SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.cheesetray (Back to overview)

CHEESETRAY

aka: CROWDEDFLOUNDER

Actor(s): Lazarus Group

VTCollection    

CHEESETRAY is a sophisticated proxy-aware backdoor that can operate in both active and passive mode depending on the passed command-line parameters. The backdoor is capable of enumerating files and processes, enumerating drivers, enumerating remote desktop sessions, uploading and downloading files, creating and terminating processes, deleting files, creating a reverse shell, acting as a proxy server, and hijacking processes among its other functionality. The backdoor communicates with its C&C server using a custom binary protocol over TCP with port specified as a command-line parameter.

References
2020-02-25SentinelOneJim Walter
DPRK Hidden Cobra Update: North Korean Malicious Cyber Activity
ARTFULPIE BISTROMATH BUFFETLINE CHEESETRAY HOPLIGHT HOTCROISSANT SLICKSHOES
2020-02-14US-CERTUS-CERT
Malware Analysis Report (AR20-045C)
CHEESETRAY
2018-01-01FireEyeFireEye
APT38
CHEESETRAY CLEANTOAD NACHOCHEESE
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_cheesetray_auto (20260504 | Detects win.cheesetray.)
rule win_cheesetray_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-05-04"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.cheesetray."
        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.cheesetray"
        malpedia_rule_date = "20260422"
        malpedia_hash = "a182e35da64e6d71cb55f125c4d4225196523f14"
        malpedia_version = "20260504"
        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 = { e8???????? 83c40c 68c0d40100 6880000000 8d8500ffffff 50 57 }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   83c40c               | add                 esp, 0xc
            //   68c0d40100           | push                0x1d4c0
            //   6880000000           | push                0x80
            //   8d8500ffffff         | lea                 eax, [ebp - 0x100]
            //   50                   | push                eax
            //   57                   | push                edi

        $sequence_1 = { e8???????? 83c434 85c0 0f84c7000000 68c0d40100 6800080000 8d85b8eeffff }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   83c434               | add                 esp, 0x34
            //   85c0                 | test                eax, eax
            //   0f84c7000000         | je                  0xcd
            //   68c0d40100           | push                0x1d4c0
            //   6800080000           | push                0x800
            //   8d85b8eeffff         | lea                 eax, [ebp - 0x1148]

        $sequence_2 = { e8???????? 83c410 85c0 0f856affffff 8bc3 5e 5b }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   83c410               | add                 esp, 0x10
            //   85c0                 | test                eax, eax
            //   0f856affffff         | jne                 0xffffff70
            //   8bc3                 | mov                 eax, ebx
            //   5e                   | pop                 esi
            //   5b                   | pop                 ebx

        $sequence_3 = { 5b 8be5 5d c3 33f6 ebd5 }
            // n = 6, score = 200
            //   5b                   | pop                 ebx
            //   8be5                 | mov                 esp, ebp
            //   5d                   | pop                 ebp
            //   c3                   | ret                 
            //   33f6                 | xor                 esi, esi
            //   ebd5                 | jmp                 0xffffffd7

        $sequence_4 = { c70600000000 8b5d10 89465c 85db 0f8489000000 83f8fc 0f8480000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   c70600000000         | mov                 dword ptr [esi], 0
            //   8b5d10               | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [ebp + 0x10]
            //   89465c               | mov                 dword ptr [esi + 0x5c], eax
            //   85db                 | test                ebx, ebx
            //   0f8489000000         | je                  0x8f
            //   83f8fc               | cmp                 eax, -4
            //   0f8480000000         | je                  0x86

        $sequence_5 = { 8bc3 897358 e8???????? 83c408 83f8ff 7457 }
            // n = 6, score = 200
            //   8bc3                 | mov                 eax, ebx
            //   897358               | mov                 dword ptr [ebx + 0x58], esi
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   83c408               | add                 esp, 8
            //   83f8ff               | cmp                 eax, -1
            //   7457                 | je                  0x59

        $sequence_6 = { 7403 50 ffd6 8b442430 3bc7 7403 50 }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   7403                 | je                  5
            //   50                   | push                eax
            //   ffd6                 | call                esi
            //   8b442430             | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x30]
            //   3bc7                 | cmp                 eax, edi
            //   7403                 | je                  5
            //   50                   | push                eax

        $sequence_7 = { 8bc8 c1f905 8b0c8d80ce4400 83e01f c1e006 8d440124 8b4d10 }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   8bc8                 | mov                 ecx, eax
            //   c1f905               | sar                 ecx, 5
            //   8b0c8d80ce4400       | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [ecx*4 + 0x44ce80]
            //   83e01f               | and                 eax, 0x1f
            //   c1e006               | shl                 eax, 6
            //   8d440124             | lea                 eax, [ecx + eax + 0x24]
            //   8b4d10               | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [ebp + 0x10]

        $sequence_8 = { e8???????? 8b45f8 83c40c 53 53 8d4dec 51 }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   8b45f8               | mov                 eax, dword ptr [ebp - 8]
            //   83c40c               | add                 esp, 0xc
            //   53                   | push                ebx
            //   53                   | push                ebx
            //   8d4dec               | lea                 ecx, [ebp - 0x14]
            //   51                   | push                ecx

        $sequence_9 = { 83fe15 7454 85c0 744e 833d????????00 7505 e8???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 200
            //   83fe15               | cmp                 esi, 0x15
            //   7454                 | je                  0x56
            //   85c0                 | test                eax, eax
            //   744e                 | je                  0x50
            //   833d????????00       |                     
            //   7505                 | jne                 7
            //   e8????????           |                     

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 8626176
}
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