SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.keyhole (Back to overview)

Keyhole

VTCollection    

According to Walmart Global Tech, Keyhole is a multi-functional VNC/Backconnect component used extensively by IcedID/Anubis. While the malware contains functionality that has been previously reported on as typical VNC and HDESK capabilities, a general lack of technical information appears to exist around some of the expanded functionality currently present.

References
2025-12-10NetresecErik Hjelmvik
Latrodectus BackConnect
IcedID Keyhole Latrodectus
2024-01-16Medium walmartglobaltechJason Reaves, Jonathan Mccay, Joshua Platt
Keyhole Analysis
IcedID Keyhole
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_keyhole_auto (20260504 | Detects win.keyhole.)
rule win_keyhole_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-05-04"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.keyhole."
        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.keyhole"
        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 = { 68???????? e8???????? 8d442448 c74424380a000000 89442434 8d442430 50 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   68????????           |                     
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   8d442448             | lea                 eax, [esp + 0x48]
            //   c74424380a000000     | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x38], 0xa
            //   89442434             | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x34], eax
            //   8d442430             | lea                 eax, [esp + 0x30]
            //   50                   | push                eax

        $sequence_1 = { 663bda 7551 0fb75002 83c002 0fb74e04 8ada 884c2430 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   663bda               | cmp                 bx, dx
            //   7551                 | jne                 0x53
            //   0fb75002             | movzx               edx, word ptr [eax + 2]
            //   83c002               | add                 eax, 2
            //   0fb74e04             | movzx               ecx, word ptr [esi + 4]
            //   8ada                 | mov                 bl, dl
            //   884c2430             | mov                 byte ptr [esp + 0x30], cl

        $sequence_2 = { 6a00 6a0c 50 ff35???????? ff15???????? 8b3d???????? }
            // n = 6, score = 100
            //   6a00                 | push                0
            //   6a0c                 | push                0xc
            //   50                   | push                eax
            //   ff35????????         |                     
            //   ff15????????         |                     
            //   8b3d????????         |                     

        $sequence_3 = { 83c43c c20400 53 8d442410 50 56 ff15???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   83c43c               | add                 esp, 0x3c
            //   c20400               | ret                 4
            //   53                   | push                ebx
            //   8d442410             | lea                 eax, [esp + 0x10]
            //   50                   | push                eax
            //   56                   | push                esi
            //   ff15????????         |                     

        $sequence_4 = { 5f 5e 81c4ac000000 c3 53 8a5e60 8d442430 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   5f                   | pop                 edi
            //   5e                   | pop                 esi
            //   81c4ac000000         | add                 esp, 0xac
            //   c3                   | ret                 
            //   53                   | push                ebx
            //   8a5e60               | mov                 bl, byte ptr [esi + 0x60]
            //   8d442430             | lea                 eax, [esp + 0x30]

        $sequence_5 = { 668944240c 6a10 668b07 0fb64f01 66c1e008 6633c8 8b442424 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   668944240c           | mov                 word ptr [esp + 0xc], ax
            //   6a10                 | push                0x10
            //   668b07               | mov                 ax, word ptr [edi]
            //   0fb64f01             | movzx               ecx, byte ptr [edi + 1]
            //   66c1e008             | shl                 ax, 8
            //   6633c8               | xor                 cx, ax
            //   8b442424             | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x24]

        $sequence_6 = { 85ff 0f8474010000 56 e8???????? 8b35???????? }
            // n = 5, score = 100
            //   85ff                 | test                edi, edi
            //   0f8474010000         | je                  0x17a
            //   56                   | push                esi
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   8b35????????         |                     

        $sequence_7 = { 7403 50 ffd6 57 ffd3 eb0c 50 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   7403                 | je                  5
            //   50                   | push                eax
            //   ffd6                 | call                esi
            //   57                   | push                edi
            //   ffd3                 | call                ebx
            //   eb0c                 | jmp                 0xe
            //   50                   | push                eax

        $sequence_8 = { 75f2 8b2d???????? 8b1d???????? 85ed 7408 85db 0f85f0000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   75f2                 | jne                 0xfffffff4
            //   8b2d????????         |                     
            //   8b1d????????         |                     
            //   85ed                 | test                ebp, ebp
            //   7408                 | je                  0xa
            //   85db                 | test                ebx, ebx
            //   0f85f0000000         | jne                 0xf6

        $sequence_9 = { 3bc5 7506 42 83e901 79f2 3bfa 7e12 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   3bc5                 | cmp                 eax, ebp
            //   7506                 | jne                 8
            //   42                   | inc                 edx
            //   83e901               | sub                 ecx, 1
            //   79f2                 | jns                 0xfffffff4
            //   3bfa                 | cmp                 edi, edx
            //   7e12                 | jle                 0x14

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 303104
}
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