Lumma Stealer on the Rise: How Telegram Channels Are Fueling Malware Proliferation

Authored by: M, Mohanasundaram and Neil Tyagi

In as we speak’s quickly evolving cyber panorama, malware threats proceed to adapt, using new ways and leveraging well-liked platforms to succeed in unsuspecting victims. One such rising risk is the Lumma Stealer—a potent information-stealing malware not too long ago gaining traction by Telegram channels. With Telegram’s reputation as a messaging and sharing platform, risk actors have recognized it as a profitable distribution vector, bypassing conventional detection mechanisms and reaching a broad, typically unsuspecting viewers.

Luckily, McAfee’s superior safety options are outfitted to detect and mitigate threats like Lumma Stealer. Via cutting-edge risk intelligence, behavioral evaluation, and real-time monitoring, McAfee supplies strong defenses in opposition to this malware, serving to customers safe their private information and digital belongings. On this weblog, we’ll discover the ways, methods, and procedures (TTPs) utilized by Lumma Stealer, look at its capabilities, and talk about how McAfee options may help safeguard customers from this quickly spreading risk.

• Telegram channel providing malware disguised as crack software program
• https[:]//t[.]me/hitbase
• Discover the excessive subscriber rely of 42k.
• Final submit on 3^rd Nov

• One other instance of a telegram channel providing malware to benign customers.
• https[:]//t[.]me/sharmamod
• Subscriber rely 8.66k
• Final submit on 3^rd Nov

• Additionally discover that each the channels are associated as they’re forwarding messages from one another’s telegram channel.
• McAfee detects these faux crack software program as [Trojan:Win/Lummastealer.SD]
• Menace Prevalence noticed as per McAfee telemetry information.
• India is most affected by this risk, adopted by the USA and Europe.

• This weblog will dissect one particular file, CCleaner 2024.rar. The others are related in nature apart from the theme.
• The hash for this file is 3df7a19969e54bd60944372e925ad2fb69503df7159127335f792ad82db7da0b.

• The extracted rar incorporates Microsoft DLL information

• Readme.txt incorporates the hyperlink to the telegram channel

• CCleaner 2024.exe is a .NET software

• We load the file into Dnspy and examine the primary perform.

• On this, we’ve two calls to a perform UninitializeBuilder, which decrypts the blob of knowledge that’s handed to it (AIOsncoiuuA & UserBuffer) together with the important thing (Alco and key).

• Decryption Key (Alco) and Encrypted information (AIOsncoiuuA) for the primary name.

• Decryption Key (Key) and Encrypted information (UserBuffer) for the Second name.

• Snippet of the decryption Perform.

• Decrypted information is saved into variable uiOAshyuxgYUA.
• We put a breakpoint on the tip of this perform and run this system to get the decrypted worth of every name.
• For the primary name, we get the next decrypted information in reminiscence. We see course of injection API calls have been decrypted in reminiscence.

• We will additionally see the goal program during which the method injection will happen, on this case, RegAsm.exe.
• We will verify this by the method tree.

• We let the breakpoint hit once more to get the following layer decrypted PE file

• We will observe the decrypted PE bytes, dump this payload to disk, and examine the following stage.
• Stage1 is a V C++ compiled file.

• We checked the payload sections and found that it holds encrypted information.

• Snippet of the decryption loop.

• Following decryption, the information is written to 2 information within the AppData Roaming folder.

• The primary payload written within the AppDataRoaming folder is the .NET file “XTb9DOBjB3.exe”(Lumma_stealer) and the second payload additionally .Internet file “bTkEBBlC4H.exe”(clipper).

• Upon analyzing each payloads, we noticed that they make use of the identical decryption logic as the primary file(ccleaner).

Lumma stealer:

• After dumping the payload from the .NET file, we found it’s a 32-bit GUI Transportable Executable.
• “winhttp.dll is dynamically loaded into this system utilizing the LoadLibraryExW perform.

• Upon inspecting the PE file, Base64-encoded strings have been recognized inside the binary.

• The encoded information is first decoded from Base64 format, changing it again into binary. The decoded information is then handed by a decryption routine to recuperate the plaintext.

• We observe that the Plaintext resembles a site, and it’s used to determine communication with a risk actor to exfiltrate the information.

• Code snippet for WinHttpOpenRequest:

Listing of Requests with submit methodology:

• “hxxps://snarlypagowo.web site/api”
• “hxxps://questionsmw.retailer/api”
• “hxxps://soldiefieop.web site/api”
• “hxxps://abnomalrkmu.web site/api”
• “hxxps://chorusarorp.web site/api”
• “hxxps://treatynreit.web site/api”
• “hxxps://mysterisop.web site/api”
• “hxxps://absorptioniw.web site/api”

Eventually, it connects to the steam neighborhood

• (hxxps://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199724331900),

The malware extracts the Steam account identify, initially obfuscated to evade detection, and decodes it to disclose the C2 area. This step is important for establishing a connection between the compromised system and the attacker’s server, permitting additional malicious exercise reminiscent of information exfiltration and extra payload supply. Through the use of this system, the attackers successfully bypass primary detection mechanisms, making it more durable for conventional safety options to determine the communication with the C2 server.

• That is the snippet of the Steam neighborhood:

• Upon checking the information, it was noticed that the consumer’s identify was obfuscated and had many aliases. We noticed that the actual_persona_name fetched and it deobfuscated by the beneath code.

• Upon de-obfuscation, we discovered the plain textual content and its area “marshal-zhukov.com”.

• Upon establishing a connection, the C2 server responded with configuration information in Base64 encoded format. The encoded information is first decoded from Base64 format, changing it again into binary. The decoded information is then handed by a decryption routine to recuperate the plaintext.

• Config for gathering pockets info.

• For FTP and e mail info:

• It additionally collects system info and sends it to c2.

• Clipper:
• As soon as we dumped the payload from the .NET file, we discovered that it was a 32-bit .NET executable named “Runtime64.exe.”

• We load the file into dnspy and examine the primary perform.

• It begins by checking the mutex(“sodfksdkfalksdasgpkprgasdgrrkgwhrterheegwsdfwef”) to see if it’s already working on the machine.
• Autorun.is_installed: This perform checks if this system is ready to run on system startup. If autorun is just not configured, it provides one to allow computerized execution on startup.

• This file units the hidden attribute to false to take away the hidden standing and set it as a system file to guard it.

• This Clipboard Monitor.run perform Makes use of the next regex patterns to match the pockets addresses.

• If it matches, it replaces the clipboard content material with the desired tackle to hijack the cryptocurrency.

• Code snippet for clipboard monitor and alternative:

Conclusion

The Lumma Stealer is a stark reminder of the ever-evolving nature of cyber threats and the fast adaptability of malware ways. Its unfold by Telegram channels demonstrates how simply risk actors can exploit well-liked platforms to distribute malicious code to a broad viewers. With Lumma Stealer able to stealing delicate info and compromising consumer privateness, the potential harm it might trigger is important.

On this more and more harmful cyber panorama, having strong, up-to-date safety has by no means been extra essential. McAfee’s superior risk detection and proactive protection mechanisms present customers with a significant safeguard in opposition to such threats. By combining real-time monitoring, behavioral evaluation, and steady updates to counter new TTPs, McAfee helps customers keep one step forward of malicious actors. As TTPs evolve quickly, sustaining complete antivirus safety is important to safeguarding private information, monetary info, and privateness. Staying vigilant and outfitted with the right safety options ensures that customers are ready to face the most recent threats head-on.

Indicators of Compromise

Introducing McAfee+

Id theft safety and privateness to your digital life

Obtain McAfee+ Now