Hackers Use DLL Side-Loading to Deploy Malicious Python Code

A recent discovery by Xavier Mertens, a senior handler at the Internet Storm Center, has highlighted a sophisticated attack where hackers utilize DLL side-loading to deploy malicious Python code.

This technique involves tricking an application into loading a malicious DLL instead of a legitimate one, allowing attackers to execute malicious code while evading detection by security tools.

The Attack Vector

The attack begins with a ZIP archive named “Hootsuite (1).zip,” which contains a file named Hootsuite.exe disguised as a PDF reader.

This executable is a copy of the old Haihaisoft PDF reader, known to have a DLL side-loading vulnerability. When executed from a normal directory, it functions as expected.

However, when run from the directory extracted from the ZIP archive, it loads a malicious msimg32.dll instead of the legitimate Microsoft version.

This malicious DLL is significantly larger than the official one, likely to avoid detection by security tools due to performance considerations.

Upon execution, the PDF reader’s behavior changes dramatically, as confirmed through debugging.

The attack involves unpacking and installing a Python environment, fetching a Python bot, and executing it using a renamed “synaptics.exe” to bypass security rules that monitor for suspicious process names.

Persistence is achieved by adding a registry entry that runs a batch script at startup, ensuring the malware remains active even after the system restarts.

Evasion Techniques and Persistence

The attackers employed several evasion techniques, including renaming the Python executable to “synaptics.exe” to avoid detection by simple security rules.

Additionally, they used a Base64-encoded string to implement persistence, which involves creating a batch script that runs at startup.

According to the Report, this script is encoded and decoded using certutil, a legitimate Windows tool, to further evade detection.

The use of a decoy PDF file, which is not malicious, serves as a distraction, opening in the default system viewer to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

This incident underscores the growing sophistication of attacks leveraging DLL sideloading, a technique that exploits Windows’ DLL loading behavior to execute malicious code within the context of legitimate applications.

It highlights the need for robust security measures to protect against such threats, particularly in environments where Python and other scripting languages are used extensively.

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