A new Python-based malware called PY#RATION with remote access trojan (RAT) capabilities to provide its operators control over the affected computers has been found in the field by threat intelligence company Securonix. The PY#RATION malware is spread by a phishing campaign in which a password-protected ZIP file attachment containing two shortcut.LNK files, front.jpg.lnk and back.jpg.lnk, is disguised as an image. Malicious code is reportedly performed to contact the C2 and download two.TXT files ('front.txt' and 'back.txt'), which are subsequently dubbed BAT files, to aid malware execution. Later, the malware creates the 'Cortana' and 'Cortana/Setup' files in the user's temporary directory, from which it downloads, unpacks, and launches more executables. Using Cortana, Microsoft's personal assistant for Windows, the malware entries are disguised as system files, and persistence is achieved by adding a batch file ('CortanaAssist.bat') to the user's startup directory. Additionally, using automated packers like "pyinstaller" and "py2exe," which allow Python code to be converted into Windows executables that include all necessary libraries for execution, the Python RAT is transmitted to the target packaged into an executable. As a result of this method, the payload size increases, from 14MB for version 1.0 to 32MB for version 1.6.0. In this way, the malware evades detection, and all antivirus engines save VirusTotal are unaware of the transmitted payload, version 1.6.0. Researchers from Securonix claim that the malware makes use of the Python-built Socket.IO framework, which enables client- and server-to-server WebSocket communication. Both data exfiltration and communication are done over this route. With the use of the WebSocket, the malware is able to communicate with the C2 via ports like 80 and 443 that are frequently left open while on a network.
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