Latrodectus is a versatile malware family that employs advanced tactics to infiltrate systems, steal sensitive data, and evade detection. Named after the black widow spider genus “Latrodectus”, this malware behaves with similar stealth and aggression.
It targets various systems, including corporate networks, financial institutions, and individual users. Its ability to morph and adapt is a concern for cybersecurity professionals worldwide.
Latrodectus has been observed in multiple malicious campaigns since late 2023, often linked to threat actors TA577 and TA578, who previously distributed IcedID malware.
Initially spotted in phishing campaigns, Latrodectus has emerged as a successor to IcedID, sharing similar tactics for initial access and data theft. The malware has been deployed in various campaigns targeting corporate networks and financial institutions to carry out data exfiltration and ransomware operations.
In this article, we will explore the nature of Latrodectus malware, how it operates, and, most importantly, how organizations can defend against it.
Analysis of Latrodectus malware
An analysis of its structure reveals a modular malware built to maximize disruption and theft while maintaining persistence. Below, we explore the key behaviors of Latrodectus, grounded in actual analyses of its tactics and techniques.
- Initial access via fileless techniques: Latrodectus often arrives through phishing emails with malicious attachments or links. Upon execution, the malware injects malicious scripts directly into memory, bypassing traditional file-based security solutions.
- Dynamic API resolution: The malware dynamically resolves Windows API functions by hashing function names like kernel32.dll and ntdll.dll, a technique that complicates reverse engineering and static detection. Latrodectus obfuscates these imports and then uses CRC32 checksums at runtime to resolve them from the Process Environment Block (PEB). This includes core modules like kernel32.dll and ntdll.dll and expands to other modules like user32.dll and wininet.dll, which are resolved through wildcard searches in the system directory.
- Code obfuscation and packing: Latrodectus employs packing techniques to compress its payload into smaller components. It encrypts strings and hides key functions, reducing the chances that static analysis will reveal its malicious nature. Recent samples use a simplified string decryption routine, shifting from a complex…
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