Qbot Malware Activity

Description: This genral plan is designed to detect and respond to potential Qbot malware activity by monitoring for specific indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with this malware. The plan includes steps for investigating the alert, identifying infected hosts and users, and remediating the infection to prevent future Qbot malware infections.

Threshold: This plan has a low threshold as it is designed to detect any potential Qbot malware activity.

Indicator of Compromise (IOC) List:

1. Network traffic to known Qbot command and control (C2) domains
2. Network traffic to suspicious domains that are generated by Qbot’s domain generation algorithm (DGA)
3. Presence of suspicious files associated with Qbot, including:

• %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup*.lnk
• %LOCALAPPDATA%****.exe
• %TEMP%*.tmp
• %TEMP%*.bat
• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local*.dll
• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming****.exe

4. Presence of suspicious registry keys associated with Qbot, including:

• HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run*
• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run*

Analytic Steps:

1. Collect and ingest network traffic, file system, and registry data into a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system.
2. Create correlation rules to detect network traffic to known Qbot C2 domains or suspicious domains generated by Qbot’s DGA.
3. Create correlation rules to detect the presence of suspicious files associated with Qbot.
4. Create correlation rules to detect the presence of suspicious registry keys associated with Qbot.
5. Trigger an alert if any of the above correlation rules are met.

Recommended Actions:

1. Investigate the alert and identify the infected host(s) and user(s).
2. Quarantine the infected host(s) and disconnect them from the network.
3. Collect additional forensic evidence such as memory dumps, network traffic captures, and disk images.
4. Analyze the collected evidence to identify the extent of the infection and any data exfiltration.
5. Remediate the infected host(s) by removing the Qbot malware and associated artifacts.
6. Review and improve the security controls to prevent future Qbot malware infections, including updating antivirus software, applying security patches, and educating users on safe computing practices.

Additional Measures:

1. Implement network segmentation to limit the spread of malware in case of an infection.
2. Implement two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems.
3. Implement data backup and recovery measures to ensure business continuity in case of data loss or ransomware attacks.
4. Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate security weaknesses.
5. Develop and implement an incident response plan to respond to security incidents promptly and effectively.

Sample incident response playbook for Qbot malware:

1. Preparation Phase

• Establish an incident response team and define their roles and responsibilities
• Identify the systems and applications that could potentially be affected by Qbot malware
• Review and update your security controls and monitoring tools to ensure they are effective in detecting and responding to Qbot malware
• Conduct regular security awareness training for employees to help them recognize and report any suspicious activity

2. Identification Phase

• Monitor your network traffic and logs for any signs of Qbot malware
• Look for anomalous behavior, such as unusual network traffic or unexpected system changes
• If Qbot malware is detected, isolate the affected system from the network to prevent further spread of the infection
• Gather information about the malware, such as its file hash and command and control (C&C) server addresses

3. Containment Phase

• Identify all systems that have been infected with Qbot malware
• Remove the malware from the affected systems using anti-malware tools or manual remediation techniques
• Block the C&C server addresses and any associated IP addresses and domains to prevent the malware from communicating with its operators
• Update your security controls and monitoring tools to ensure they are effective in detecting and preventing future Qbot infections

4. Eradication Phase

• Conduct a thorough analysis of the affected systems to determine the root cause of the infection and identify any system vulnerabilities that may have contributed to the attack
• Implement measures to address the identified vulnerabilities and improve the overall security posture of your organization
• Verify that all Qbot malware has been successfully removed from the affected systems

5. Recovery Phase

• Restore any data or systems that may have been impacted by the Qbot malware
• Conduct a post-incident review to identify areas for improvement in your incident response plan and overall security posture
• Share your findings with other organizations and law enforcement agencies to help prevent future attacks

By following this plan, organizations can have enough ideas to detect and respond to Qbot malware infections promptly, minimize the impact of the attack, and prevent future infections.