title: APT User Agent
id: 6ec820f2-e963-4801-9127-d8b2dce4d31b
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious user agent strings used in APT malware in proxy logs
author: Florian Roth, Markus Neis
date: 2019/11/12
modified: 2020/09/03
references:
    - Internal Research
logsource:
    category: proxy
detection:
    selection:
      c-useragent:
         # APT Related
        - 'SJZJ (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Win32)'  # APT Backspace
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.; WOW64; rv:20.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/20.0'  # APT GrizzlySteppe - ChopStick - US CERT https://goo.gl/1DTHwi
        - 'User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/4.0; SLCC'  # Comment Crew Miniasp
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.4; Win32;32-bit)'  # Comment Crew Miniasp
        - 'webclient'  # Naikon APT
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; zh-EN; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/200'  # Naikon APT
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSI 6.0;'  # SnowGlobe Babar - yes, it is cut
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; WOW64; rv:28.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/28.0'  # Sofacy - Xtunnel
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.2; WOW64; rv:20.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/'  # Sofacy - Xtunnel
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.; WOW64; rv:20.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/2'  # Sofacy - Xtunnel
        - 'Mozilla/4.0'  # Derusbi backdoor ELF https://github.com/fideliscyber/indicators/tree/master/FTA-1021
        - 'Netscape'  # Unit78020 Malware
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; zh-EN; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20100719 Firefox/1.0.7'  # Unit78020 Malware
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Firefox/3.6.13 GTB7.1'  # Winnti related
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/5.0)'  # Winnti related
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NETCLR 2.0.50727)'  # APT17
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.0; SV1)'  # Bronze Butler - Daserf
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 11.0; Windows NT 6.1; SV1)'  # Bronze Butler - Daserf
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Win32)'  # TSCookie https://app.any.run/tasks/0996b314-5133-491b-8d23-d431ffdec597
        - 'Mozilla v5.1 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:6.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/6.0.1'  # Delphi downloader https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/04/24/sednit-update-analysis-zebrocy/
        - 'Mozilla/6.1 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 5.3; Trident/5.0)'  # VPNFilter https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2018/05/VPNFilter.html
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.648; InfoPath.1)'  # Sofacy User-Agent https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2018/06/unit42-sofacy-groups-parallel-attacks/
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64) WinHttp/1.6.3.8 (WinHTTP/5.1) like Gecko'  # Sofacy User-Agent https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2018/06/unit42-sofacy-groups-parallel-attacks/
        - 'Mozilla v5.1 *'  # Sofacy Zebrocy samples
        - 'MSIE 8.0'  # Sofacy Azzy Backdoor  from https://www.hybrid-analysis.com/sample/a80e29c0757bee05338fd5c22a542d852ad86c477068e3eb4aacc1c3e59e2eef?environmentId=100
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.1; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; .NET4.0C; .NET4.0E; InfoPath.2)'  # https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/07/microsoft-office-vulnerabilities-used-to-distribute-felixroot-backdoor.html
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; RMS)'  # Attacks on industrial enterprises using RMS and TeamViewer https://goo.gl/GthvTw
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; DynGate)'  # Attacks on industrial enterprises using RMS and TeamViewer https://goo.gl/GthvTw
        - 'O/9.27 (W; U; Z)' # Cmstar https://www.virustotal.com/#/file/e4328011bb2b04abc856ccd04404c9f95d67167f6c291d343e8ffa8aa2aa2099/details
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trident/5.0;  Trident/5.0*'  # KerrDown UA https://goo.gl/s2WU6o
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 9; *'  # Suspicious 'Windows NT 9' user agent - used by APT33 malware in 2018
        - 'hots scot'  # Unkown iOS zero-day implant https://twitter.com/craiu/status/1176437994288484352?s=20
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 10.0; Windows NT)'  # https://blog.telsy.com/meeting-powerband-the-apt33-net-powerton-variant/
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64) Chrome/28.0.1500.95 Safari/537.36'  # Hidden Cobra malware
        - 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.2; Win32; rv:47.0)'  # Strong Pity loader https://twitter.com/VK_Intel/status/1264185981118406657
        - 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1;SV1;'  # Mustang Panda https://insights.oem.avira.com/new-wave-of-plugx-targets-hong-kong/
    condition: selection
fields:
    - ClientIP
    - c-uri
    - c-useragent
falsepositives:
    - Old browsers
level: high
tags:
    - attack.command_and_control
    - attack.t1071.001