Analysis

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

    arch:x64arch:x86image:win11-20260130-enlocale:en-usos:windows11-21h2-x64systemwindows
  • submitted
    19/04/2026, 03:45

General

  • Target
    2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
  • Size 770KB
  • Sample260419-ea7m1ahs7v
  • SHA256 250073027122e047e1df8d3588c02f4b7e74def4f553f7423793c28e46707364
  • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

Malware Config

Signatures

  • Renames multiple (256) 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\2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
    "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_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:5948
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
      net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:4988
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
        C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        PID:5012
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe
      C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a4A81.bat
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:3452
      • C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
        "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe"
        3⤵
        • Executes dropped EXE
        PID:1492
    • 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:2752
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:2112
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:3708
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:4636
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:6016
  • 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:2292

Network

        MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v16

        Replay Monitor

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        Downloads

        AdobeARM.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe.Exe
        • Size 1.2MB
        • SHA256 6f7fd5edc38b77b3e847eeefc9c20a998a78d0a53f6ae857daea222533183481
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXE401.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update\RCXE401.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 a567f4fffbd1b33867124e6531d2ee8b2982125a638c75da7b43e2e1c125a776
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXE5B2.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\139.0.3405.125\RCXE5B2.tmp
        • Size 103KB
        • SHA256 742b2019651362fe67da7a19288776610f4253de8760ea42bd14c35e66d63112
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXE492.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\139.0.3405.125\RCXE492.tmp
        • Size 118KB
        • SHA256 8dce519c0690c2fa257e999e00e35081798ddc0f5ee942851cc6e12ebaca008d
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        7z.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe.Exe
        • Size 642KB
        • SHA256 9c7b0a2a82b56fef2b494c76c4b45c77ecf827950d60dd5c4d226903b1b9f78e
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXD8DF.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-1.8\bin\RCXD8DF.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 e96d91c42307a0306bcfc6492584e422806e1bc8e8c2f71686233cd08d6485b2
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXDA97.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\ClientX64\RCXDA97.tmp
        • Size 156KB
        • SHA256 3bdd2ebe6b1ab9c29bd4233fcae02b53faa23b5c97d5389635a551f4038d2c76
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXDAD8.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\RCXDAD8.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 a34c478094d879ccd639c3fdebc5daeaf0f854d2b38ff3f62d4f3c43774ec551
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        helper.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe.Exe
        • Size 1.4MB
        • SHA256 6e782b56b3a89fcd2b842061c4ed8362579096b309e7f290cf03f8aa4d839e5f
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXEB55.tmp

        • Path C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{33d1fd90-4274-48a1-9bc1-97e33d9c2d6f}\RCXEB55.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 37f384e354898f55e655ff5edaaec13a4fe6ed2b962e5962d68a9477d15e95aa
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        $$a4A81.bat

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a4A81.bat
        • Size 824B
        • SHA256 ee64a79a92d9908b51138b4fa3f35ac10fcdb7b69d274e81a12d195a0c4eac58
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 TLSH

        2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe.exe

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-19_8572c65171cbb7fb1af91c5922abff41_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 843eee5d0b6cc8c034d3cac5c60d955d4a92165c04a7ef56f817d88d785032c2
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        hosts

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

        memory/2292-20-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/2752-23-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/2752-9-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/2752-1139-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/2752-1260-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/5948-0-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/5948-12-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp