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APT19

APT19 is a Chinese-based threat group that has targeted a variety of industries, including defense, finance, energy, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, high tech, education, manufacturing, and legal services. In 2017, a phishing campaign was used to target seven law and investment firms. [1] Some analysts track APT19 and Deep Panda as the same group, but it is unclear from open source information if the groups are the same. [2] [3] [4]

ID: G0073
ⓘ
Associated Groups: Codoso, C0d0so0, Codoso Team, Sunshop Group
Contributors: FS-ISAC; Darren Spruell
Version: 1.4
Created: 17 October 2018
Last Modified: 26 May 2021

Associated Group Descriptions

Name Description
Codoso

[4]
C0d0so0

[4]
Codoso Team

[3]
Sunshop Group

[5]
Enterprise Layer
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Techniques Used

Domain ID Name Use
Enterprise T1071 .001 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols

APT19 used HTTP for C2 communications. APT19 also used an HTTP malware variant to communicate over HTTP for C2.[1][4]
Enterprise T1547 .001 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder

An APT19 HTTP malware variant establishes persistence by setting the Registry key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Windows Debug Tools-%LOCALAPPDATA%\.[4]
Enterprise T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter

APT19 downloaded and launched code within a SCT file.[1]
.001 PowerShell

APT19 used PowerShell commands to execute payloads.[1]
Enterprise T1543 .003 Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service

An APT19 Port 22 malware variant registers itself as a service.[4]
Enterprise T1132 .001 Data Encoding: Standard Encoding

An APT19 HTTP malware variant used Base64 to encode communications to the C2 server.[4]
Enterprise T1140 Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

An APT19 HTTP malware variant decrypts strings using single-byte XOR keys.[4]
Enterprise T1189 Drive-by Compromise

APT19 performed a watering hole attack on forbes.com in 2014 to compromise targets.[4]
Enterprise T1564 .003 Hide Artifacts: Hidden Window

APT19 used -W Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows by setting the WindowStyle parameter to hidden. [1]
Enterprise T1574 .002 Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading

APT19 launched an HTTP malware variant and a Port 22 malware variant using a legitimate executable that loaded the malicious DLL.[4]
Enterprise T1112 Modify Registry

APT19 uses a Port 22 malware variant to modify several Registry keys.[4]
Enterprise T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information

APT19 used Base64 to obfuscate commands and the payload.[1]
Enterprise T1588 .002 Obtain Capabilities: Tool

APT19 has obtained and used publicly-available tools like Empire.[6][1]
Enterprise T1566 .001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment

APT19 sent spearphishing emails with malicious attachments in RTF and XLSM formats to deliver initial exploits.[1]
Enterprise T1218 .010 Signed Binary Proxy Execution: Regsvr32

APT19 used Regsvr32 to bypass application control techniques.[1]
.011 Signed Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32

APT19 configured its payload to inject into the rundll32.exe.[1]
Enterprise T1082 System Information Discovery

APT19 collected system architecture information. APT19 used an HTTP malware variant and a Port 22 malware variant to gather the hostname and CPU information from the victim’s machine.[1][4]
Enterprise T1016 System Network Configuration Discovery

APT19 used an HTTP malware variant and a Port 22 malware variant to collect the MAC address and IP address from the victim’s machine.[4]
Enterprise T1033 System Owner/User Discovery

APT19 used an HTTP malware variant and a Port 22 malware variant to collect the victim’s username.[4]
Enterprise T1204 .002 User Execution: Malicious File

APT19 attempted to get users to launch malicious attachments delivered via spearphishing emails.[1]

Software

ID Name References Techniques
S0154 Cobalt Strike [1] Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control, Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Sudo and Sudo Caching, Access Token Manipulation: Token Impersonation/Theft, Access Token Manipulation: Parent PID Spoofing, Access Token Manipulation: Make and Impersonate Token, Account Discovery: Domain Account, Application Layer Protocol, Application Layer Protocol: DNS, Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, BITS Jobs, Browser Session Hijacking, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python, Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, Commonly Used Port, Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service, Data Encoding: Standard Encoding, Data from Local System, Data Obfuscation: Protocol Impersonation, Data Transfer Size Limits, Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information, Encrypted Channel: Symmetric Cryptography, Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography, Exploitation for Client Execution, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, File and Directory Discovery, Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools, Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp, Ingress Tool Transfer, Input Capture: Keylogging, Modify Registry, Multiband Communication, Native API, Network Service Scanning, Network Share Discovery, Non-Application Layer Protocol, Obfuscated Files or Information: Indicator Removal from Tools, Obfuscated Files or Information, Office Application Startup: Office Template Macros, OS Credential Dumping: Security Account Manager, OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory, Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups, Permission Groups Discovery: Local Groups, Process Discovery, Process Injection, Process Injection: Process Hollowing, Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection, Protocol Tunneling, Proxy: Internal Proxy, Proxy: Domain Fronting, Query Registry, Reflective Code Loading, Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin Shares, Remote Services: Windows Remote Management, Remote Services: SSH, Remote Services: Remote Desktop Protocol, Remote Services: Distributed Component Object Model, Remote System Discovery, Scheduled Transfer, Screen Capture, Signed Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32, Software Discovery, Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing, System Network Configuration Discovery, System Network Connections Discovery, System Service Discovery, System Services: Service Execution, Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Hash, Valid Accounts: Local Accounts, Valid Accounts: Domain Accounts, Windows Management Instrumentation
S0363 Empire [6] Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control, Access Token Manipulation: Create Process with Token, Access Token Manipulation: SID-History Injection, Access Token Manipulation, Account Discovery: Domain Account, Account Discovery: Local Account, Adversary-in-the-Middle: LLMNR/NBT-NS Poisoning and SMB Relay, Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, Archive Collected Data, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Security Support Provider, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Shortcut Modification, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, Browser Bookmark Discovery, Clipboard Data, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell, Command and Scripting Interpreter, Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, Commonly Used Port, Create Account: Local Account, Create Account: Domain Account, Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service, Credentials from Password Stores: Credentials from Web Browsers, Domain Policy Modification: Group Policy Modification, Domain Trust Discovery, Email Collection: Local Email Collection, Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography, Event Triggered Execution: Accessibility Features, Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, Exfiltration Over Web Service: Exfiltration to Cloud Storage, Exfiltration Over Web Service: Exfiltration to Code Repository, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, Exploitation of Remote Services, File and Directory Discovery, Group Policy Discovery, Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Search Order Hijacking, Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable, Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking, Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted Path, Hijack Execution Flow: Dylib Hijacking, Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp, Ingress Tool Transfer, Input Capture: Keylogging, Input Capture: Credential API Hooking, Native API, Network Service Scanning, Network Share Discovery, Network Sniffing, Obfuscated Files or Information, OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory, Process Discovery, Process Injection, Remote Services: Distributed Component Object Model, Remote Services: SSH, Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task, Screen Capture, Software Discovery: Security Software Discovery, Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Golden Ticket, Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Kerberoasting, Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Silver Ticket, System Information Discovery, System Network Configuration Discovery, System Network Connections Discovery, System Services: Service Execution, Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution: MSBuild, Unsecured Credentials: Credentials In Files, Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys, Use Alternate Authentication Material: Pass the Hash, Video Capture, Web Service: Bidirectional Communication, Windows Management Instrumentation

References

  1. Ahl, I. (2017, June 06). Privileges and Credentials: Phished at the Request of Counsel. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  2. Scott, J. and Spaniel, D. (2016, July 28). ICIT Brief - China’s Espionage Dynasty: Economic Death by a Thousand Cuts. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  3. FireEye. (n.d.). Advanced Persistent Threat Groups. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  1. Grunzweig, J., Lee, B. (2016, January 22). New Attacks Linked to C0d0so0 Group. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  2. Chickowski, E. (2015, February 10). Chinese Hacking Group Codoso Team Uses Forbes.com As Watering Hole. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  3. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NZ NCSC), CERT New Zealand, the UK National Cyber Security Centre (UK NCSC) and the US National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC). (2018, October 11). Joint report on publicly available hacking tools. Retrieved March 11, 2019.