Analysis by: Bren Matthew Ebriega

ALIASES:

Backdoor:Linux/Tusnami.C!MTB (MICROSOFT); Adware/Tsunami (FORTINET)

 PLATFORM:

Linux

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Backdoor

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware

This Backdoor arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It executes commands from a remote malicious user, effectively compromising the affected system.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 49,092 bytes
File Type: ELF
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 28 Sep 2021
Payload: Drops files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information

Arrival Details

This Backdoor arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

Installation

This Backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • /dev/shm/{Malware Filename}
  • /var/tmp/{Malware Filename}
  • /var/lock/{Malware Filename}
  • /var/lock/{Malware Filename}
  • /root/{Random Characters}

It drops the following files:

  • .bawtz

It adds the following processes:

  • /bin/uname
  • /bin/nvram or /usr/sbin/nvram
  • /etc/ISP_name
  • /etc/Model_name

Backdoor Routine

This Backdoor connects to any of the following IRC server(s):

  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.165.21
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.217.181
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.2.189
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.137.56
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.253.100
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.233.35
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.149.22
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.242.233
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.240.191
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.24.229
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.2.189

It joins any of the following IRC channel(s):

  • #ex86

It executes the following commands from a remote malicious user:

  • PAN - Performs an advanced SYN flood to a specific target at n seconds interval.
  • UDP - Performs a UDP flood to a specific target at n seconds interval.
  • HTTP
  • STD - Triggers the bot to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack and also allows user to specify .
  • UNKNOWN - Another non-spoof udp flooder
  • KILL - Kill the running client.
  • KILL_PORT - Kill a listener socket.
  • GET - This downloads from and saves a file.
  • SSHX <192 or 192.168 or 192.168.0> - Perform a SSH scan with provided credentials.
  • SSH <192 or 192.168 or 192.168.0> - Perform a SSH scan.
  • KILLALL - Kill all current packeting.
  • HELP - Displays this.
  • CBACK - Connect back to .
  • IRC - Send commands to the IRC server.
  • SH - Execute shell commands.

Information Theft

This Backdoor gathers the following data:

  • Username
  • Network Information
  • Operating System Information
  • Kernel Version
  • System Hardware

Other Details

This Backdoor does the following:

  • Adds the following crontab entries to enable its automatic execution at every minute:
    • crontab * * * * * /{Malware Path}/{Malware Filename}> /dev/null 2>&1 &
    • crontab * * * * * /{Copy Path}/{Malware Filename}> /dev/null 2>&1 &
  • It does not continue with its routines if the following processes are running:
    • strace
    • tcpdump

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 16.994.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 28 Sep 2021
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 16.995.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 29 Sep 2021

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • Troj.ELF.TRX.XXELFC1DFF009

Step 2

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Backdoor.Linux.TSUNAMI.AMY. If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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