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Metamorfo

Metamorfo is a Latin-American banking trojan operated by a Brazilian cybercrime group that has been active since at least April 2018. The group focuses on targeting banks and cryptocurrency services in Brazil and Mexico.[1][2]

ID: S0455
ⓘ
Associated Software: Casbaneiro
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Type: MALWARE
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Platforms: Windows
Contributors: Jose Luis Sánchez Martinez; Chen Erlich, @chen_erlich, enSilo
Version: 2.1
Created: 26 May 2020
Last Modified: 11 April 2024

Associated Software Descriptions

Name Description
Casbaneiro

[2]
Enterprise Layer
download view

Techniques Used

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

Metamorfo has used HTTP for C2.[1][2]

Enterprise T1010 Application Window Discovery

Metamorfo can enumerate all windows on the victim’s machine.[3][4]
Enterprise T1119 Automated Collection

Metamorfo has automatically collected mouse clicks, continuous screenshots on the machine, and set timers to collect the contents of the clipboard and website browsing.[3]

Enterprise T1547 .001 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder

Metamorfo has configured persistence to the Registry key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, Spotify =% APPDATA%\Spotify\Spotify.exe and used .LNK files in the startup folder to achieve persistence.[1][3][4][2]
Enterprise T1115 Clipboard Data

Metamorfo has a function to hijack data from the clipboard by monitoring the contents of the clipboard and replacing the cryptocurrency wallet with the attacker's.[4][2]
Enterprise T1059 .003 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell

Metamorfo has used cmd.exe /c to execute files.[1]

.005 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic

Metamorfo has used VBS code on victims’ systems.[3]
.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript

Metamorfo includes payloads written in JavaScript.[1]

Enterprise T1565 .002 Data Manipulation: Transmitted Data Manipulation

Metamorfo has a function that can watch the contents of the system clipboard for valid bitcoin addresses, which it then overwrites with the attacker's address.[4][2]

Enterprise T1140 Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

Upon execution, Metamorfo has unzipped itself after being downloaded to the system and has performed string decryption.[1][3][2]

Enterprise T1573 .001 Encrypted Channel: Symmetric Cryptography

Metamorfo has encrypted C2 commands with AES-256.[2]

.002 Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography

Metamorfo's C2 communication has been encrypted using OpenSSL.[1]

Enterprise T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

Metamorfo can send the data it collects to the C2 server.[2]

Enterprise T1083 File and Directory Discovery

Metamorfo has searched the Program Files directories for specific folders and has searched for strings related to its mutexes.[1][4][3]

Enterprise T1564 .003 Hide Artifacts: Hidden Window

Metamorfo has hidden its GUI using the ShowWindow() WINAPI call.[1]

Enterprise T1574 .002 Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Side-Loading

Metamorfo has side-loaded its malicious DLL file.[1][3][2]

Enterprise T1562 .001 Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools

Metamorfo has a function to kill processes associated with defenses and can prevent certain processes from launching.[1][3]

Enterprise T1070 Indicator Removal

Metamorfo has a command to delete a Registry key it uses, \Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\notes.[3]
.004 File Deletion

Metamorfo has deleted itself from the system after execution.[1][4]
Enterprise T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

Metamorfo has used MSI files to download additional files to execute.[1][3][4][2]

Enterprise T1056 .001 Input Capture: Keylogging

Metamorfo has a command to launch a keylogger and capture keystrokes on the victim’s machine.[4][2]

.002 Input Capture: GUI Input Capture

Metamorfo has displayed fake forms on top of banking sites to intercept credentials from victims.[3]

Enterprise T1036 .005 Masquerading: Match Legitimate Name or Location

Metamorfo has disguised an MSI file as the Adobe Acrobat Reader Installer and has masqueraded payloads as OneDrive, WhatsApp, or Spotify, for example.[1][2]

Enterprise T1112 Modify Registry

Metamorfo has written process names to the Registry, disabled IE browser features, deleted Registry keys, and changed the ExtendedUIHoverTime key.[1][4][3][2]
Enterprise T1106 Native API

Metamorfo has used native WINAPI calls.[1][4]
Enterprise T1095 Non-Application Layer Protocol

Metamorfo has used raw TCP for C2.[3]

Enterprise T1571 Non-Standard Port

Metamorfo has communicated with hosts over raw TCP on port 9999.[3]

Enterprise T1027 .002 Obfuscated Files or Information: Software Packing

Metamorfo has used VMProtect to pack and protect files.[4]

.013 Obfuscated Files or Information: Encrypted/Encoded File

Metamorfo has encrypted payloads and strings.[1][2]
Enterprise T1566 .001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment

Metamorfo has been delivered to victims via emails with malicious HTML attachments.[3][2]

Enterprise T1057 Process Discovery

Metamorfo has performed process name checks and has monitored applications.[1]

Enterprise T1055 .001 Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection

Metamorfo has injected a malicious DLL into the Windows Media Player process (wmplayer.exe).[1]
Enterprise T1113 Screen Capture

Metamorfo can collect screenshots of the victim’s machine.[3][2]

Enterprise T1129 Shared Modules

Metamorfo had used AutoIt to load and execute the DLL payload.[4]

Enterprise T1518 Software Discovery

Metamorfo has searched the compromised system for banking applications.[3][2]
.001 Security Software Discovery

Metamorfo collects a list of installed antivirus software from the victim’s system.[4][2]

Enterprise T1553 .002 Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing

Metamorfo has digitally signed executables using AVAST Software certificates.[1]

Enterprise T1218 .005 System Binary Proxy Execution: Mshta

Metamorfo has used mshta.exe to execute a HTA payload.[3]

.007 System Binary Proxy Execution: Msiexec

Metamorfo has used MsiExec.exe to automatically execute files.[4][2]

Enterprise T1082 System Information Discovery

Metamorfo has collected the hostname and operating system version from the compromised host.[3][4][2]
Enterprise T1033 System Owner/User Discovery

Metamorfo has collected the username from the victim's machine.[2]

Enterprise T1124 System Time Discovery

Metamorfo uses JavaScript to get the system time.[1]

Enterprise T1204 .002 User Execution: Malicious File

Metamorfo requires the user to double-click the executable to run the malicious HTA file or to download a malicious installer.[3][2]

Enterprise T1497 Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion

Metamorfo has embedded a "vmdetect.exe" executable to identify virtual machines at the beginning of execution.[1]

Enterprise T1102 .001 Web Service: Dead Drop Resolver

Metamorfo has used YouTube to store and hide C&C server domains.[2]
.003 Web Service: One-Way Communication

Metamorfo has downloaded a zip file for execution on the system.[1][3][4]

References

  1. Erlich, C. (2020, April 3). The Avast Abuser: Metamorfo Banking Malware Hides By Abusing Avast Executable. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  2. ESET Research. (2019, October 3). Casbaneiro: peculiarities of this banking Trojan that affects Brazil and Mexico. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  1. Sierra, E., Iglesias, G.. (2018, April 24). Metamorfo Campaigns Targeting Brazilian Users. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  2. Zhang, X. (2020, February 4). Another Metamorfo Variant Targeting Customers of Financial Institutions in More Countries. Retrieved July 30, 2020.