Indicator Removal on Host: Timestomp

Adversaries may modify file time attributes to hide new or changes to existing files. Timestomping is a technique that modifies the timestamps of a file (the modify, access, create, and change times), often to mimic files that are in the same folder. This is done, for example, on files that have been modified or created by the adversary so that they do not appear conspicuous to forensic investigators or file analysis tools.

Timestomping may be used along with file name Masquerading to hide malware and tools.[1]

ID: T1070.006
Sub-technique of:  T1070
Tactic: Defense Evasion
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS
Permissions Required: SYSTEM, User, root
Defense Bypassed: Host forensic analysis
Contributors: Romain Dumont, ESET
Version: 1.0
Created: 31 January 2020
Last Modified: 29 March 2020
Provided by LAYER 8

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0066 3PARA RAT

3PARA RAT has a command to set certain attributes such as creation/modification timestamps on files.[2]

G0007 APT28

APT28 has performed timestomping on victim files.[3]

G0016 APT29

APT29 modified timestamps of backdoors to match legitimate Windows files.[4]

G0050 APT32

APT32 has used scheduled task raw XML with a backdated timestamp of June 2, 2016. The group has also set the creation time of the files dropped by the second stage of the exploit to match the creation time of kernel32.dll. Additionally, APT32 has used a random value to modify the timestamp of the file storing the clientID.[5][6][7]

G0082 APT38

APT38 has modified data timestamps to mimic files that are in the same folder on a compromised host.[8]

S0438 Attor

Attor has manipulated the time of last access to files and registry keys after they have been created or modified.[9]

S0239 Bankshot

Bankshot modifies the time of a file as specified by the control server.[10]

S0570 BitPaymer

BitPaymer can modify the timestamp of an executable so that it can be identified and restored by the decryption tool.[11]

S0520 BLINDINGCAN

BLINDINGCAN has modified file and directory timestamps.[12][13]

G0114 Chimera

Chimera has used a Windows version of the Linux touch command to modify the date and time stamp on DLLs.[14]

S0020 China Chopper

China Chopper's server component can change the timestamp of files.[15][16][17]

S0154 Cobalt Strike

Cobalt Strike can timestomp any files or payloads placed on a target machine to help them blend in.[18][19]

S0021 Derusbi

The Derusbi malware supports timestomping.[20][21]

S0081 Elise

Elise performs timestomping of a CAB file it creates.[22]

S0363 Empire

Empire can timestomp any files or payloads placed on a target machine to help them blend in.[23]

S0568 EVILNUM

EVILNUM has changed the creation date of files.[24]

S0181 FALLCHILL

FALLCHILL can modify file or directory timestamps.[25]

S0168 Gazer

For early Gazer versions, the compilation timestamp was faked.[26]

S0260 InvisiMole

InvisiMole samples were timestomped by the authors by setting the PE timestamps to all zero values. InvisiMole also has a built-in command to modify file times.[27]

S0387 KeyBoy

KeyBoy time-stomped its DLL in order to evade detection.[28]

G0094 Kimsuky

Kimsuky has manipulated timestamps for creation or compilation dates to defeat anti-forensics.[29]

S0641 Kobalos

Kobalos can modify timestamps of replaced files, such as ssh with the added credential stealer or sshd used to deploy Kobalos.[30]

G0032 Lazarus Group

Several Lazarus Group malware families use timestomping, including modifying the last write timestamp of a specified Registry key to a random date, as well as copying the timestamp for legitimate .exe files (such as calc.exe or mspaint.exe) to its dropped files.[31][32][33][34]

S0083 Misdat

Many Misdat samples were programmed using Borland Delphi, which will mangle the default PE compile timestamp of a file.[35]

S0352 OSX_OCEANLOTUS.D

OSX_OCEANLOTUS.D can use the touch -t command to change timestamps.[36][37]

S0072 OwaAuth

OwaAuth has a command to timestop a file or directory.[38]

S0150 POSHSPY

POSHSPY modifies timestamps of all downloaded executables to match a randomly selected file created prior to 2013.[39]

S0393 PowerStallion

PowerStallion modifies the MAC times of its local log files to match that of the victim's desktop.ini file.[40]

S0078 Psylo

Psylo has a command to conduct timestomping by setting a specified file’s timestamps to match those of a system file in the System32 directory.[41]

G0106 Rocke

Rocke has changed the time stamp of certain files.[42]

S0185 SEASHARPEE

SEASHARPEE can timestomp files on victims using a Web shell.[43]

S0140 Shamoon

Shamoon can change the modified time for files to evade forensic detection.[44]

S0603 Stuxnet

Stuxnet extracts and writes driver files that match the times of other legitimate files.[45]

S0586 TAINTEDSCRIBE

TAINTEDSCRIBE can change the timestamp of specified filenames.[46]

S0164 TDTESS

After creating a new service for persistence, TDTESS sets the file creation time for the service to the creation time of the victim's legitimate svchost.exe file.[47]

G0088 TEMP.Veles

TEMP.Veles used timestomping to modify the $STANDARD_INFORMATION attribute on tools.[48]

S0136 USBStealer

USBStealer sets the timestamps of its dropper files to the last-access and last-write timestamps of a standard Windows library chosen on the system.[49]

Mitigations

This type of attack technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on the abuse of system features.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component
DS0022 File File Metadata
File Modification

Forensic techniques exist to detect aspects of files that have had their timestamps modified. [1] It may be possible to detect timestomping using file modification monitoring that collects information on file handle opens and can compare timestamp values.

References

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