SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.pterois (Back to overview)

Pterois

Actor(s): Swan Vector

VTCollection    

According to Seqrite, this is a loader for a follow-up side-loaded and in memory-staged Cobalt Strike Beacon. It uses API hashing (SDBM) and pulls the next stage from Google Drive using hardcoded access credentials.

References
2025-05-12SeqriteSathwik Ram Prakki, Subhajeet Singha
Unveiling Swan Vector APT Targeting Taiwan and Japan with varied DLL Implants
Pterois Swan Vector
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_pterois_auto (20260504 | Detects win.pterois.)
rule win_pterois_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-05-04"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.pterois."
        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.pterois"
        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 = { ba1f9e5797 e8???????? 488905???????? 488b0d???????? ba524aaa5b e8???????? 488905???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   ba1f9e5797           | mov                 byte ptr [esp + 0x36], al
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488905????????       |                     
            //   488b0d????????       |                     
            //   ba524aaa5b           | movzx               eax, byte ptr [esp + 0x36]
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488905????????       |                     

        $sequence_1 = { 33c9 4c8d057c180100 488d154d6a0100 e8???????? 4885c0 7415 49ba7030525e472705d3 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   33c9                 | dec                 eax
            //   4c8d057c180100       | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [esp + 0x48]
            //   488d154d6a0100       | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   4885c0               | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x30], eax
            //   7415                 | dec                 esp
            //   49ba7030525e472705d3     | mov    eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x30]

        $sequence_2 = { 83c0d0 83e80a 0f8229000000 e9???????? }
            // n = 4, score = 100
            //   83c0d0               | dec                 eax
            //   83e80a               | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x40]
            //   0f8229000000         | dec                 eax
            //   e9????????           |                     

        $sequence_3 = { 75dd 488d055b500100 483bd8 74d1 488bcb e8???????? ebc7 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   75dd                 | dec                 ecx
            //   488d055b500100       | cmp                 eax, 0
            //   483bd8               | cmovne              ecx, edx
            //   74d1                 | dec                 eax
            //   488bcb               | arpl                cx, cx
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   ebc7                 | dec                 eax

        $sequence_4 = { bafbdc7061 e8???????? 488905???????? 488b0d???????? bafa6fbeac e8???????? 488905???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   bafbdc7061           | arpl                word ptr [esp + 0x2c], dx
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488905????????       |                     
            //   488b0d????????       |                     
            //   bafa6fbeac           | dec                 eax
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488905????????       |                     

        $sequence_5 = { 488b442438 48833800 0f8411000000 488b4c2438 488b442438 488b00 48894808 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   488b442438           | inc                 ecx
            //   48833800             | mov                 ecx, edx
            //   0f8411000000         | inc                 ebp
            //   488b4c2438           | xor                 eax, eax
            //   488b442438           | dec                 esp
            //   488b00               | mov                 edx, ecx
            //   48894808             | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x20], 0

        $sequence_6 = { 4883ec48 4889542438 48894c2430 48c744242800000000 48837c243000 0f850e000000 48c744244000000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   4883ec48             | add                 eax, 1
            //   4889542438           | dec                 eax
            //   48894c2430           | mov                 dword ptr [esp + 0x30], eax
            //   48c744242800000000     | dec    eax
            //   48837c243000         | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x30]
            //   0f850e000000         | mov                 byte ptr [eax], 0
            //   48c744244000000000     | dec    eax

        $sequence_7 = { 4889442438 488b442440 488b00 4889442440 e9???????? 48837c244800 0f8422000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   4889442438           | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x40]
            //   488b442440           | dec                 eax
            //   488b00               | mov                 dword ptr [eax + 0x10], ecx
            //   4889442440           | dec                 eax
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   48837c244800         | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x48]
            //   0f8422000000         | dec                 eax

        $sequence_8 = { e9???????? 48837c247000 0f860e000000 488b442470 4883e801 4889442460 e9???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   e9????????           |                     
            //   48837c247000         | and                 eax, 0x3ff
            //   0f860e000000         | shl                 eax, 0xa
            //   488b442470           | jb                  0x3ea
            //   4883e801             | dec                 eax
            //   4889442460           | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 8]
            //   e9????????           |                     

        $sequence_9 = { 488b442430 488b4820 488b442430 48894838 488b442430 48c7402000000000 48837c244800 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   488b442430           | dec                 eax
            //   488b4820             | cmp                 ecx, eax
            //   488b442430           | je                  0x8c1
            //   48894838             | mov                 dword ptr [ebx], 1
            //   488b442430           | dec                 eax
            //   48c7402000000000     | mov                 ecx, dword ptr [eax + 0xf8]
            //   48837c244800         | dec                 eax

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 528384
}
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