# SANS ISC: InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog - SANS Internet Storm Center SANS Site Network Current Site SANS Internet Storm Center Other SANS Sites Help Graduate Degree Programs Security Training Security Certification Security Awareness Training Penetration Testing Industrial Control Systems Cyber Defense Foundations DFIR Software Security Government OnSite Training InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog **isc.sans.edu/diary/28044** ## Emotet Returns **Published: 2021-11-16** **Last Updated: 2021-11-16 06:18:35 UTC** **by** [Brad Duncan (Version: 1)](https://isc.sans.edu/handler_list.html#brad-duncan) [2 comment(s)](https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/Emotet+Returns/28044/#comments) **_Introduction_** Back in January 2021, law enforcement and judicial authorities worldwide took down the Emotet botnet. Although some Emotet emails still went out in the weeks after that, those were remnants from the inactive botnet infrastructure. We hadn't seen any new Emotet since then. [But on Monday 2021-11-15, we saw indicators that Emotet has returned. This diary reviews](https://twitter.com/Cryptolaemus1/status/1460302706954981385) activity from a recent Emotet infection. ----- _Shown above: Chain of events for Emotet infection on Monday 2021-11-15._ **_Emails_** We found some emails from a newly-revived Emotet botnet on Monday 2021-11-15 that have one of three types of attachments: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet Microsoft Word document Password-protected zip archive (password: BMIIVYHZ) containing a Word document These emails were all spoofed replies that used data from stolen email chains, presumably gathered from previously infected Windows hosts. ----- _Shown above: Example of Emotet malspam with password protected zip attachment._ ----- _Shown above: Example of Emotet malspam with attached Word document._ ----- _Shown above: Example of Emotet malspam with attached Excel file._ ----- _Shown above: Screenshot of Word document for Emotet._ _Shown above: Screenshot of Excel spreadsheet for Emotet._ **_Infection traffic_** ----- Infection traffic for Emotet is similar to what we saw before the takedown in January 2021. The only real difference is Emotet post-infection C2 is now encrypted HTTPS instead of unencrypted HTTP. My infected lab host turned into a spambot trying to push out more Emotet malspam. _Shown above: Example of traffic generated by Excel or Word macros for an Emotet DLL._ ----- _Shown above: Traffic from an infection filtered in Wireshark._ ----- _Shown above: TCP stream of encrypted SMTP traffic from my infected Windows host._ **_Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)_** The following are Word documents, Excel files, and a password-protected zip archive I saw from Emotet on Monday 2021-11-15. SHA256 hash: 7c5690577a49105db766faa999354e0e4128e902dd4b5337741e00e1305ced24 File size: 143,401 bytes File name: DOC_100045693068737895.docm File name: DOC_10010148844855817699830.docm File name: INF_10043023764772507433030.docm SHA256 hash: bd9b8fe173935ad51f14abc16ed6a5bf6ee92ec4f45fd2ae1154dd2f727fb245 File size: 143,121 bytes File name: FILE_24561806179285605525.docm SHA256 hash: f7a4da96129e9c9708a005ee28e4a46af092275af36e3afd63ff201633c70285 File size: 132,317 bytes File name: INF_4069641746481110.zip ----- SHA256 hash: d95125b9b82df0734b6bc27c426d42dea895c642f2f6516132c80f896be6cf32 File size: 143,108 bytes File name: INF_4069641746481110.docm SHA256 hash: 88b225f9e803e2509cc2b83c57ccd6ca8b6660448a75b125e02f0ac32f6aadb9 File size: 47,664 bytes File name: FILE_10065732097649344691490.xlsm SHA256 hash: 1abd14d498605654e20feb59b5927aa835e5c021cada80e8614e9438ac323601 File size: 47,660 bytes File name: SCAN_1002996108727260055496.xlsm The following are URLs generated by macros from the above files for an Emotet DLL file: hxxp://av-quiz[.]tk/wp-content/k6K/ hxxp://devanture[.]com[.]sg/wp-includes/XBByNUNWvIEvawb68/ hxxp://ranvipclub[.]net/pvhko/a/ hxxp://visteme[.]mx/shop/wp-admin/PP/ hxxps://goodtech.cetxlabs[.]com/content/5MfZPgP06/ hxxps://newsmag.danielolayinkas[.]com/content/nVgyRFrTE68Yd9s6/ hxxps://team.stagingapps[.]xyz/wp-content/aPIm2GsjA/ The Emotet DLL was first stored as a random file name with a .dll extension under the **_C:\ProgramData directory. Then it was moved to a randomly-named directory under the_** infected user's AppData\Local folder. The DLL is then made persistent through a Windows registry update as shown below. _Shown above: Example of registry update to keep Emotet persistent._ SHA256 hashes for 7 examples of Emotet DLL files: 0b132c7214b87082ed1fc2427ba078c3b97cbbf217ca258e21638cab28824bfa 373398e4ae50ecb20840e6f8a458501437cfa8f7b75ad8a62a84d5c0d14d3e59 29de2e527f736d4be12b272fd8b246c96290c7379b6bc2d62c7c86ebf7f33cd4 ----- 632447a94c590b3733e2e6ed135a516428b0bd1e57a7d254d5357b52668b41f1 69efec4196d8a903de785ed404300b0bf9fce67b87746c0f3fc44a2bb9a638fc 9c345ee65032ec38e1a29bf6b645cde468e3ded2e87b0c9c4a93c517d465e70d b95a6218777e110578fa017ac14b33bf968ca9c57af7e99bd5843b78813f46e0 HTTPS Emotet C2 traffic: 51.75.33[.]120 port 443 51.159.35[.]157 port 443 81.0.236[.]93 port 443 94.177.248[.]64 port 443 92.207.181[.]106 port 8080 109.75.64[.]100 port 8080 163.172.50[.]82 port 443 **_Final words_** The emails examples and malware samples from Monday's Emotet activity on 2021-11-15 [can be found here.](https://www.malware-traffic-analysis.net/2021/11/15/index.html) -- Brad Duncan brad [at] malware-traffic-analysis.net [Keywords: DLL](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=DLL) [Emotet](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=Emotet) [malspam](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=malspam) [spambot](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=spambot) [2 comment(s)](https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/Emotet+Returns/28044/) Join us at SANS! 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