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T1406 Obfuscated Files or Information

Adversaries may attempt to make a payload or file difficult to discover or analyze by encrypting, encoding, or otherwise obfuscating its contents on the device or in transit. This is common behavior that can be used across different platforms and the network to evade defenses.

Payloads may be compressed, archived, or encrypted in order to avoid detection. These payloads may be used during Initial Access or later to mitigate detection. Portions of files can also be encoded to hide the plaintext strings that would otherwise help defenders with discovery. Payloads may also be split into separate, seemingly benign files that only reveal malicious functionality when reassembled.1

Item Value
ID T1406
Sub-techniques T1406.001, T1406.002
Tactics TA0030
Platforms Android, iOS
Version 3.0
Created 25 October 2017
Last Modified 06 April 2022

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu AbstractEmu has encoded files, such as exploit binaries, to potentially use during and after the rooting process.20
S0525 Android/AdDisplay.Ashas Android/AdDisplay.Ashas has hidden the C2 server address using base-64 encoding. 5
S0524 AndroidOS/MalLocker.B AndroidOS/MalLocker.B has employed both name mangling and meaningless variable names in source. AndroidOS/MalLocker.B has stored encrypted payload code in the Assets directory, coupled with a custom decryption routine that assembles a .dex file by passing data through Android Intent objects. 1
S0540 Asacub Asacub has stored encrypted strings in the APK file.9
S0293 BrainTest BrainTest stores a secondary Android app package (APK) in its assets directory in encrypted form, and decrypts the payload at runtime.8
S0432 Bread Bread uses various tricks to obfuscate its strings including standard and custom encryption, programmatically building strings at runtime, and splitting unencrypted strings with repeated delimiters to break up keywords. Bread has also abused Java and JavaScript features to obfuscate code. Bread payloads have hidden code in native libraries and encrypted JAR files in the data section of an ELF file. Bread has stored DEX payloads as base64-encoded strings in the Android manifest and internal Java classes.1817
S0529 CarbonSteal CarbonSteal has used incorrect file extensions and encryption to hide most of its assets, including secondary APKs, configuration files, and JAR or DEX files.31
S0480 Cerberus Cerberus uses standard payload and string obfuscation techniques.11
S0323 Charger Charger encodes strings into binary arrays to make it difficult to inspect them. It also loads code from encrypted resources dynamically and includes meaningless commands that mask the actual commands passing through.27
S0555 CHEMISTGAMES CHEMISTGAMES has encrypted its DEX payload.21
S0550 DoubleAgent DoubleAgent has used an AES encrypted file in the assets folder with an unsuspecting name (e.g. ‘GoogleMusic.png’) for holding configuration and C2 information.31
S1054 Drinik Drinik has used custom encryption to hide strings, potentially to evade antivirus products.36
S0420 Dvmap Dvmap decrypts executables from archive files stored in the assets directory of the installation binary.28
S0478 EventBot EventBot dynamically loads its malicious functionality at runtime from an RC4-encrypted TTF file. EventBot also utilizes ProGuard to obfuscate the generated APK file.12
S0509 FakeSpy FakeSpy stores its malicious code in encrypted asset files that are decrypted at runtime. Newer versions of FakeSpy encrypt the C2 address.34
S0408 FlexiSpy FlexiSpy encrypts its configuration file using AES.2
S1067 FluBot FluBot can obfuscated class, string, and method names in newer malware versions.26
S0423 Ginp Ginp obfuscates its payload, code, and strings.13
S0421 GolfSpy GolfSpy encodes its configurations using a customized algorithm.19
S0536 GPlayed GPlayed has base64-encoded the exfiltrated data, replacing some of the base64 characters to further obfuscate the data.23
S0406 Gustuff Gustuff obfuscated command information using a custom base85-based encoding.22
S0544 HenBox HenBox has obfuscated components using XOR, ZIP with a single-byte key or ZIP/Zlib compression wrapped with RC4 encryption.3
S0463 INSOMNIA INSOMNIA obfuscates various pieces of information within the application.25
S0485 Mandrake Mandrake obfuscates its hardcoded C2 URLs.15
S0407 Monokle Monokle uses XOR to obfuscate its second stage binary.10
S0286 OBAD OBAD contains encrypted code along with an obfuscated decryption routine to make it difficult to analyze.32
S0399 Pallas Pallas stores domain information and URL paths as hardcoded AES-encrypted, base64-encoded strings.24
S0539 Red Alert 2.0 Red Alert 2.0 has stored data embedded in the strings.xml resource file.37
S0411 Rotexy Starting in 2017, the Rotexy DEX file was packed with garbage strings and/or operations.7
S1055 SharkBot SharkBot can use a Domain Generation Algorithm to decode the C2 server location.30
S0549 SilkBean SilkBean has hidden malicious functionality in a second stage file and has encrypted C2 server information.31
S0545 TERRACOTTA TERRACOTTA has stored encoded strings.16
S1056 TianySpy TianySpy has encrypted C2 details, email addresses, and passwords.29
S0427 TrickMo TrickMo contains obfuscated function, class, and variable names, and encrypts its shared preferences using Java’s PBEWithMD5AndDES algorithm.6
G0112 Windshift Windshift has encrypted application strings using AES in ECB mode and Blowfish, and stored strings encoded in hex during Operation BULL. Further, in Operation BULL, encryption keys were stored within the application’s launcher icon file.38
S0312 WireLurker WireLurker obfuscates its payload through complex code structure, multiple component versions, file hiding, code obfuscation and customized encryption to thwart anti-reversing.35
S0489 WolfRAT WolfRAT’s code is obfuscated.33
S0318 XLoader for Android XLoader for Android loads an encrypted DEX code payload.4
S0494 Zen Zen base64 encodes one of the strings it searches for.14

References


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  23. V. Ventura. (2018, October 11). GPlayed Trojan - .Net playing with Google Market . Retrieved November 24, 2020. 

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