{
	"id": "9aaa91af-b295-4476-836e-5cbb38da0ae3",
	"created_at": "2026-04-06T00:19:23.073495Z",
	"updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:36:13.745385Z",
	"deleted_at": null,
	"sha1_hash": "42dd3066cb18ccc0b7893f675f97d8e0ccbe563d",
	"title": "Researchers Link ShadowPad Malware Attacks to Chinese Ministry and PLA",
	"llm_title": "",
	"authors": "",
	"file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_size": 225989,
	"plain_text": "Researchers Link ShadowPad Malware Attacks to Chinese\r\nMinistry and PLA\r\nBy The Hacker News\r\nPublished: 2022-02-15 · Archived: 2026-04-05 23:17:15 UTC\r\nCybersecurity researchers have detailed the inner workings of ShadowPad, a sophisticated and modular backdoor\r\nthat has been adopted by a growing number of Chinese threat groups in recent years, while also linking it to the\r\ncountry's civilian and military intelligence agencies.\r\n\"ShadowPad is decrypted in memory using a custom decryption algorithm,\" researchers from Secureworks said in\r\na report shared with The Hacker News. \"ShadowPad extracts information about the host, executes commands,\r\ninteracts with the file system and registry, and deploys new modules to extend functionality.\"\r\nShadowPad is a remote access trojan capable of maintaining persistent access to compromised computers and\r\nexecuting arbitrary commands and next-stage payloads. It also shares noticeable overlaps with the PlugX malware\r\nand has been put to use in high-profile attacks against NetSarang, CCleaner, and ASUS, causing the operators to\r\nshift tactics and update their defensive measures.\r\nhttps://thehackernews.com/2022/02/researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html\r\nPage 1 of 3\n\nWhile initial campaigns that delivered ShadowPad were attributed to a threat cluster tracked as Bronze Atlas (aka\r\nAPT41, Barium, or Winnti Umbrella) – Chinese nationals working for a networking security company\r\nnamed Chengdu 404 – it has since been used by multiple Chinese threat groups post 2019.\r\nIn a detailed overview of the malware in August 2021, cybersecurity company SentinelOne dubbed ShadowPad a\r\n\"masterpiece of privately sold malware in Chinese espionage.\" A subsequent analysis by PwC in December\r\n2021 disclosed a bespoke packing mechanism – named ScatterBee – that's used to obfuscate malicious 32-bit and\r\n64-bit payloads for ShadowPad binaries.\r\nThe malware payloads are traditionally deployed to a host either encrypted within a DLL loader or embedded\r\ninside a separate file along with a DLL loader, which then decrypts and executes the embedded ShadowPad\r\npayload in memory using a custom decryption algorithm tailored to the malware version.\r\nThese DLL loaders execute the malware after being sideloaded by a legitimate executable vulnerable to DLL\r\nsearch order hijacking, a technique that allows the execution of malware by hijacking the method used to look for\r\nrequired DLLs to load into a program.\r\nSelect infection chains observed by Secureworks also involve a third file that contains the encrypted ShadowPad\r\npayload, which work by executing the legitimate binary (e.g., BDReinit.exe or Oleview.exe) to sideload the DLL\r\nthat, in turn, loads and decrypts the third file.\r\nAlternatively, the threat actor has placed the DLL file in the Windows System32 directory so as to be loaded by\r\nthe Remote Desktop Configuration (SessionEnv) Service, ultimately leading to the deployment of Cobalt Strike\r\non compromised systems.\r\nIn one ShadowPad incident, the intrusions paved the way for launching hands-on-keyboard attacks, which refer to\r\nattacks wherein human hackers manually log into an infected system to execute commands themselves rather than\r\nusing automated scripts.\r\nAdditionally, Secureworks attributed distinct ShadowPad activity clusters, including Bronze Geneva (aka\r\nHellsing), Bronze Butler (aka Tick), and Bronze Huntley (aka Tonto Team), to Chinese nation-state groups that\r\noperate in alignment with the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF).\r\n\"Evidence […] suggests that ShadowPad has been deployed by MSS-affiliated threat groups, as well as PLA-affiliated threat groups that operate on behalf of the regional theater commands,\" the researchers said. \"The\r\nmalware was likely developed by threat actors affiliated with Bronze Atlas and then shared with MSS and PLA\r\nthreat groups around 2019.\"\r\nhttps://thehackernews.com/2022/02/researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html\r\nPage 2 of 3\n\nFound this article interesting? Follow us on Google News, Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content\r\nwe post.\r\nSource: https://thehackernews.com/2022/02/researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html\r\nhttps://thehackernews.com/2022/02/researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html\r\nPage 3 of 3",
	"extraction_quality": 1,
	"language": "EN",
	"sources": [
		"Malpedia"
	],
	"references": [
		"https://thehackernews.com/2022/02/researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html"
	],
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		"researchers-link-shadowpad-malware.html"
	],
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			"updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:04.591062Z",
			"deleted_at": null,
			"main_name": "Bronze Butler",
			"aliases": [
				"Bronze Butler",
				"CTG-2006",
				"G0060",
				"Operation ENDTRADE",
				"RedBaldNight",
				"Stalker Panda",
				"Stalker Taurus",
				"Swirl Typhoon",
				"TEMP.Tick",
				"Tick"
			],
			"source_name": "ETDA:Bronze Butler",
			"tools": [
				"8.t Dropper",
				"8.t RTF exploit builder",
				"8t_dropper",
				"9002 RAT",
				"AngryRebel",
				"Blogspot",
				"Daserf",
				"Datper",
				"Elirks",
				"Farfli",
				"Gh0st RAT",
				"Ghost RAT",
				"HOMEUNIX",
				"HidraQ",
				"HomamDownloader",
				"Homux",
				"Hydraq",
				"Lilith",
				"Lilith RAT",
				"McRAT",
				"MdmBot",
				"Mimikatz",
				"Minzen",
				"Moudour",
				"Muirim",
				"Mydoor",
				"Nioupale",
				"PCRat",
				"POISONPLUG.SHADOW",
				"Roarur",
				"RoyalRoad",
				"ShadowPad Winnti",
				"ShadowWali",
				"ShadowWalker",
				"SymonLoader",
				"WCE",
				"Wali",
				"Windows Credential Editor",
				"Windows Credentials Editor",
				"XShellGhost",
				"XXMM",
				"gsecdump",
				"rarstar"
			],
			"source_id": "ETDA",
			"reports": null
		}
	],
	"ts_created_at": 1775434763,
	"ts_updated_at": 1775792173,
	"ts_creation_date": 0,
	"ts_modification_date": 0,
	"files": {
		"pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/42dd3066cb18ccc0b7893f675f97d8e0ccbe563d.pdf",
		"text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/42dd3066cb18ccc0b7893f675f97d8e0ccbe563d.txt",
		"img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/42dd3066cb18ccc0b7893f675f97d8e0ccbe563d.jpg"
	}
}