2014-09-19 - SWEET ORANGE EK - 8.28.175.67 - CDN2.SWEETGEORGICAS.NET:17982 - CDN5.SWEETGEORGICAS.COM:17982
ASSOCIATED FILES:
- ZIP of the pcap: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-traffic.pcap.zip
- ZIP of the malware: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-malware.zip
NOTES:
- The obfuscation is slightly different during the infection chain before getting to Sweet Orange EK.
- Previously, this actor was using jquery_datepicker as the variable for the gate, but now it's ajax_data_source.
- See my previous blog entry on 2014-09-04 ( link ) to compare these small difference in traffic patterns.
- This malware was digitally signed. It didn't do anything on the infected VM.
CHAIN OF EVENTS
ASSOCIATED DOMAINS:
- 198.1.73.143 - www.conservativerefocus.com - Compromised website
- 192.185.16.158 - img.ct-trainer.com - Redirect (gate)
- 8.28.175.67 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - cdn5.sweetsgeorgica.com:17982 - Sweet Orange EK
COMPROMISED WEBSITE AND REDIRECT CHAIN:
- 2014-09-19 16:06:54 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49177 - 198.1.73.143:80 - www.conservativerefocus.com - GET /
- 2014-09-19 16:07:02 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49179 - 198.1.73.143:80 - www.conservativerefocus.com - GET /inc/files/js/jquery.js
- 2014-09-19 16:07:06 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49199 - 192.185.16.158:80 - img.ct-trainer.com - GET /k?t=2905173609
SWEET ORANGE EK:
- 2014-09-19 16:07:09 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49219 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/auth.php?order=3
- 2014-09-19 16:07:31 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49219 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/hxwXHAp [Flash exploit]
- 2014-09-19 16:07:37 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49279 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn5.sweetsgeorgica.com:17982 - GET /cars.php?rfid=688 [malware payload]
- 2014-09-19 16:07:55 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49285 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/cnJzjx.jar
- 2014-09-19 16:07:55 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49286 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/Fqxzdh.jar
- 2014-09-19 16:07:55 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49287 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/Fqxzdh.jar
- 2014-09-19 16:07:55 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49287 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/Fqxzdh.jar
- 2014-09-19 16:07:56 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49287 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/Fqxzdh.jar
- 2014-09-19 16:07:57 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49287 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - cdn2.sweetgeorgicas.net:17982 - GET /scgi-bin/music/redir/Fqxzdh.jar
NOTE: All the above HTTP GET requests for .jar files returned 404 Not Found.
PRELIMINARY MALWARE ANALYSIS
FLASH EXPLOIT:
File name: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-flash-exploit.swf
File size: 5.0 KB ( 5124 bytes )
MD5 hash: 2454c2e94203dd38be837d142646498c
Detection ratio: 3 / 55
First submission: 2014-09-18 19:55:18 UTC
VirusTotal link: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/f91c4de7271407636f9141ca69dd124581e2d670da8a50ea0a70e634fc6e301a/analysis/
MALWARE PAYLOAD:
File name: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-malware-payload.exe
File size: 242.9 KB ( 248704 bytes )
MD5 hash: e78c7bf60a522b1ab58853375dad1161
Detection ratio: 6 / 53
First submission: 2014-09-19 23:33:27 UTC
VirusTotal link: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/9bd85d308b09a561f278afe1bda968784bf7d96f31c1f64f3e6e91ac1551e1d1/analysis/
SNORT EVENTS
Emerging Threats and ETPRO rulesets from Sguil on Security Onion (without ET POLICY or ET INFO events):
- 2014-09-19 16:07:06 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49199 - 192.185.16.158:80 - ET CURRENT_EVENTS Sweet Orange CDN Gate Sept 09 2014 Method 2 (sid:2019146)
- 2014-09-19 16:07:20 UTC - 8.28.175.67:17982 - 192.168.204.151:49219 - ET CURRENT_EVENTS Sweet Orange Landing Page Dec 09 2013 (sid:2017817)
- 2014-09-19 16:07:37 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49279 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - ETPRO TROJAN Common Downloader Header Pattern H (sid:2803305)
- 2014-09-19 16:07:55 UTC - 192.168.204.151:49286 - 8.28.175.67:17982 - ET CURRENT_EVENTS Sweet Orange EK Thread Specific Java Exploit (sid:2018987)
Sourcefire VRT ruleset from Snort 2.9.6.2 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS:
- 2014-09-19 16:07:25.457782 8.28.175.67:17982 - 192.168.204.151:49219 - [120:6:1] (http_inspect) HTTP RESPONSE GZIP DECOMPRESSION FAILED
- 2014-09-19 16:07:37.861893 8.28.175.67:17982 - 192.168.204.151:49279 - [1:11192:16] FILE-EXECUTABLE download of executable content
- 2014-09-19 16:07:37.861893 8.28.175.67:17982 - 192.168.204.151:49279 - [1:15306:18] FILE-EXECUTABLE Portable Executable binary file magic detected
SCREENSHOTS FROM THE TRAFFIC
Malicious code in javascript from compromised website:
From one of the strings highighted above, here's how it trasnlates to the next step in the infection chain:
The Sweet Orange CDN gate, and how it translates to the next step in the infection chain (pointing to the Sweet Orange EK landing page):
FINAL NOTES
Once again, here are the associated files:
- ZIP of the pcap: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-traffic.pcap.zip
- ZIP file of the malware: 2014-09-19-Sweet-Orange-EK-malware.zip
ZIP files are password-protected with the standard password. If you don't know it, look at the "about" page of this website.
Click here to return to the main page.