TEARDROP checked that HKU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CTF existed before decoding its embedded payload.34
tool
TEARDROP S0560
- Type
- malware
- Platform
- Windows
- Created
- 6 January 2021
- Last modified
- 16 April 2025
TEARDROP is a memory-only dropper that was discovered on some victim machines during investigations related to the SolarWinds Compromise. It was likely used by APT29 since at least May 2020.[1][2]
6
Techniques29th pct
5
Tactics41st pct
1
Threat groupunranked
1
Campaignunranked
Enterprise ATT&CK only. Any Mobile or ICS rows on the same ATT&CK page are not carried.
MITRE reference S0560
TEARDROP created and read from a file with a fake JPG header, and its payload was encrypted with a simple rotating XOR cipher.567
TEARDROP files had names that resembled legitimate Window file and directory names.89
TEARDROP modified the Registry to create a Windows service for itself on a compromised host.10
TEARDROP was decoded using a custom rolling XOR algorithm to execute a customized Cobalt Strike payload.111213
TEARDROP ran as a Windows service from the c:\windows\syswow64 folder.1415
Standing S0560
Reach is how much of ATT&CK this tool touches. Coverage is how well defended each thing it does is, as a median per technique rather than a total — a total would just restate the reach. Each figure is ranked against all 825 ATT&CK software entries only where that population actually spreads. Where most of the population shares one value, a percentile would rank the tie instead of the entity, so the raw value is shown and no rank is claimed.
Reach
Techniques629th pct
29th percentile · 71% of 825 ATT&CK software entries have more Enterprise techniques.
Tactics541st pct
41st percentile · 59% of 825 ATT&CK software entries have more tactics spanned.
Threat group161% tie · 22 values
61% of the population shares a single value across only 22 distinct values, so a percentile here would rank the tie, not the entity.
Campaign185% tie · 8 values
85% of the population shares a single value across only 8 distinct values, so a percentile here would rank the tie, not the entity.
Coverage
Rules / technique50medTop 8%
92nd percentile · 92% of 825 ATT&CK software entries have this many detection rules per technique or fewer.
Tests / technique8.5med
Detection coverage S0560
427 distinct rules cover the 6 techniques recorded for this tool. The 438 technique-to-rule mappings resolve to 427 distinct rules, because one rule can cover several techniques. 294 Sigma · 133 Splunk.
6 covered by at least one rule427 distinct rules in total
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