YARA · Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)

SIGNATURE_BASE_FE_APT_Trojan_Linux_PACEMAKER

Detects samples mentioned in PulseSecure report

APT / threat actorSignature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)Detection Rule License 1.1Compiles with YARA-X

Author: Mandiant
Date: 2021-04-16
Modified: 2023-12-05
Score / Quality: 75 / 85

What this rule detects

Detects samples mentioned in PulseSecure report

Targets: Linux ELF.

It defines 4 patterns (4 text, 0 hex, 0 regex).

Summary generated from the rule's metadata and condition.

Rule source

Download .yar

fe-apt-trojan-linux-pacemaker.yarDetection Rule License 1.1

rule SIGNATURE_BASE_FE_APT_Trojan_Linux_PACEMAKER : FILE
{
	meta:
		description = "Detects samples mentioned in PulseSecure report"
		author = "Mandiant"
		id = "5a20260a-5389-57da-956c-97063fed5015"
		date = "2021-04-16"
		modified = "2023-12-05"
		reference = "https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2021/04/suspected-apt-actors-leverage-bypass-techniques-pulse-secure-zero-day.html"
		source_url = "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/yara/apt_pulsesecure.yar#L99-L115"
		license_url = "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/LICENSE"
		hash = "d7881c4de4d57828f7e1cab15687274b"
		logic_hash = "cf83024cbbd500a301ac3c859b680cd79acabc232ea6f42c23fe9f8918a8d914"
		score = 75
		quality = 85
		tags = "FILE"

	strings:
		$s1 = "\x00Name:%s || Pwd:%s || AuthNum:%s\x0a\x00"
		$s2 = "\x00/proc/%d/mem\x00"
		$s3 = "\x00/proc/%s/maps\x00"
		$s4 = "\x00/proc/%s/cmdline\x00"

	condition:
		( uint32( 0 ) == 0x464c457f ) and all of them
}

Strings (4 patterns)

Identifier	Type	Value
$s1	text	"\x00Name:%s \|\| Pwd:%s \|\| AuthNum:%s\x0a\x00"
$s2	text	"\x00/proc/%d/mem\x00"
$s3	text	"\x00/proc/%s/maps\x00"
$s4	text	"\x00/proc/%s/cmdline\x00"

Condition

( uint32( 0 ) == 0x464c457f ) and all of them

In plain words (Heuristic)

The file must start with the ELF header — a Linux/Unix executable.
All patterns in the rule must match.

Test this rule in your browser

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References

https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2021/04/suspected-apt-actors-leverage-bypass-techniques-pulse-secure-zero-day.html

Sample hashes

Hashes of samples the author lists in the rule's meta (look them up in your threat-intelligence platform).

d7881c4de4d57828f7e1cab15687274b

Licence & attribution

Author: Mandiant

Source repository: Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron) @ 94a1c48d7a

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: 5a20260a-5389-57da-956c-97063fed5015

Tags:FILE

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