SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.nighthawk (Back to overview)

Nighthawk

VTCollection    

C2 framework.

References
2022-12-03Github (kevoreilly)Nikhil Hegde
Nighthawk DLL Payload Configuration Parser
Nighthawk
2022-11-25Github (struppigel)Karsten Hahn
Python script to decode NightHawk strings
Nighthawk
2022-11-22ProofpointAlexander Rausch, Proofpoint Threat Research Team
Nighthawk: An Up-and-Coming Pentest Tool Likely to Gain Threat Actor Notice
Nighthawk
2022-09-01Medium michaelkoczwaraMichael Koczwara
Hunting C2/Adversaries Infrastructure with Shodan and Censys
Brute Ratel C4 Cobalt Strike Deimos GRUNT IcedID Merlin Meterpreter Nighthawk PoshC2 Sliver
2022-05-05Suspicious ActorAustin Hudson
Studying “Next Generation Malware” - NightHawk’s Attempt At Obfuscate and Sleep
Nighthawk
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_nighthawk_auto (20260504 | Detects win.nighthawk.)
rule win_nighthawk_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-05-04"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.nighthawk."
        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.nighthawk"
        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 = { 740e 83e901 7412 83f901 0f858b000000 f6838000000010 eb07 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   740e                 | dec                 esp
            //   83e901               | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x40], esi
            //   7412                 | dec                 eax
            //   83f901               | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x48], esi
            //   0f858b000000         | dec                 esp
            //   f6838000000010       | mov                 eax, edi
            //   eb07                 | dec                 eax

        $sequence_1 = { e8???????? 90 48897597 488975a7 4c896daf 41b81d000000 488d15d3020800 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   90                   | jmp                 0xc2
            //   48897597             | dec                 eax
            //   488975a7             | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [esp + 0x78]
            //   4c896daf             | test                eax, eax
            //   41b81d000000         | jns                 0xb8
            //   488d15d3020800       | xor                 eax, eax

        $sequence_2 = { 7211 488b8d40080000 4885c9 7405 e8???????? 4889b550080000 4889bd58080000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   7211                 | dec                 eax
            //   488b8d40080000       | mov                 eax, esi
            //   4885c9               | inc                 cx
            //   7405                 | cmp                 dword ptr [eax], 0x3a
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   4889b550080000       | je                  0x1a7b
            //   4889bd58080000       | dec                 eax

        $sequence_3 = { 4c89642448 6644897c2430 e8???????? 4c8d442430 488b5320 e8???????? 85c0 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   4c89642448           | lea                 edx, [esp + 0x30]
            //   6644897c2430         | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   4c8d442430           | lea                 ecx, [ebp - 0x30]
            //   488b5320             | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   85c0                 | mov                 edx, eax

        $sequence_4 = { 4c2bc7 4803d7 488d8c2430010000 e8???????? 90 4c3ba424a0000000 744f }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   4c2bc7               | dec                 eax
            //   4803d7               | lea                 edx, [esp + 0x68]
            //   488d8c2430010000     | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   90                   | lea                 ecx, [ebp - 0x58]
            //   4c3ba424a0000000     | dec                 eax
            //   744f                 | mov                 edx, eax

        $sequence_5 = { e8???????? 85c0 0f8517010000 80fb2c 0f840e010000 80fb5d 0f8405010000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   85c0                 | dec                 eax
            //   0f8517010000         | mov                 ecx, edi
            //   80fb2c               | test                eax, eax
            //   0f840e010000         | sete                bl
            //   80fb5d               | dec                 eax
            //   0f8405010000         | cmp                 dword ptr [ebp], 8

        $sequence_6 = { 90 83ff03 0f85d1040000 8bfb 488b5c2440 488d4c2430 48837c244808 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   90                   | dec                 eax
            //   83ff03               | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x30], eax
            //   0f85d1040000         | dec                 eax
            //   8bfb                 | add                 ebx, eax
            //   488b5c2440           | je                  0x41d
            //   488d4c2430           | dec                 eax
            //   48837c244808         | mov                 ecx, ebx

        $sequence_7 = { c3 e8???????? 90 cc 4883ec28 488b09 4885c9 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   c3                   | dec                 ebp
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   90                   | mov                 eax, esi
            //   cc                   | xor                 edx, edx
            //   4883ec28             | je                  0xb8
            //   488b09               | dec                 ecx
            //   4885c9               | mov                 edx, edi

        $sequence_8 = { 4c896e20 6644897e08 4883c660 488d4ec8 483bcd 0f856affffff 488b5c2450 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   4c896e20             | mov                 eax, dword ptr [eax]
            //   6644897e08           | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x20], ebx
            //   4883c660             | inc                 esp
            //   488d4ec8             | mov                 ecx, esi
            //   483bcd               | dec                 eax
            //   0f856affffff         | lea                 ecx, [esp + 0x70]
            //   488b5c2450           | dec                 eax

        $sequence_9 = { 743f 0fb7d9 81cb00000780 85c9 0f4ed9 eb2f 488b8de8000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   743f                 | mov                 eax, 0x20
            //   0fb7d9               | dec                 eax
            //   81cb00000780         | mov                 edx, ebx
            //   85c9                 | dec                 eax
            //   0f4ed9               | lea                 ecx, [esp + 0x48]
            //   eb2f                 | dec                 esp
            //   488b8de8000000       | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x58], edi

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 1949696
}
Download all Yara Rules