Attor (Malware Family)

Attor

VTCollection

Attor is a cyberespionage platform used in targeted attacks against diplomatic missions and governmental institutions since at least 2013. Its most interesting features are a complex modular architecture, elaborate network communications, and a unique plugin to fingerprint GSM/GPRS devices.

Attor’s core lies in its dispatcher, which serves as a management unit for additional plugins which provide all of malware’s key capabilities. This allows the attackers to customize the platform on a per-victim basis. Plugins themselves are heavily synchronized. Network communication is based on Tor, aiming for anonymity and untraceability.

The most notable plugin can detect connected GSM/GPRS modems or mobile devices. Attor speaks to them directly using the AT command set, in order to collect sensitive information such as the IMEI, IMSI or MSISDN numbers, possibly identifying both the device and its subscriber. Other plugins provide persistence, an exfiltration channel, C&C communication and several further spying capabilities. The plugin responsible for capturing victim's screen targets social networks and blogging platforms, email services, office software, archiving utilities, file sharing and messaging services.

References

2022-12-09 ⋅ cocomelonc ⋅ cocomelonc
Malware development: persistence - part 20. UserInitMprLogonScript (Logon Script). Simple C++ example.
Attor Zebrocy

2022-05-09 ⋅ cocomelonc ⋅ cocomelonc
Malware development: persistence - part 4. Windows services. Simple C++ example.
Anchor AppleJeus Attor BBSRAT BlackEnergy Carbanak Cobalt Strike DuQu

2019-10-11 ⋅ ⋅ c news ⋅ Roman Georgiev
За российскими дипломатами 7 лет следят с помощью шпионского ПО
Attor

2019-10-11 ⋅ ⋅ Unian.Ua ⋅ Unian.Ua
International IT company warns of a number of spy attacks on government and diplomatic institutions in Eastern Europe
Attor

2019-10-10 ⋅ Threatpost ⋅ Tara Seals
Sophisticated Spy Kit Targets Russians with Rare GSM Plugin
Attor

2019-10-10 ⋅ ZDNet ⋅ Catalin Cimpanu
New espionage malware found targeting Russian-speaking users in Eastern Europe
Attor

2019-10-10 ⋅ ESET Research ⋅ Zuzana Hromcová
ESET discovers Attor, a spy platform with curious GSM fingerprinting
Attor

2019-10-10 ⋅ ESET Research ⋅ Zuzana Hromcová
ESET discovers Attor, a spy platform with curious GSM fingerprinting
Attor Attor

2019-10-01 ⋅ ESET Research ⋅ Zuzana Hromcová
AT COMMANDS, TOR-BASED COMMUNICATIONS: MEET ATTOR, A FANTASY CREATURE AND ALSO A SPY PLATFORM
Attor

Yara Rules

[TLP:WHITE] win_attor_auto (20260917 | Detects win.attor.)

rule win_attor_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-09-17"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.attor."
        info = "autogenerated rule brought to you by yara-signator"
        tool = "yara-signator v0.6.0"
        signator_config = "callsandjumps;datarefs;binvalue"
        malpedia_reference = "https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.attor"
        malpedia_rule_date = "20260916"
        malpedia_hash = "53a643781c18e08f4a50949af60172d837a0b6f6"
        malpedia_version = "20260917"
        malpedia_license = "CC BY-SA 4.0"
        malpedia_sharing = "TLP:WHITE"

    /* DISCLAIMER
     * The strings used in this rule have been automatically selected from the
     * disassembly of memory dumps and unpacked files, using YARA-Signator.
     * The code and documentation is published here:
     * https://github.com/fxb-cocacoding/yara-signator
     * As Malpedia is used as data source, please note that for a given
     * number of families, only single samples are documented.
     * This likely impacts the degree of generalization these rules will offer.
     * Take the described generation method also into consideration when you
     * apply the rules in your use cases and assign them confidence levels.
     */


    strings:
        $sequence_0 = { 83f801 7411 3d81000000 740a }
            // n = 4, score = 400
            //   83f801               | cmp                 eax, 1
            //   7411                 | je                  0x13
            //   3d81000000           | cmp                 eax, 0x81
            //   740a                 | je                  0xc

        $sequence_1 = { e9???????? 33c0 488bcf 488907 48894708 48894710 48894718 }
            // n = 7, score = 300
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   33c0                 | add                 esi, 8
            //   488bcf               | dec                 ecx
            //   488907               | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   48894708             | xor                 eax, eax
            //   48894710             | dec                 eax
            //   48894718             | mov                 ecx, edi

        $sequence_2 = { 33c9 e8???????? 488b8c2480000000 e8???????? eb05 }
            // n = 5, score = 300
            //   33c9                 | jmp                 0x62
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488b8c2480000000     | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   eb05                 | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [esp + 0xa0]

        $sequence_3 = { 7404 41895d00 418ac4 4883c460 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   7404                 | je                  0x3c
            //   41895d00             | inc                 ecx
            //   418ac4               | mov                 byte ptr [ebx], dh
            //   4883c460             | mov                 ebx, eax

        $sequence_4 = { 8bd8 eb5e 488b8c24a0000000 c70618000000 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   8bd8                 | dec                 eax
            //   eb5e                 | mov                 dword ptr [edi + 0x10], eax
            //   488b8c24a0000000     | dec                 eax
            //   c70618000000         | mov                 dword ptr [edi + 0x18], eax

        $sequence_5 = { ff15???????? 85c0 7510 ff15???????? 4032ed 8bd8 }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   85c0                 | dec                 esp
            //   7510                 | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [esp + 0x40]
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   4032ed               | dec                 ebp
            //   8bd8                 | test                ebx, ebx

        $sequence_6 = { 8bd8 e9???????? 4c8bb42498000000 4983c608 498bce e8???????? }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   8bd8                 | mov                 ebx, eax
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   4c8bb42498000000     | dec                 esp
            //   4983c608             | mov                 esi, dword ptr [esp + 0x98]
            //   498bce               | dec                 ecx
            //   e8????????           |                     

        $sequence_7 = { e8???????? 4c8b5c2440 4d85db 743a 418833 }
            // n = 5, score = 300
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   4c8b5c2440           | dec                 eax
            //   4d85db               | mov                 dword ptr [edi], eax
            //   743a                 | dec                 eax
            //   418833               | mov                 dword ptr [edi + 8], eax

        $sequence_8 = { 0f84b3020000 8d4c2420 897c2420 51 }
            // n = 4, score = 200
            //   0f84b3020000         | dec                 esp
            //   8d4c2420             | mov                 esi, dword ptr [esp + 0x58]
            //   897c2420             | dec                 ebp
            //   51                   | test                edi, edi

        $sequence_9 = { 57 e8???????? 8b4c241c 51 ffd6 83c408 }
            // n = 6, score = 200
            //   57                   | je                  0x14
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   8b4c241c             | je                  0xc
            //   51                   | cmp                 eax, 8
            //   ffd6                 | je                  0xa
            //   83c408               | cmp                 eax, 0x11

        $sequence_10 = { c744241808000000 eb31 c744241857000000 eb27 }
            // n = 4, score = 200
            //   c744241808000000     | test                eax, eax
            //   eb31                 | je                  0x1ef
            //   c744241857000000     | lea                 ecx, [esp + 0x38]
            //   eb27                 | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x38], 0

        $sequence_11 = { 8b542420 52 50 8b442420 6a00 6a02 }
            // n = 6, score = 200
            //   8b542420             | test                eax, eax
            //   52                   | cmp                 eax, 1
            //   50                   | je                  0x13
            //   8b442420             | cmp                 eax, 0x81
            //   6a00                 | je                  0x13
            //   6a02                 | jne                 0x12

        $sequence_12 = { 6a02 50 ffd5 85c0 0f84e7010000 }
            // n = 5, score = 200
            //   6a02                 | inc                 eax
            //   50                   | xor                 ch, ch
            //   ffd5                 | mov                 ebx, eax
            //   85c0                 | dec                 ecx
            //   0f84e7010000         | mov                 ecx, esi

        $sequence_13 = { 740a 83f808 7405 83f811 }
            // n = 4, score = 200
            //   740a                 | dec                 eax
            //   83f808               | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [esp + 0x80]
            //   7405                 | inc                 ebp
            //   83f811               | xor                 eax, eax

        $sequence_14 = { 83c404 83e103 f3aa 8b442410 85c0 743d }
            // n = 6, score = 200
            //   83c404               | push                ecx
            //   83e103               | mov                 edx, dword ptr [esp + 0x20]
            //   f3aa                 | push                edx
            //   8b442410             | push                eax
            //   85c0                 | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x20]
            //   743d                 | push                0

        $sequence_15 = { 85c0 0f84e7010000 8d4c2438 c744243800000000 51 }
            // n = 5, score = 200
            //   85c0                 | inc                 ecx
            //   0f84e7010000         | lea                 edx, [eax + 2]
            //   8d4c2438             | dec                 esp
            //   c744243800000000     | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   51                   | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x20], eax

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 2023424
}

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References

Yara Rules

Attor