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YARA · Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)

SIGNATURE_BASE_MAL_G_APT_Backdoor_BRICKSTORM_2

Detects BRICKSTORM backdoor used by APT group UNC5221 (China Nexus)

MalwareSignature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)Detection Rule License 1.1Compiles with YARA-X
Author
Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) (modified by Florian Roth)
Date
2025-09-25
Modified
2026-05-15
Score / Quality
75 / 85

What this rule detects

Detects BRICKSTORM backdoor used by APT group UNC5221 (China Nexus)

Targets: Linux ELF.

It defines 2 patterns (0 text, 2 hex, 0 regex).

Summary generated from the rule's metadata and condition.

Rule source

Download .yar
mal-g-apt-backdoor-brickstorm-2.yarDetection Rule License 1.1
rule SIGNATURE_BASE_MAL_G_APT_Backdoor_BRICKSTORM_2 : FILE
{
	meta:
		description = "Detects BRICKSTORM backdoor used by APT group UNC5221 (China Nexus)"
		author = "Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) (modified by Florian Roth)"
		id = "8418b887-9183-5364-a9d8-d2d4dbdefe83"
		date = "2025-09-25"
		modified = "2026-05-15"
		reference = "https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/brickstorm-espionage-campaign"
		source_url = "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/yara/apt_cn_brickstorm_sep25.yar#L83-L96"
		license_url = "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/LICENSE"
		logic_hash = "db989caa2a80481e58e6d65068e1814cf7366e3bdfc347e9019fb2bc980c74fa"
		score = 75
		quality = 85
		tags = "FILE"

	strings:
		$str1 = { 0F 57 C0 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? C6 44 ?? ?? 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 0F 57 C0 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 04 ?? 4? 8B 8C ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 4C ?? ?? E8 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 83 7C ?? ?? 00 0F 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8D 05 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 ?? ?? E8 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B 7C ?? ?? 4? 8B 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 47 08 83 3D ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 75 ?? 4? 8B 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 07 4? 89 BC ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 01 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 01 00 00 00 0F 57 C0 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 81 C4 ?? ?? ?? ?? C3 }
		$str2 = { 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? 8B 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 04 ?? 4? 8B 8C ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 4C ?? ?? E8 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B 44 ?? ?? 4? 85 C0 0F 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8D 05 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 ?? ?? E8 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B 44 ?? ?? 4? 8B 8C ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 48 08 8B 0D ?? ?? ?? ?? 85 C9 75 ?? 4? 8B 8C ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 89 08 84 00 4? 89 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 01 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 01 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 90 E8 ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B ?? ?4 D8 00 00 00 4? 81 C4 E0 00 00 00 C3 }

	condition:
		uint32be( 0 ) == 0x7F454C46 and any of them
}

Strings (2 patterns)

IdentifierTypeValueModifiers
$str1hex{ 0F 57 C0 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? C6 44 ?? ?? 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 0F 57 C0 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 0F 11 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 4? 8B 84 ?? ?? ?? …
$str2hex{ 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 00 00 00 00 4? C7 84 ?? ?? …

Condition

uint32be( 0 ) == 0x7F454C46 and any of them

In plain words (Heuristic)

  • The file must start with the ELF header — a Linux/Unix executable.
  • At least one pattern in the rule must match.

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References

Licence & attribution

Author: Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) (modified by Florian Roth)

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: 8418b887-9183-5364-a9d8-d2d4dbdefe83

Tags:FILE

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