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
    23/04/2026, 02:00

General

  • Target
    2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
  • Size 770KB
  • Sample260423-ce5cbsf151
  • SHA256 b7bcbfdafd2e49877a03062dbcc140414f9a8b8a2fac5b62c6407e52cd5fd1e9
  • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

Malware Config

Signatures

  • Renames multiple (259) 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\2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
    "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_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:4784
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
      net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:1200
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
        C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        PID:3000
    • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe
      C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a28A1.bat
      2⤵
      • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
      • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
      PID:3768
      • C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe
        "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe"
        3⤵
        • Executes dropped EXE
        PID:2908
    • 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:3252
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:3444
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:2236
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net.exe
        net stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
        3⤵
        • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
        • Suspicious use of WriteProcessMemory
        PID:1076
        • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\net1.exe
          C:\Windows\system32\net1 stop "Kingsoft AntiVirus Service"
          4⤵
          • System Location Discovery: System Language Discovery
          PID:5004
  • 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:2660

Network

        MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v16

        Replay Monitor

        Loading Replay Monitor...

        Downloads

        RCXC2D7.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\RCXC2D7.tmp
        • Size 94KB
        • SHA256 d973892447ff7c0dbec4d954ae4d5b4edb08ca8c14041bc122a4e569b80d24d7
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXC45B.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\132.0.2957.140\RCXC45B.tmp
        • Size 103KB
        • SHA256 99acbfc06b88ba374da3ad16fd41849d082bca392cf6203cd7c5ca5150365f16
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXC52D.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate_bk\RCXC52D.tmp
        • Size 90KB
        • SHA256 99a7fbd734fc7c25877dbfb4926720126a00e25983792146519045fc23561ceb
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXC3AA.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\139.0.3405.125\RCXC3AA.tmp
        • Size 118KB
        • SHA256 fd35c503b574b9c83f6b64f42b8d1d396c2214645e243408153eaf542b5a12d0
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXC618.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Maintenance Service\RCXC618.tmp
        • Size 99KB
        • SHA256 3120fd68735d2308ebbc5f1370c1df56a78307b5ea3231acf31678752c6b1c87
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        7z.exe.Exe

        • Path C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe.Exe
        • Size 642KB
        • SHA256 2478e740e5169ded7070cf48ae89f5e07d40ac89512c9115d51bbe72319ce51d
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXB5EF.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\7-Zip\RCXB5EF.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 a08507b5117ece5d6246f159425bf52fbb16029d1c433f0a5b7e8ed1162427e8
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXB8E6.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\ClientX64\RCXB8E6.tmp
        • Size 156KB
        • SHA256 3f26006c844619309738037744ea855ba0b8941de800add3a803716cc8aac709
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXB8B5.tmp

        • Path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesX86\Microsoft Office\Office16\DCF\RCXB8B5.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 135197806012b263bbc820fc372552821be3974bf89a96a628a49aad4e3ec3cb
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXCA5E.tmp

        • Path C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Setup\{AC76BA86-7AD7-1033-7B44-AC0F074E4100}\RCXCA5E.tmp
        • Size 91KB
        • SHA256 fbc83795f63d9ffa1cd75e5e51f738f04aa2610320a0f0fbe52daa80c91baa53
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        RCXCA9E.tmp

        • Path C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{33d1fd90-4274-48a1-9bc1-97e33d9c2d6f}\RCXCA9E.tmp
        • Size 92KB
        • SHA256 cfe37620f14fafad6e45fc5a76e8ad11b3741f33bc4f5b583ae80ea52e211cb6
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        $$a28A1.bat

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\$$a28A1.bat
        • Size 824B
        • SHA256 8596e79e13a859896deb5eab3f4bb0a61f5778c6cc2c0a7b2ff23892c3dd2e06
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 TLSH

        2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_akira_cobalt-strike_elex_hijackloader.exe.exe

        • Path C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\2026-04-23_5b5f205afb7bb1fa8f52d2172d0242b7_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 0bd95b32e6e53dc756d999adb192aae26e05d45a707d8774e5f38660be629a3f
        • MD5 SHA1 SHA512 SSDEEP TLSH

        hosts

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

        memory/2660-16-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3252-1095-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3252-19-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/3252-1264-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp

        memory/4784-9-0x0000000000400000-0x0000000000429000-memory.dmp