SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.karius (Back to overview)

Karius

VTCollection    

According to checkpoint, Karius is a banking trojan in development, borrowing code from Ramnit, Vawtrack as well as Trickbot, currently implementing webinject attacks only.

It comes with an injector that loads an intermediate "proxy" component, which in turn loads the actual banker component.

Communication with the c2 are in json format and encrypted with RC4 with a hardcoded key.

In the initial version, observed in March 2018, the webinjects were hardcoded in the binary, while in subsequent versions, they were received by the c2.

References
2022-08-18IBMCharlotte Hammond, Ole Villadsen
From Ramnit To Bumblebee (via NeverQuest): Similarities and Code Overlap Shed Light On Relationships Between Malware Developers
BumbleBee Karius Ramnit TrickBot Vawtrak
2018-06-06Check PointCheck Point Research
Banking Trojans Under Development
Karius
2018-03-28Malwrologist
Multi-stage Powershell script (Brownies)
Karius
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_karius_auto (20260504 | Detects win.karius.)
rule win_karius_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-05-04"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.karius."
        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.karius"
        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 = { 488b05???????? 4885c0 7512 ff15???????? }
            // n = 4, score = 400
            //   488b05????????       |                     
            //   4885c0               | mov                 edx, dword ptr [eax]
            //   7512                 | mov                 ecx, ebp
            //   ff15????????         |                     

        $sequence_1 = { 0f8477000000 8bb424b0000000 418b10 8bcd 4903d6 }
            // n = 5, score = 400
            //   0f8477000000         | dec                 ebp
            //   8bb424b0000000       | add                 eax, esi
            //   418b10               | dec                 ebp
            //   8bcd                 | add                 edx, esi
            //   4903d6               | inc                 esp

        $sequence_2 = { 418b5b18 85db 0f849d000000 41837b1400 0f8492000000 458b4320 }
            // n = 6, score = 400
            //   418b5b18             | mov                 ecx, edi
            //   85db                 | dec                 eax
            //   0f849d000000         | test                eax, eax
            //   41837b1400           | inc                 ecx
            //   0f8492000000         | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [ebx + 0x18]
            //   458b4320             | test                ebx, ebx

        $sequence_3 = { 0f8492000000 458b4320 458b5324 33ed }
            // n = 4, score = 400
            //   0f8492000000         | dec                 ebp
            //   458b4320             | add                 edx, esi
            //   458b5324             | inc                 esp
            //   33ed                 | mov                 ecx, ebp

        $sequence_4 = { 41b830000000 488bcf ff15???????? 4885c0 }
            // n = 4, score = 400
            //   41b830000000         | inc                 ecx
            //   488bcf               | mov                 eax, 0x30
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   4885c0               | dec                 eax

        $sequence_5 = { 33ed 4d03c6 4d03d6 448bcd 85db 0f8477000000 8bb424b0000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 400
            //   33ed                 | je                  0xa3
            //   4d03c6               | inc                 ecx
            //   4d03d6               | cmp                 dword ptr [ebx + 0x14], 0
            //   448bcd               | je                  0x98
            //   85db                 | inc                 ebp
            //   0f8477000000         | mov                 eax, dword ptr [ebx + 0x20]
            //   8bb424b0000000       | xor                 ebp, ebp

        $sequence_6 = { 0f84b3000000 458b9f88000000 4d03de 418b5b18 85db 0f849d000000 }
            // n = 6, score = 400
            //   0f84b3000000         | cmp                 dword ptr [ebx + 0x14], 0
            //   458b9f88000000       | je                  0xa3
            //   4d03de               | mov                 edi, 1
            //   418b5b18             | mov                 edx, edi
            //   85db                 | dec                 ecx
            //   0f849d000000         | mov                 ecx, esi

        $sequence_7 = { c3 85c0 7505 e8???????? b801000000 }
            // n = 5, score = 400
            //   c3                   | dec                 ebp
            //   85c0                 | test                ebp, ebp
            //   7505                 | dec                 esp
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   b801000000           | mov                 ebp, eax

        $sequence_8 = { 8bd7 498bce ffd3 4183bf8c00000000 0f84b3000000 458b9f88000000 4d03de }
            // n = 7, score = 400
            //   8bd7                 | inc                 esp
            //   498bce               | mov                 ecx, ebp
            //   ffd3                 | test                ebx, ebx
            //   4183bf8c00000000     | je                  0x7f
            //   0f84b3000000         | mov                 esi, dword ptr [esp + 0xb0]
            //   458b9f88000000       | inc                 ecx
            //   4d03de               | mov                 edx, dword ptr [eax]

        $sequence_9 = { ff15???????? 488bf8 4885c0 7505 8d4701 }
            // n = 5, score = 300
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   488bf8               | dec                 ebp
            //   4885c0               | add                 ebx, esi
            //   7505                 | inc                 ecx
            //   8d4701               | cmp                 dword ptr [ebx + 0x14], 0

        $sequence_10 = { 7407 3c20 7703 46 75f3 803e5d }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   7407                 | mov                 ebp, eax
            //   3c20                 | dec                 ecx
            //   7703                 | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   46                   | dec                 eax
            //   75f3                 | mov                 ecx, eax
            //   803e5d               | dec                 esp

        $sequence_11 = { 3a06 7522 42 46 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   3a06                 | mov                 ebp, eax
            //   7522                 | dec                 ecx
            //   42                   | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   46                   | dec                 eax

        $sequence_12 = { 448bc0 33d2 488bce ff15???????? 4c8bf0 4885c0 }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   448bc0               | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [edi + 0x88]
            //   33d2                 | dec                 ebp
            //   488bce               | add                 ebx, esi
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   4c8bf0               | inc                 ecx
            //   4885c0               | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [ebx + 0x18]

        $sequence_13 = { 4d8bcf 33d2 41b800001000 488bce ff15???????? 488bd8 }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   4d8bcf               | inc                 ecx
            //   33d2                 | cmp                 dword ptr [edi + 0x8c], 0
            //   41b800001000         | je                  0xb9
            //   488bce               | inc                 ebp
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   488bd8               | mov                 ebx, dword ptr [edi + 0x88]

        $sequence_14 = { 488bc8 ff15???????? 4c8be8 498bce }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   488bc8               | cmp                 dword ptr [ebx + 0x14], 0
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   4c8be8               | je                  0x98
            //   498bce               | inc                 ebp

        $sequence_15 = { 488d4b10 488d542450 41b804000000 c6430f68 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   488d4b10             | inc                 ecx
            //   488d542450           | cmp                 dword ptr [edi + 0x8c], 0
            //   41b804000000         | je                  0xc3
            //   c6430f68             | inc                 ecx

        $sequence_16 = { 42 46 83fa05 7cf2 33c0 }
            // n = 5, score = 300
            //   42                   | mov                 ecx, esp
            //   46                   | dec                 ebp
            //   83fa05               | mov                 eax, edi
            //   7cf2                 | dec                 eax
            //   33c0                 | mov                 edx, eax

        $sequence_17 = { 56 57 e8???????? 8bc8 83c40c 85c9 0f8485000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 300
            //   56                   | dec                 eax
            //   57                   | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   8bc8                 | dec                 eax
            //   83c40c               | lea                 ecx, [ebx + 0x10]
            //   85c9                 | dec                 eax
            //   0f8485000000         | lea                 edx, [esp + 0x50]

        $sequence_18 = { 8d7b01 448bfb 448be3 4885c9 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   8d7b01               | je                  0x98
            //   448bfb               | inc                 ebp
            //   448be3               | mov                 eax, dword ptr [ebx + 0x20]
            //   4885c9               | inc                 ebp

        $sequence_19 = { 7405 f60001 7502 33c0 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   7405                 | dec                 ecx
            //   f60001               | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   7502                 | dec                 ebp
            //   33c0                 | test                ebp, ebp

        $sequence_20 = { f7d8 8945fc 8955f4 85db 7407 3bd3 }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   f7d8                 | inc                 ecx
            //   8945fc               | mov                 eax, 4
            //   8955f4               | mov                 byte ptr [ebx + 0xf], 0x68
            //   85db                 | dec                 eax
            //   7407                 | mov                 ecx, eax
            //   3bd3                 | dec                 esp

        $sequence_21 = { 42 ff45f8 894d08 e9???????? 8b45f8 5f }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   42                   | dec                 ebp
            //   ff45f8               | add                 edx, esi
            //   894d08               | inc                 esp
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   8b45f8               | mov                 ecx, ebp
            //   5f                   | dec                 ebp

        $sequence_22 = { 4d8bcc 4d8bc7 488bd0 488bce ff15???????? 85c0 }
            // n = 6, score = 300
            //   4d8bcc               | add                 edx, esi
            //   4d8bc7               | inc                 ecx
            //   488bd0               | cmp                 dword ptr [edi + 0x8c], 0
            //   488bce               | je                  0xb9
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   85c0                 | inc                 ebp

        $sequence_23 = { 0f93c0 eb06 803900 0f94c0 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   0f93c0               | mov                 edx, dword ptr [ebx + 0x24]
            //   eb06                 | xor                 ebp, ebp
            //   803900               | dec                 ebp
            //   0f94c0               | add                 eax, esi

        $sequence_24 = { 4c8be8 498bce ff15???????? 4d85ed }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   4c8be8               | dec                 ebp
            //   498bce               | add                 eax, esi
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   4d85ed               | dec                 ebp

        $sequence_25 = { e9???????? 8b4510 5e 8908 }
            // n = 4, score = 300
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   8b4510               | dec                 eax
            //   5e                   | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x20], ebx
            //   8908                 | dec                 ebp

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 434176
}
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