KEYPLUG can use a hardcoded one-byte XOR encoded configuration file.2
tool
KEYPLUG S1051
- Type
- malware
- Platforms
- Linux, Windows
- Created
- 12 December 2022
- Last modified
- 11 April 2024
KEYPLUG is a modular backdoor written in C++, with Windows and Linux variants, that has been used by APT41 since at least June 2021.[1]
8
Techniques38th pct
3
TacticsBottom 21%
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 S1051
KEYPLUG has the ability to communicate over HTTP and WebSocket Protocol (WSS) for C2.3
KEYPLUG has used Cloudflare CDN associated infrastructure to redirect C2 communications to malicious domains.4
KEYPLUG can use TCP and KCP (KERN Communications Protocol) over UDP for C2 communication.5
The KEYPLUG Windows variant has retrieved C2 addresses from encoded data in posts on tech community forums.6
KEYPLUG can obtain the current tick count of an infected computer.7
Standing S1051
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
Techniques838th pct
38th percentile · 62% of 825 ATT&CK software entries have more Enterprise techniques.
Tactics3Bottom 21%
21st percentile · 79% 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 / technique5medBottom 6%
6th percentile · 94% of 825 ATT&CK software entries have more detection rules per technique.
Tests / technique3med
Detection coverage S1051
120 distinct rules cover the 8 techniques recorded for this tool. The 126 technique-to-rule mappings resolve to 120 distinct rules, because one rule can cover several techniques. 89 Sigma · 31 Splunk.
8 covered by at least one rule120 distinct rules in total
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