ecb8031fefe1a1e7143e422c68095a87f
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXB774.tmp

        • Path C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{33d1fd90-4274-48a1-9bc1-97e33d9c2d6f}\RCXB774.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 33fb2a34121070e2d34c388e8d9184a85a0cda6c6482a3f9cd0aec8e04d243be
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        $$a10E3.bat

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a10E3.bat
        • Size 824B
        • SHA256 1484440c845b5b745c85cb959771e9d21e50341ea0ef909cb634914a7ed697d0
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 TLSH

        2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe.exe

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-18_952198952c70cba2c653a546566e8e29_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe.exe
        • Size 677KB
        • SHA256 fb6c0990e4976b9a98320e0912842ec11aa380a0f237affd35ef9ad2e7667905
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        Logo1_.exe

        • Path C:\Windows\Logo1_.exe
        • Size 93KB
        • SHA256 8aa497a0a7af922eed43bd4f367a5e81ccc2a8615562b80d827da7b212603252
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        hosts

        • Path C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
        • Size 842B
        • SHA256 d9704dab05e988be3e5e7b7c020bb9814906d11bb9c31ad80d4ed1316f6bc94e
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 TLSH

        memory/656-18-0x00000000009C0000-0x00000000009E5000-memory.dmp

        memory/656-17-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3300-22-0x0000000000850000-0x0000000000875000-memory.dmp

        memory/3300-739-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3300-21-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3300-1258-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/4004-10-0x0000000000690000-0x00000000006B5000-memory.dmp

        memory/4004-9-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp