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SEKOIA_Apt_Mustangpanda_Tonedrop

TONEDROP strings

APT / threat actorSEKOIA.IO CommunityDetection Rule License 1.1Compiles with YARA-X
Author
Sekoia.io
Date
2023-06-19
Modified
2024-12-19
Score / Quality
75 / 78

What this rule detects

TONEDROP strings

Targets: Windows PE, Linux ELF.

It defines 25 patterns (20 text, 5 hex, 0 regex).

Summary generated from the rule's metadata and condition.

Rule source

apt-mustangpanda-tonedrop.yarDetection Rule License 1.1
rule SEKOIA_Apt_Mustangpanda_Tonedrop : FILE
{
	meta:
		description = "TONEDROP strings"
		author = "Sekoia.io"
		id = "39df631c-5766-4804-838f-6c9b800c0cc9"
		date = "2023-06-19"
		modified = "2024-12-19"
		reference = "https://github.com/SEKOIA-IO/Community"
		source_url = "https://github.com/SEKOIA-IO/Community/blob/a438a5901a211c2abdf75da9c93921ef187473d1/yara_rules/apt_mustangpanda_tonedrop.yar#L1-L43"
		license_url = "https://github.com/SEKOIA-IO/Community/blob/a438a5901a211c2abdf75da9c93921ef187473d1/LICENSE.md"
		logic_hash = "97f9138810fbc56fa1cab671865b3234f63fcd0f9a15ba012dfe76e86c6dbd48"
		score = 75
		quality = 78
		tags = "FILE"
		version = "1.0"
		classification = "TLP:CLEAR"

	strings:
		$window1 = "PROCMON_WINDOW_CLASS" ascii wide
		$window2 = "OLLYDBG" ascii wide
		$window3 = "WinDbgFrameClass" ascii wide
		$window4 = "OllyDbg - [CPU]" ascii wide
		$window5 = "Immunity Debugger - [CPU]" ascii wide
		$errormsg1 = "Unable to open file %s for writing" ascii wide
		$proc_01 = "cheatengine-x86_64.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_02 = "ollydbg.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_03 = "ida.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_04 = "ida64.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_05 = "radare2.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_06 = "x64dbg.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_07 = "procmon.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_08 = "procmon64.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_09 = "procexp.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_10 = "processhacker.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_11 = "pestudio.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_12 = "systracerx32.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_13 = "fiddler.exe" ascii wide
		$proc_14 = "tcpview.exe" ascii wide
		$opcodes_check_PEsize = {C7 85 94 FD FF FF 2C 02}
		$opcodes_ShellExecute_1 = {C7 45 BC 53 68 65 6C}
		$opcodes_ShellExecute_2 = {C7 45 C0 6C 45 78 65}
		$opcodes_ShellExecute_3 = {C7 45 C4 63 75 74 65}
		$opcodes_ShellExecute_4 = {66 C7 45 C8 41 00}

	condition:
		( uint32be( 0 ) == 0x7f454c46 or uint16be( 0 ) == 0x4d5a ) and filesize < 8MB and 3 of ( $window* ) and $errormsg1 and 10 of ( $proc_* ) and 3 of ( $opcodes* )
}

Strings (25 patterns)

IdentifierTypeValueModifiers
$window1text"PROCMON_WINDOW_CLASS"ascii wide
$window2text"OLLYDBG"ascii wide
$window3text"WinDbgFrameClass"ascii wide
$window4text"OllyDbg - [CPU]"ascii wide
$window5text"Immunity Debugger - [CPU]"ascii wide
$errormsg1text"Unable to open file %s for writing"ascii wide
$proc_01text"cheatengine-x86_64.exe"ascii wide
$proc_02text"ollydbg.exe"ascii wide
$proc_03text"ida.exe"ascii wide
$proc_04text"ida64.exe"ascii wide
$proc_05text"radare2.exe"ascii wide
$proc_06text"x64dbg.exe"ascii wide
$proc_07text"procmon.exe"ascii wide
$proc_08text"procmon64.exe"ascii wide
$proc_09text"procexp.exe"ascii wide
$proc_10text"processhacker.exe"ascii wide
$proc_11text"pestudio.exe"ascii wide
$proc_12text"systracerx32.exe"ascii wide
$proc_13text"fiddler.exe"ascii wide
$proc_14text"tcpview.exe"ascii wide
$opcodes_check_PEsizehex{C7 85 94 FD FF FF 2C 02}
$opcodes_ShellExecute_1hex{C7 45 BC 53 68 65 6C}
$opcodes_ShellExecute_2hex{C7 45 C0 6C 45 78 65}
$opcodes_ShellExecute_3hex{C7 45 C4 63 75 74 65}
$opcodes_ShellExecute_4hex{66 C7 45 C8 41 00}

Condition

( uint32be( 0 ) == 0x7f454c46 or uint16be( 0 ) == 0x4d5a ) and filesize < 8MB and 3 of ( $window* ) and $errormsg1 and 10 of ( $proc_* ) and 3 of ( $opcodes* )

In plain words (Heuristic)

  • The file must start with “MZ” — a Windows executable (PE).
  • The file must start with the ELF header — a Linux/Unix executable.
  • The file must be smaller than 8MB (a cheap guard that skips large files).
  • At least 3 patterns in ( $window* ) must match.
  • At least 10 patterns in ( $proc_* ) must match.
  • At least 3 patterns in ( $opcodes* ) must match.
  • Pattern $errormsg1 must be present.

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References

Licence & attribution

Author: Sekoia.io

Source repository: SEKOIA.IO Community @ a438a5901a

Licence: Detection Rule License 1.1 (repository licence)

Original rule

Mirrored via YARA Forge 20260927, which prefixes rule names with the source and adds normalised meta fields.

Rule id: 39df631c-5766-4804-838f-6c9b800c0cc9

Metadata

version1.0
classificationTLP:CLEAR

Tags:FILE