The Week in Review from Stamus Labs

Welcome to the weekly threat detection update report from Stamus Networks. Each week, you will receive this email with a summary of the updates.

Current Stamus Threat Intelligence (STI) release version: 1488

This week, in addition to daily ruleset and IOC updates, we provided Stamus Security Platform customers with the following improved defense(s):

New threat detection(s) added [1]: 3 (Phantom Captcha, TA398, CurlBack RAT)
Major changes to detections(s) [2]: 177
Updated threat detection(s) [3]: 228

Note: a "method" as referenced below, is a discrete detection vector for a given threat.

New Threat(s) Detected

The following detections were added to your Clear NDR this past week:

Phantom Captcha (APT)

A spearphishing campaign targeted International Red Cross, NGOs, and Ukrainian government with weaponized PDFs impersonating the President’s Office. Attackers used a fake Cloudflare captcha to deploy a WebSocket RAT.

Total number of detection methods: 26
Kill chain phase(s): command and control
MITRE ATT&CK: T1041, T1071

TA398 (APT)

An advanced persistent threat is a highly skilled adversary with significant resources that uses various attack methods to infiltrate and maintain a presence in an organization's IT infrastructure for malicious purposes.

Total number of detection methods: 18
Kill chain phase(s): command and control
MITRE ATT&CK: T1071

CurlBack RAT (RAT)

Seqrite Labs APT team has discovered new tactics of SideCopy APT linked to Pakistan targeting Indian government sectors with MSI packages and incorporating new RATs to evade detection.

CurlBack RAT - Malpedia |

Total number of detection methods: 7
Kill chain phase(s): command and control
MITRE ATT&CK: T1041

Major Detection Changes

The following detections were updated this past week with changes to kill chain phase(s) or MITRE ATT&CK tactic(s)/technique(s):

Command and Control (Generic CnC)

Adversaries may use custom command and control protocols to communicate, mimicking or developing protocols on top of standard network stacks, instead of using existing Standard Application Layer Protocols.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, actions on objectives, delivery, installation
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1071
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1587, T1573, T1566, T1486, T1496, T1041
Methods added: 13

Fake Browser (Trojan)

Attackers infect enterprise networks with malware by promoting fake browser updates on hacked websites, leading to the installation of banking trojans and later ransomware encryption on compromised networks.

Added kill chain phase(s): exploitation
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): delivery, exploitation, command and control
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1189
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1189
Methods added: 3

Generic Loader (Loader)

Loaders are evolving remote access Trojans, offering user-friendly interfaces, self-healing capabilities, and a platform for botmasters to sell bots. They are typically lightweight to evade security measures.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery, actions on objectives
Methods added: 1

GootLoader (Trojan)

REvil ransomware and Gootkit banking Trojan delivering malware payloads globally, focusing on South Korea, Germany, France, and North America. Gootkit's delivery method has been significantly improved over the years.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1005
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071
Methods added: 2

IcedID (Data Theft)

Discovered by IBM in 2017, IcedID banking Trojan originally targeted financial institutions in the U.S. Recent major version release in 2020 introduced significant changes. Evolving threat.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery, actions on objectives
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1071
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1587, T1041
Methods added: 1

LandUpdate808 (Trojan)

Fake update variants like SocGholish, Clear Fake, Smart Ape, and ClickFix are being tracked by a collaboration introducing the LandUpdate808 Fake Update Variant.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): delivery, command and control, actions on objectives
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1189
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1189, T1105, T1071
Methods added: 24

Lumma (Data Theft)

Lumma is a C-based information stealer sold on Russian underground forums and Telegram by LummaC since August 2022. It targets cryptocurrency wallets and has file grabber capabilities.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control, actions on objectives
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control, installation, delivery
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1071
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1005, T1071, T1573, T1105
Methods added: 6

Mustang Panda (APT)

Mustang Panda is a China-based cyber threat actor observed since 2017, possibly operating since 2014. It targets government and non-government organizations in multiple countries like the U.S., Germany, and Myanmar.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
Methods added: 15

RAT Generic (RAT)

Remote Access Trojans allow covert surveillance and unauthorized access to victim PCs, collecting data like keystrokes and screenshots. They differ from keyloggers by enabling remote access for attackers.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): installation, command and control, actions on objectives, delivery
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1573
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1041, T1573
Methods added: 1

Reverse Shell - Windows (Reverse Shell)

Adversaries exploit command and script interpreters in various platforms to execute commands, scripts, and binaries, utilizing built-in interfaces like Unix Shell, Windows Command Shell, and PowerShell. Provides ways of interacting with systems.

Added kill chain phase(s): delivery
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives
Methods added: 2

SocGholish (Social Engineering)

Malwarebytes found a new social engineering toolkit that uses compromised websites to perform advanced fingerprinting checks and deliver the NetSupport RAT payload.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, exploitation, delivery, reconnaissance, actions on objectives
Methods added: 21

Stealer and Exfiltration (Data Theft)

Info stealers gather sensitive data on infected computers to send to attackers, typically targeting online banking, social media, email, and FTP accounts. They use various methods including hooking browsers and keylogging.

Added kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): actions on objectives, command and control, installation, delivery, exploitation
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1005, T1567
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1005, T1041, T1567, T1486, T1587, T1496
Methods added: 12

Trojan Downloader (Downloader)

Trojan downloaders are malicious software that look legitimate, but can harm your computer by downloading files, often without user consent, to steal, damage, or disrupt your devices.

Added kill chain phase(s): delivery
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery, actions on objectives, installation
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1105
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1587, T1071, T1041, T1496, T1027
Methods added: 1

Unknown APT (APT)

Sophisticated adversary with expertise and resources uses multiple attack vectors to establish presence in organizations' IT infrastructure, exfiltrate information, undermine missions, and persistently adapt to defenders.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control, actions on objectives
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1041, T1071
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1041, T1071, T1001, T1566, T1102
Methods added: 59

XWorm (RAT)

Cyble research labs found a malware developer advertising a powerful Windows RAT on the dark web during a threat-hunting exercise.

Added kill chain phase(s): command and control
Previously supported kill chain phase(s): command and control, delivery
MITRE ATT&CK added: T1573
Previously existing MITRE ATT&CK: T1071, T1573
Methods added: 16

Other Threat Detection Update(s)

The following threat detection(s) were improved this past week with new or updated threat methods.

Name of threat	New coverage			Total coverage			Last updated
	New Detection methods	Kill chain phases	Protocols involved	Detection methods	Kill chain phases	Protocols involved
Command and Control	13	command and control	dns, tls, http	626	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation	dns, http, icmp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls	2025-11-07
CurlBack RAT	7	command and control	http	7	command and control	http	2025-11-07
Fake Browser	3	exploitation	dns, tls, http	1781	command and control, delivery, exploitation	dns, http, tls	2025-11-04
Generic Loader	1	command and control	http	146	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery	dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls	2025-11-07
GootLoader	2	command and control	http	30	actions on objectives, command and control	dns, http, tls	2025-11-07
IcedID	1	command and control	dns	845	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery	dns, http, tcp, tls	2025-11-04
LandUpdate808	24	command and control	dns, tls, http	649	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery	dns, http, tls	2025-11-08
Lumma	6	command and control, actions on objectives	dns, tls, http	6925	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation	dns, http, tls	2025-11-06
Mustang Panda	15	command and control	dns, tls, http	261	command and control, delivery	dns, http, tcp, tls	2025-11-06
Phantom Captcha	26	command and control	dns, tls, http	26	command and control	dns, tls, http	2025-11-07
RAT Generic	1	command and control	tcp	319	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation	dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls, udp	2025-11-05
Reverse Shell - Windows	2	delivery	http	34	actions on objectives, delivery	http, tcp	2025-11-07
SocGholish	21	command and control	dns, tls, http	1893	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, reconnaissance	dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls	2025-11-07
Stealer and Exfiltration	12	actions on objectives, command and control	http, dns, tcp-pkt, tls	479	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, exploitation, installation	dns, ftp, http, smtp, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls	2025-11-07
TA398	18	command and control	dns, tls, http	18	command and control	dns, tls, http	2025-11-07
Trojan Downloader	1	delivery	http	342	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery, installation	dns, http, tcp, tls, udp	2025-11-07
Unknown APT	59	command and control, actions on objectives	tcp, http, dns, tls	1473	actions on objectives, command and control, delivery	dns, http, tcp, tls	2025-11-08
XWorm	16	command and control	tcp-pkt	4130	command and control, delivery	dns, http, tcp, tcp-pkt, tls	2025-11-07

Additional Resources

Technical support
Join the conversation on Discord
Follow us Twitter
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Stamus Networks website

Threat Detection Update