# 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/rss/28568** ## "aa" distribution Qakbot (Qbot) infection with DarkVNC traffic **Published: 2022-04-20** **Last Updated: 2022-04-20 03:17:36 UTC** **by** [Brad Duncan (Version: 1)](https://isc.sans.edu/handler_list.html#brad-duncan) [1 comment(s)](https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/aa+distribution+Qakbot+Qbot+infection+with+DarkVNC+traffic/28568/#comments) **_Chain of Events_** Email --> link --> downloaded zip archive --> extracted Excel file --> enable macros --> HTTPS traffic for Qakbot DLL files --> Qakbot C2 activity --> DarkVNC traffic **_Images_** _Shown above: Link from an email distributing Qakbot ("aa" distribution tag) in a web_ _browser._ ----- _Shown above: Downloaded zip archive and extracted spreadsheet._ _Shown above: Qakbot DLL files saved to an infected Windows host._ ----- _Shown above: Traffic from the infection filtered in Wireshark._ _Shown above: TCP streams for DarkVNC traffic on 45.153.241[.]142 over TCP port 443._ ----- _Shown above: Qakbot traffic on 23.111.114[.]52 over TCP port 65400._ **_Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)_** Malware from an infected Windows host: [SHA256 hash: 685aa1d29540f5b63effec08fdf63f8bc7e995d1f15635cc1fd251bb7fb0dc73](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/685aa1d29540f5b63effec08fdf63f8bc7e995d1f15635cc1fd251bb7fb0dc73/) File size: 1,093,506 bytes File name: cocithoueqrta.zip File location: hxxps://conta2000[.]cl/po/cocithoueqrta File location: hxxps://conta2000[.]cl/po/A3105126785.zip File description: zip archive downloaded from link in email SHA256 hash: [236b9d345a9b405c4850f880e1734712967d7cc34b176c270e78dd6f02f9839d](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/236b9d345a9b405c4850f880e1734712967d7cc34b176c270e78dd6f02f9839d/) File size: 1,215,731 bytes File name: J-233015633.xlsb File description: Excel file with macro for Qakbot [SHA256 hash: 74400f2acc98e59ddeba6d55da3ee0ea0c909eefdefeca4f1d3bf817a27b692b](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/74400f2acc98e59ddeba6d55da3ee0ea0c909eefdefeca4f1d3bf817a27b692b/) ----- File size: 1,385,866 bytes File location: hxxps://debtsolversuk[.]co[.]uk/HLpeQJZi/NbVfNbhn.png File location: C:\Rfgsg\Jefseg.ooccxx File description: Initial Qakbot DLL Run method: regsvr32.exe [filename] [SHA256 hash: 29942eb47c0de0415b2507dff8822e3309dd4fcc2ac8d01434b37eb4f75efbe1](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/29942eb47c0de0415b2507dff8822e3309dd4fcc2ac8d01434b37eb4f75efbe1/) File size: 1,385,893 bytes File location: hxxps://pablopereirasilvaluis[.]com[.]br/OHTvXEr9c/NbVfNbhn.png File location: C:\Rfgsg\Jefsega.ooccxx Run method: regsvr32.exe [filename] [SHA256 hash: 59fb3927427c68dee4c2f267f3ed4eea82dc07058061e06b3cd9b18d1a84b77f](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/59fb3927427c68dee4c2f267f3ed4eea82dc07058061e06b3cd9b18d1a84b77f/) File size: 1,385,920 bytes File location: hxxps://portalregionpuno[.]com/088aFy0Xc8ap/NbVfNbhn.png File location: C:\Rfgsg\Jefsegb.ooccxx Run method: regsvr32.exe [filename] Traffic for zip archive: hxxps://conta2000[.]cl/po/cocithoueqrta hxxps://conta2000[.]cl/po/A3105126785.zip Traffic for Qakbot DLL files: hxxps://debtsolversuk[.]co[.]uk/HLpeQJZi/NbVfNbhn.png hxxps://pablopereirasilvaluis[.]com[.]br/OHTvXEr9c/NbVfNbhn.png hxxps://portalregionpuno[.]com/088aFy0Xc8ap/NbVfNbhn.png Qakbot post-infection traffic: 189.146.73[.]62 port 443 - HTTPS traffic 75.99.168[.]194 port 443 - HTTPS traffic 37.252.0[.]102 port 443 - HTTPS traffic port 443 - www.openssl[.]org - HTTPS traffic (connectivity check, not inherently malicious) 23.111.114[.]52 port 65400 - TCP traffic Dark VNC traffic: 45.153.241[.]142 port 443 - TCP traffic with encoded data. Certificate issuer data for Qakbot HTTPS traffic: ----- Certificate issuer data for HTTPS traffic to 189.146.73[.]62: id-at-countryName=AU id-at-stateOrProvinceName=DA id-at-localityName=Ieiaegim id-at-organizationName=Vuropti Mika Aguaugaf Inc. id-at-commonName=qchzpkuwhuh.org Certificate issuer data for HTTPS traffic to 75.99.168[.]194: id-at-countryName=AU id-at-stateOrProvinceName=WD id-at-localityName=Ntp id-at-organizationName=Venyec Giteg Xgsw Inc. id-at-commonName=onuwbkiz.us Certificate issuer data for HTTPS traffic to 37.252.0[.]102: id-at-countryName=US id-at-stateOrProvinceName=CA id-at-localityName=Los Angeles id-at-organizationName=vipsauna[.]com id-at-commonName=vipsauna[.]com **_Final words_** A packet capture (pcap) of the infection traffic and the associated malware samples are [available here. The pcap is from an Active Directory (AD) environment. The pcap been](https://www.malware-traffic-analysis.net/2022/04/19/index.html) sanitized to disguise usernames, hostnames, domains, internal IP addresses, the public IP address used to connect from my test lab to the Internet, and any other information that could identify the environment. --Brad Duncan brad [at] malware-traffic-analysis.net [Keywords: DarkVNC](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=DarkVNC) [Excel](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=Excel) [macros](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=macros) [Qakbot](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=Qakbot) [Qbot](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=Qbot) [VNC](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=VNC) [zip](https://isc.sans.edu/tag.html?tag=zip) [1 comment(s)](https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/aa+distribution+Qakbot+Qbot+infection+with+DarkVNC+traffic/28568/) Join us at SANS! Attend [with Brad Duncan in starting](https://isc.sans.edu/diary/rss/28568) Top of page × ----- [Diary Archives](https://isc.sans.edu/diaryarchive.html) -----