YARA · Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)
SIGNATURE_BASE_EXPL_Cleo_Exploitation_PS1_Indicators_Dec24
Detects encoded and decoded PowerShell loader used during Cleo software exploitation (as reported by Huntress in December 2024)
- Author
- Florian Roth
- Date
- 2024-12-10
- Modified
- 2024-12-12
- Score / Quality
- 75 / 85
What this rule detects
Detects encoded and decoded PowerShell loader used during Cleo software exploitation (as reported by Huntress in December 2024)
It defines 5 patterns (5 text, 0 hex, 0 regex).
Summary generated from the rule's metadata and condition.
Rule source
rule SIGNATURE_BASE_EXPL_Cleo_Exploitation_PS1_Indicators_Dec24 : SCRIPT
{
meta:
= "Detects encoded and decoded PowerShell loader used during Cleo software exploitation (as reported by Huntress in December 2024)"
= "Florian Roth"
= "491cda57-0ad0-5ddc-90cb-48411eef2f2e"
= "2024-12-10"
= "2024-12-12"
= "https://www.huntress.com/blog/threat-advisory-oh-no-cleo-cleo-software-actively-being-exploited-in-the-wild"
= "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/yara/expl_cleo_dec24.yar#L185-L202"
= "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/LICENSE"
= "87dcd0aa3c16d8948514b1d8589d38c6cc73bf7e6262f4517659cead16fedd3d"
= 75
= 85
= "SCRIPT"
strings:
$xe1 = "Start-Process -WindowStyle Hidden -FilePath jre\\bin\\java.exe" base64 ascii wide
$xe2 = "$f=\"cleo." base64 ascii wide
$xe3 = "<Detail level=\"1\">Executing 'cmd.exe /c \"powershell -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand " base64 ascii wide
$x1 = "$f=\"cleo." ascii wide
$x2 = "<Detail level=\"1\">Executing 'cmd.exe /c \"powershell -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand " ascii wide
condition:
1 of them
}
Strings (5 patterns)
| Identifier | Type | Value | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| $xe1 | text | "Start-Process -WindowStyle Hidden -FilePath jre\\bin\\java.exe" | base64 ascii wide |
| $xe2 | text | "$f=\"cleo." | base64 ascii wide |
| $xe3 | text | "<Detail level=\"1\">Executing 'cmd.exe /c \"powershell -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand " | base64 ascii wide |
| $x1 | text | "$f=\"cleo." | ascii wide |
| $x2 | text | "<Detail level=\"1\">Executing 'cmd.exe /c \"powershell -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand " | ascii wide |
Condition
1 of themIn plain words (Heuristic)
- At least 1 patterns in the rule must match.
Test this rule in your browser
Drop a file to scan it with this rule using YARA-X compiled to WebAssembly. Nothing is uploaded.
Licence & attribution
Author: Florian Roth
Source repository: Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron) @ 94a1c48d7a
Licence: Detection Rule License 1.1 (repository licence)
Mirrored via YARA Forge 20260927, which prefixes rule names with the source and adds normalised meta fields.
Rule id: 491cda57-0ad0-5ddc-90cb-48411eef2f2e
Tags:SCRIPT
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