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APT32

APT32 is a suspected Vietnam-based threat group that has been active since at least 2014. The group has targeted multiple private sector industries as well as foreign governments, dissidents, and journalists with a strong focus on Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, and Cambodia. They have extensively used strategic web compromises to compromise victims.[1][2][3]

ID: G0050
ⓘ
Associated Groups: SeaLotus, OceanLotus, APT-C-00
Contributors: Romain Dumont, ESET
Version: 2.5
Created: 14 December 2017
Last Modified: 14 October 2021

Associated Group Descriptions

Name Description
SeaLotus

[4]
OceanLotus

[1][2][4][5][6]
APT-C-00

[3][4][5][6]
Enterprise Layer
download view

Techniques Used

Domain ID Name Use
Enterprise T1087 .001 Account Discovery: Local Account

APT32 enumerated administrative users using the commands net localgroup administrators.[7]
Enterprise T1583 .001 Acquire Infrastructure: Domains

APT32 has set up and operated websites to gather information and deliver malware.[8]
.006 Acquire Infrastructure: Web Services

APT32 has set up Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Google Drive to host malicious downloads.[8]
Enterprise T1071 .001 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols

APT32 has used JavaScript that communicates over HTTP or HTTPS to attacker controlled domains to download additional frameworks. The group has also used downloaded encrypted payloads over HTTP.[2][7]
.003 Application Layer Protocol: Mail Protocols

APT32 has used email for C2 via an Office macro.[4][7]
Enterprise T1560 Archive Collected Data

APT32's backdoor has used LZMA compression and RC4 encryption before exfiltration.[5]
Enterprise T1547 .001 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder

APT32 established persistence using Registry Run keys, both to execute PowerShell and VBS scripts as well as to execute their backdoor directly.[4][7][5]
Enterprise T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter

APT32 has used COM scriptlets to download Cobalt Strike beacons.[7]

.001 PowerShell

APT32 has used PowerShell-based tools, PowerShell one-liners, and shellcode loaders for execution.[1][4][7]
.003 Windows Command Shell

APT32 has used cmd.exe for execution.[7]

.005 Visual Basic

APT32 has used macros, COM scriptlets, and VBS scripts.[4][7]

.007 JavaScript

APT32 has used JavaScript for drive-by downloads and C2 communications.[7][8]
Enterprise T1543 .003 Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service

APT32 modified Windows Services to ensure PowerShell scripts were loaded on the system. APT32 also creates a Windows service to establish persistence.[3][7][5]
Enterprise T1189 Drive-by Compromise

APT32 has infected victims by tricking them into visiting compromised watering hole websites.[3][8]
Enterprise T1585 .001 Establish Accounts: Social Media Accounts

APT32 has set up Facebook pages in tandem with fake websites.[8]
Enterprise T1048 .003 Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol: Exfiltration Over Unencrypted Non-C2 Protocol

APT32's backdoor can exfiltrate data by encoding it in the subdomain field of DNS packets.[5]
Enterprise T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

APT32's backdoor has exfiltrated data using the already opened channel with its C&C server.[5]
Enterprise T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution

APT32 has used RTF document that includes an exploit to execute malicious code. (CVE-2017-11882)[5]
Enterprise T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

APT32 has used CVE-2016-7255 to escalate privileges.[1]
Enterprise T1083 File and Directory Discovery

APT32's backdoor possesses the capability to list files and directories on a machine. [5]

Enterprise T1222 .002 File and Directory Permissions Modification: Linux and Mac File and Directory Permissions Modification

APT32's macOS backdoor changes the permission of the file it wants to execute to 755.[9]
Enterprise T1589 Gather Victim Identity Information

APT32 has conducted targeted surveillance against activists and bloggers.[6]
.002 Email Addresses

APT32 has collected e-mail addresses for activists and bloggers in order to target them with spyware.[6]
Enterprise T1564 .001 Hide Artifacts: Hidden Files and Directories

APT32's macOS backdoor hides the clientID file via a chflags function.[9]
.003 Hide Artifacts: Hidden Window

APT32 has used the WindowStyle parameter to conceal PowerShell windows. [1] [7]
.004 Hide Artifacts: NTFS File Attributes

APT32 used NTFS alternate data streams to hide their payloads.[7]
Enterprise T1574 .002 Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading

APT32 ran legitimately-signed executables from Symantec and McAfee which load a malicious DLL. The group also side-loads its backdoor by dropping a library and a legitimate, signed executable (AcroTranscoder).[4][7][5]
Enterprise T1070 .001 Indicator Removal on Host: Clear Windows Event Logs

APT32 has cleared select event log entries.[1]
.004 Indicator Removal on Host: File Deletion

APT32's macOS backdoor can receive a "delete" command.[9]
.006 Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp

APT32 has used scheduled task raw XML with a backdated timestamp of June 2, 2016. The group has also set the creation time of the files dropped by the second stage of the exploit to match the creation time of kernel32.dll. Additionally, APT32 has used a random value to modify the timestamp of the file storing the clientID.[1][5][9]
Enterprise T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

APT32 has added JavaScript to victim websites to download additional frameworks that profile and compromise website visitors.[2]
Enterprise T1056 .001 Input Capture: Keylogging

APT32 has abused the PasswordChangeNotify to monitor for and capture account password changes.[7]
Enterprise T1570 Lateral Tool Transfer

APT32 has deployed tools after moving laterally using administrative accounts.[7]

Enterprise T1036 Masquerading

APT32 has disguised a Cobalt Strike beacon as a Flash Installer.[7]
.003 Rename System Utilities

APT32 has moved and renamed pubprn.vbs to a .txt file to avoid detection.[10]
.004 Masquerade Task or Service

APT32 has used hidden or non-printing characters to help masquerade service names, such as appending a Unicode no-break space character to a legitimate service name. APT32 has also impersonated the legitimate Flash installer file name "install_flashplayer.exe".[1]
.005 Match Legitimate Name or Location

APT32 has renamed a NetCat binary to kb-10233.exe to masquerade as a Windows update. APT32 has also renamed a Cobalt Strike beacon payload to install_flashplayers.exe. [7][8]
Enterprise T1112 Modify Registry

APT32's backdoor has modified the Windows Registry to store the backdoor's configuration. [5]

Enterprise T1046 Network Service Discovery

APT32 performed network scanning on the network to search for open ports, services, OS finger-printing, and other vulnerabilities.[7]
Enterprise T1135 Network Share Discovery

APT32 used the net view command to show all shares available, including the administrative shares such as C$ and ADMIN$.[7]
Enterprise T1571 Non-Standard Port

An APT32 backdoor can use HTTP over a non-standard TCP port (e.g 14146) which is specified in the backdoor configuration.[5]
Enterprise T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information

APT32 uses the Invoke-Obfuscation framework to obfuscate their PowerShell and also performs other code obfuscation. APT32 has also encoded payloads using Base64 and a framework called "Dont-Kill-My-Cat (DKMC). APT32 also encrypts the library used for network exfiltration with AES-256 in CBC mode in their macOS backdoor.[1][11][3][4][7][5][9]
.001 Binary Padding

APT32 includes garbage code to mislead anti-malware software and researchers.[3][5]
Enterprise T1588 .002 Obtain Capabilities: Tool

APT32 has obtained and used tools such as Mimikatz and Cobalt Strike, and a variety of other open-source tools from GitHub.[1][4]
Enterprise T1137 Office Application Startup

APT32 have replaced Microsoft Outlook's VbaProject.OTM file to install a backdoor macro for persistence.[4][7]
Enterprise T1003 OS Credential Dumping

APT32 used GetPassword_x64 to harvest credentials.[4][7]
.001 LSASS Memory

APT32 used Mimikatz and customized versions of Windows Credential Dumper to harvest credentials.[4][7]
Enterprise T1566 .001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment

APT32 has sent spearphishing emails with a malicious executable disguised as a document or spreadsheet.[3][4][7][5][12][6]
.002 Phishing: Spearphishing Link

APT32 has sent spearphishing emails containing malicious links.[3][4][12][8][6]
Enterprise T1598 .003 Phishing for Information: Spearphishing Link

APT32 has used malicious links to direct users to web pages designed to harvest credentials.[8]
Enterprise T1055 Process Injection

APT32 malware has injected a Cobalt Strike beacon into Rundll32.exe.[7]
Enterprise T1012 Query Registry

APT32's backdoor can query the Windows Registry to gather system information. [5]
Enterprise T1021 .002 Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin Shares

APT32 used Net to use Windows' hidden network shares to copy their tools to remote machines for execution.[7]
Enterprise T1018 Remote System Discovery

APT32 has enumerated DC servers using the command net group "Domain Controllers" /domain. The group has also used the ping command.[7]
Enterprise T1053 .005 Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task

APT32 has used scheduled tasks to persist on victim systems.[1][4][7][5]
Enterprise T1505 .003 Server Software Component: Web Shell

APT32 has used Web shells to maintain access to victim websites.[2]
Enterprise T1072 Software Deployment Tools

APT32 compromised McAfee ePO to move laterally by distributing malware as a software deployment task.[1]
Enterprise T1608 .001 Stage Capabilities: Upload Malware

APT32 has hosted malicious payloads in Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Google Drive for use during targeting.[8]
.004 Stage Capabilities: Drive-by Target

APT32 has stood up websites containing numerous articles and content scraped from the Internet to make them appear legitimate, but some of these pages include malicious JavaScript to profile the potential victim or infect them via a fake software update.[8]
Enterprise T1218 .005 System Binary Proxy Execution: Mshta

APT32 has used mshta.exe for code execution.[4][7]
.010 System Binary Proxy Execution: Regsvr32

APT32 created a Scheduled Task/Job that used regsvr32.exe to execute a COM scriptlet that dynamically downloaded a backdoor and injected it into memory. The group has also used regsvr32 to run their backdoor.[5][1][7]

.011 System Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32

APT32 malware has used rundll32.exe to execute an initial infection process.[7]
Enterprise T1082 System Information Discovery

APT32 has collected the OS version and computer name from victims. One of the group's backdoors can also query the Windows Registry to gather system information, and another macOS backdoor performs a fingerprint of the machine on its first connection to the C&C server. APT32 executed shellcode to identify the name of the infected host.[3][5][9][12]
Enterprise T1016 System Network Configuration Discovery

APT32 used the ipconfig /all command to gather the IP address from the system.[7]
Enterprise T1049 System Network Connections Discovery

APT32 used the netstat -anpo tcp command to display TCP connections on the victim's machine.[7]
Enterprise T1033 System Owner/User Discovery

APT32 collected the victim's username and executed the whoami command on the victim's machine. APT32 executed shellcode to collect the username on the victim's machine. [12][3][7]
Enterprise T1216 .001 System Script Proxy Execution: PubPrn

APT32 has used PubPrn.vbs within execution scripts to execute malware, possibly bypassing defenses.[13]
Enterprise T1569 .002 System Services: Service Execution

APT32's backdoor has used Windows services as a way to execute its malicious payload. [5]
Enterprise T1552 .002 Unsecured Credentials: Credentials in Registry

APT32 used Outlook Credential Dumper to harvest credentials stored in Windows registry.[4][7]
Enterprise T1550 .002 Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Hash

APT32 has used pass the hash for lateral movement.[7]
.003 Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Ticket

APT32 successfully gained remote access by using pass the ticket.[7]
Enterprise T1204 .001 User Execution: Malicious Link

APT32 has lured targets to download a Cobalt Strike beacon by including a malicious link within spearphishing emails.[7][8][6]
.002 User Execution: Malicious File

APT32 has attempted to lure users to execute a malicious dropper delivered via a spearphishing attachment.[3][4][5][12][6]
Enterprise T1078 .003 Valid Accounts: Local Accounts

APT32 has used legitimate local admin account credentials.[1]
Enterprise T1102 Web Service

APT32 has used Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Google Drive to host malicious downloads.[8]
Enterprise T1047 Windows Management Instrumentation

APT32 used WMI to deploy their tools on remote machines and to gather information about the Outlook process.[7]

Software

ID Name References Techniques
S0099 Arp [7] Remote System Discovery, System Network Configuration Discovery
S0154 Cobalt Strike [1][2][4][7][8][6][14] Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control, Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Sudo and Sudo Caching, Access Token Manipulation: Make and Impersonate Token, Access Token Manipulation: Parent PID Spoofing, Access Token Manipulation: Token Impersonation/Theft, Account Discovery: Domain Account, Application Layer Protocol, Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, BITS Jobs, Browser Session Hijacking, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Commonly Used Port, Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service, Data Encoding: Standard Encoding, Data from Local System, Data Obfuscation: Protocol Impersonation, Data Transfer Size Limits, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, Encrypted Channel: Symmetric Cryptography, Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography, Exploitation for Client Execution, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, File and Directory Discovery, Hide Artifacts: Process Argument Spoofing, Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools, Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp, Ingress Tool Transfer, Input Capture: Keylogging, Modify Registry, Multiband Communication, Native API, Network Service Discovery, Network Share Discovery, Non-Application Layer Protocol, Obfuscated Files or Information: Indicator Removal from Tools, Obfuscated Files or Information, Office Application Startup: Office Template Macros, OS Credential Dumping: Security Account Manager, OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory, Permission Groups Discovery: Local Groups, Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups, Process Discovery, Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection, Process Injection: Process Hollowing, Process Injection, Protocol Tunneling, Proxy: Domain Fronting, Proxy: Internal Proxy, Query Registry, Reflective Code Loading, Remote Services: Windows Remote Management, Remote Services: Remote Desktop Protocol, Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin Shares, Remote Services: Distributed Component Object Model, Remote Services: SSH, Remote System Discovery, Scheduled Transfer, Screen Capture, Software Discovery, Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing, System Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32, System Network Configuration Discovery, System Network Connections Discovery, System Service Discovery, System Services: Service Execution, Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Hash, Valid Accounts: Domain Accounts, Valid Accounts: Local Accounts, Windows Management Instrumentation
S0354 Denis [4][7] Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Archive Collected Data: Archive via Library, Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Data Encoding: Standard Encoding, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, File and Directory Discovery, Hijack Execution Flow, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading, Indicator Removal on Host: File Deletion, Ingress Tool Transfer, Native API, Obfuscated Files or Information, Process Injection: Process Hollowing, Query Registry, System Information Discovery, System Network Configuration Discovery, System Owner/User Discovery, Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: System Checks
S0477 Goopy [7] Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Application Layer Protocol: Mail Protocols, Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Data from Local System, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading, Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools, Indicator Removal on Host, Masquerading: Match Legitimate Name or Location, Native API, Obfuscated Files or Information: Binary Padding, Obfuscated Files or Information, Process Discovery, Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task, System Owner/User Discovery
S0100 ipconfig [7] System Network Configuration Discovery
S0585 Kerrdown [6][14] Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading, Ingress Tool Transfer, Obfuscated Files or Information, Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, Phishing: Spearphishing Link, System Information Discovery, User Execution: Malicious File, User Execution: Malicious Link
S0156 KOMPROGO [1] Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, System Information Discovery, Windows Management Instrumentation
S0002 Mimikatz [1][4][7] Access Token Manipulation: SID-History Injection, Account Manipulation, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Security Support Provider, Credentials from Password Stores, Credentials from Password Stores: Credentials from Web Browsers, Credentials from Password Stores: Windows Credential Manager, OS Credential Dumping: LSA Secrets, OS Credential Dumping: DCSync, OS Credential Dumping: Security Account Manager, OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory, Rogue Domain Controller, Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Silver Ticket, Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Golden Ticket, Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys, Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Hash, Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Ticket
S0039 Net [7] Account Discovery: Domain Account, Account Discovery: Local Account, Create Account: Domain Account, Create Account: Local Account, Indicator Removal on Host: Network Share Connection Removal, Network Share Discovery, Password Policy Discovery, Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups, Permission Groups Discovery: Local Groups, Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin Shares, Remote System Discovery, System Network Connections Discovery, System Service Discovery, System Services: Service Execution, System Time Discovery
S0108 netsh [7] Event Triggered Execution: Netsh Helper DLL, Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify System Firewall, Proxy, Software Discovery: Security Software Discovery
S0352 OSX_OCEANLOTUS.D [15][6] Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, Archive Collected Data: Archive via Custom Method, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, Create or Modify System Process: Launch Agent, Create or Modify System Process: Launch Daemon, Data from Local System, File and Directory Permissions Modification: Linux and Mac File and Directory Permissions Modification, Hide Artifacts: Hidden Files and Directories, Indicator Removal on Host: File Deletion, Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp, Ingress Tool Transfer, Masquerading: Masquerade Task or Service, Obfuscated Files or Information: Software Packing, Obfuscated Files or Information, Subvert Trust Controls: Gatekeeper Bypass, System Information Discovery, System Network Configuration Discovery, Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: System Checks
S0158 PHOREAL [1] Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Modify Registry, Non-Application Layer Protocol
S0157 SOUNDBITE [1] Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Application Window Discovery, File and Directory Discovery, Modify Registry, System Information Discovery
S0155 WINDSHIELD [1] Indicator Removal on Host: File Deletion, Non-Application Layer Protocol, Query Registry, System Information Discovery, System Owner/User Discovery

References

  1. Carr, N.. (2017, May 14). Cyber Espionage is Alive and Well: APT32 and the Threat to Global Corporations. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. Lassalle, D., et al. (2017, November 6). OceanLotus Blossoms: Mass Digital Surveillance and Attacks Targeting ASEAN, Asian Nations, the Media, Human Rights Groups, and Civil Society. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. Foltýn, T. (2018, March 13). OceanLotus ships new backdoor using old tricks. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. Dahan, A. (2017, May 24). OPERATION COBALT KITTY: A LARGE-SCALE APT IN ASIA CARRIED OUT BY THE OCEANLOTUS GROUP. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  5. Dumont, R. (2019, March 20). Fake or Fake: Keeping up with OceanLotus decoys. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  6. Amnesty International. (2021, February 24). Vietnamese activists targeted by notorious hacking group. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  7. Dahan, A. (2017). Operation Cobalt Kitty. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  8. Adair, S. and Lancaster, T. (2020, November 6). OceanLotus: Extending Cyber Espionage Operations Through Fake Websites. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  1. Dumont, R.. (2019, April 9). OceanLotus: macOS malware update. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  2. Carr, N.. (2017, December 26). Nick Carr Status Update APT32 pubprn. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  3. Bohannon, D.. (2017, March 13). Invoke-Obfuscation - PowerShell Obfuscator. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  4. Henderson, S., et al. (2020, April 22). Vietnamese Threat Actors APT32 Targeting Wuhan Government and Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management in Latest Example of COVID-19 Related Espionage. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  5. Carr, N. (2017, December 22). ItsReallyNick Status Update. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. Ray, V. and Hayashi, K. (2019, February 1). Tracking OceanLotus’ new Downloader, KerrDown. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  7. Horejsi, J. (2018, April 04). New MacOS Backdoor Linked to OceanLotus Found. Retrieved November 13, 2018.