Inside Gamaredon 2025: Zero-Click Espionage at Scale



Campaign Summary

  • Timeframe: February – November 2025
  • 37 analyzed samples
  • New zero-click infection vector -> CVE-2025-6218
  • New C2 architecture: DynDNS + Fast-Flux + Telegram + graph.org
  • Two-stage geo-fencing + header firewall
  • Pteranodon as the central Stage-2 loader
  • Server-side registration required for deeper payload access

As the year slowly crawls toward its inevitable end (like certain Russian infrastructure), it’s a good moment to take another detailed look at Gamaredon’s ongoing phishing campaign targeting Ukraine.

I’ve previously published a high-level overview of this campaign, you can check that article out if you want the “lite” version.
Today, however, we’re digging deeper: how to untangle the FSB’s infrastructure for this operation and how we managed to extract additional payloads directly from their servers with varying degrees of cooperation from Microsoft’s RAR parser.

A quick thank-you goes out to my brother Ramon, who assisted especially in retrieving additional payloads from Gamaredon’s backend. Family bonding through state-sponsored malware analysis, truly heartwarming.

Dataset Overview

For this analysis, I organized all samples into a structured table divided into Stage-1 and Stage-2 to Stage-X artifacts.

  • Stage-1 samples are the actual phishing attachments delivered to victims (HTA, LNK, RAR archives).
  • Stage-2 to Stage-X samples represent everything the Gamaredon infrastructure subsequently downloads once the initial loader executes or the vulnerability is triggered.

Each entry contains:

  • Filename: original name taken from the email attachment or payload
  • Hash: SHA-256 fingerprint for verification
  • Dropped Files: anything extracted or written by the sample (HTA/PS1 loaders, Pteranodon modules, persistence scripts, etc.)

This allows us to map the infection chain fully, from the very first email to the deeper payload ecosystem sitting behind Gamaredon’s firewall-like C2 logic.

In total, we analyzed 37 samples for this write-up.

Stage 1 Samples (Click to open)

SampleHashDropped Files
e4258bdfa82a1065aa1095ae2c6da4240f6ebe20ba285e56f1e216eec5984510.htae4258bdfa82a1065aa1095ae2c6da4240f6ebe20ba285e56f1e216eec5984510
fc249b4686f4cfd98ab016aac32ecccf947012321a321d8e6463c17401b0c700.zipfc249b4686f4cfd98ab016aac32ecccf947012321a321d8e6463c17401b0c7002-1180-25_24.06.2025.HTA
eed1ab171c449173059d2c5955e6ddfa73aaf952c612210b82c85137f42e01b8.zipeed1ab171c449173059d2c5955e6ddfa73aaf952c612210b82c85137f42e01b82-1180-25_24.06.2025.HTA
478604b0f9323082b61521045a310b3362f405a0781a735dfe72f8ffed054be7.zip478604b0f9323082b61521045a310b3362f405a0781a735dfe72f8ffed054be72-1180-25_24.06.2025.HTA
68314e93b47d774e378d4c573f08417bf40ead61caaeafbc128c3c6dff96ae0c.rar68314e93b47d774e378d4c573f08417bf40ead61caaeafbc128c3c6dff96ae0cЗвернення народного депутата Верховної Ради України IX скликання 11-2967-25_23.09.2025.HTA
11-2967-25_23.09.2025.pdf
82e05b396443fcedeb4b165a8e5ee4d85195b4ba0a58a085670525598e46eedd.zip82e05b396443fcedeb4b165a8e5ee4d85195b4ba0a58a085670525598e46eedd82e05b396443fcedeb4b165a8e5ee4d85195b4ba0a58a085670525598e46eedd.rar
Письмо.pdf
Письмо.pdf:.._AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_run.bat
Письмо.pdf:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Письмо.pdf:stream_12xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
7b936b2885c3b02243d7cbf751f341840f26cd0de7d4910843159fbc05e1db60.rar7b936b2885c3b02243d7cbf751f341840f26cd0de7d4910843159fbc05e1db60Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро_6_3_4_4265_17.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро6_3_4_4265_17.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_6_3_4_4265_17.11.2025.HTA
05f23e5c668c73128b6140b2d7265457ce334072a0b940141a839ec3e7234414.rar05f23e5c668c73128b6140b2d7265457ce334072a0b940141a839ec3e7234414Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро_9_5_5_433_17.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро9_5_5_433_17.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_9_5_5_433_17.11.2025.HTA
83141b865be20f01dbb8520577500f57ec26357153ee093c5ba46f787aab7f7c.lnk83141b865be20f01dbb8520577500f57ec26357153ee093c5ba46f787aab7f7c
331eedee2d5df87c46b93b719ca623aeebafc91157d70ffe381cd1c06ae46841.rar331eedee2d5df87c46b93b719ca623aeebafc91157d70ffe381cd1c06ae46841.Довiдка щодо невиконання….lnk
Довiдка щодо невиконання….docx
237696ecc370688a8d1894eb2f95af53a3c0f8d42eb540b7f529b4d4f4492bc0.rar237696ecc370688a8d1894eb2f95af53a3c0f8d42eb540b7f529b4d4f4492bc0Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро_2_7_4_62_13.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро2_7_4_62_13.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_2_7_4_62_13.11.2025.HTA
a1832e9c58b9b3d355775ecaa6567d9727f4a39cf372fa9c7c2b42d70e98d0e1.rara1832e9c58b9b3d355775ecaa6567d9727f4a39cf372fa9c7c2b42d70e98d0e1Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро_3_8_2_7442_13.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро3_8_2_7442_13.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_3_8_2_7442_13.11.2025.HTA
d9fec61a4b1bb0ee158e65a7cea8c8098bf1ea2117289a48c2ae9e373bb50e22.rard9fec61a4b1bb0ee158e65a7cea8c8098bf1ea2117289a48c2ae9e373bb50e22Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро_2_1_1_7755_12.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро2_1_1_7755_12.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_2_1_1_7755_12.11.2025.HTA
95d30188fcc3864a6c8f9c01e27a588ea2b456f55b737c27f4b0cd756b887013.hta95d30188fcc3864a6c8f9c01e27a588ea2b456f55b737c27f4b0cd756b887013
6aa9741f8b8629d0398049fa91dc5e7c28fd0d63bc76b3fd9be2dc196265263f.rar6aa9741f8b8629d0398049fa91dc5e7c28fd0d63bc76b3fd9be2dc196265263fПередати засобами АСУ Дніпро_2_1_1_7755_11.11.2025.pdf
Передати засобами АСУ Дніпро2_1_1_7755_11.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_2_1_1_7755_11.11.2025.HTA
0cebe68cbe06a390acee24c33155bb1d9910d4edcb660d0d235ce2a4e3c643c5.hta0cebe68cbe06a390acee24c33155bb1d9910d4edcb660d0d235ce2a4e3c643c5
c7726c166e1947fdbf808a50b75ca7400d56fa6fef2a76cefe314848db22c76c.zipc7726c166e1947fdbf808a50b75ca7400d56fa6fef2a76cefe314848db22c76cЩодо надання інформації (військова частина А0135_11-967_11.11.2025).pdf
Щодо надання інформації (військова частина А0135_11-967_11.11.2025).pdf:.........._.._AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_11-967_11.11.2025.HTA
5437c7bc4423b8acb8a6646ac2cd5379101ac73b6011549b25f1cd95bb333cea.rar5437c7bc4423b8acb8a6646ac2cd5379101ac73b6011549b25f1cd95bb333ceaЗапит на отримання інформації командира військової частини А0135_11-967_10.11.2025.pdf
Запит на отримання інформації командира військової частини А0135_11-967_10.11.2025.pdf:.........._.._AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_11-967_10.11.2025.HTA
21ad5d05a43d599b6225cd883b10356f4b8cd465a2fcb2745d90cfa65c6cffa1.rar21ad5d05a43d599b6225cd883b10356f4b8cd465a2fcb2745d90cfa65c6cffa1Перегляд підходів до призову під час мобілізації_2-3716-25_07.11.2025.pdf
Перегляд підходів до призову під час мобілізації2-3716-25_07.11.2025.pdf:............_AppData_Roaming_Microsoft_Windows_Start Menu_Programs_Startup_2-3716-25_07.11.2025.HTA
7a1417492979f569747bf11211bf523d5479c163e717651ebba20ad73834b8bb.hta7a1417492979f569747bf11211bf523d5479c163e717651ebba20ad73834b8bb
18c4d384f8fef858accb57fff9dc4036bf52a051b249696b657162b1adcbf104.hta18c4d384f8fef858accb57fff9dc4036bf52a051b249696b657162b1adcbf104
f35a91aa6b720f33fb971deee228e48a07d51df9762de6d616481fad1008b7ea.htm5a8aada4bbc37d79f93349587a639f322eb4d068dd0c5b8131d3b69cf9c833e0
5a8aada4bbc37d79f93349587a639f322eb4d068dd0c5b8131d3b69cf9c833e0.zip5a8aada4bbc37d79f93349587a639f322eb4d068dd0c5b8131d3b69cf9c833e02-13476-2025_08.09.2025.pdf
Повістка про виклик до військового комісаріату 2-13476-2025_08.09.2025.HTA
27bd90199e426719d1c3ef214215a17fae23f257d8bcb7a806e394e8666158f0.hta27bd90199e426719d1c3ef214215a17fae23f257d8bcb7a806e394e8666158f0
3611035faf63b8bf14c88a9bd02e3783f2bde3128c97f6317d4d4c912463ef39.xhtml3611035faf63b8bf14c88a9bd02e3783f2bde3128c97f6317d4d4c912463ef39
2-1180-25_03.06.2025.HTA9ce60dde11c1ad72af22ccd774c0efe9c5a206e9dcfbc2388a1b09cc70747f09
2f3b6223e31562592e86ae4dd4a5d0ceff518cf4feeb98f796febcb66d9148c4.zip2f3b6223e31562592e86ae4dd4a5d0ceff518cf4feeb98f796febcb66d9148c4Perelik_dokumentiv.txt.lnk
raport-na-otrimannya-dovidki-pro-obstavini-travmi.pdf
2-1180-25_24.06.2025.HTAab54862f180b379cb8d612fbb22891402e7d55151dba87e7b11e45c5e45b6d7c

Stage 2-X Samples

SampleHashDrops
Dropper-Sample-1.hta9b14d367c99b7d9187a58406ad3eb55e2dee12b4b2bc341f9058c622b7b87fa3Dropper-Sample-1.1.ps
Dropper-Sample-1.1.psf1a52573d11b3bee874e7d29c15d952492e2f4a72e2213fdb9274d0555d90978Lockdown-Script-Sample-1.ps
Lockdown-Script-Sample-1.ps9627415eafc3be2756d73b4440372fc99e99e25cd53c012ffccdc5d35ce0f70b
Dropper-Sample-2.hta9fc2a247313b078d795419b7d1c7c0cd907a103a4c64ebab6c96ddb7b958d230Dropper-Sample-2.1.hta
Dropper-Sample-2.1.hta7f467084343ca7986a188108390c1de3c98bb211e304cc4bc700125c1ea495f6Wiper-Sample-1.ps
Wiper-Sample-1.psd4b5e0b45eab241ef03b64f0a52929fdd15e8ef783e1c7952ba01b199e4e3932
94298febd57718f0e05e61c9966f95347598e7ba1a05a48b8c9f9151023a839a.base6494298febd57718f0e05e61c9966f95347598e7ba1a05a48b8c9f9151023a839a008af94fd04c55582d9d8d6547f1276c04523494b25e7ff8f8f1bdc444abf1e7
aa572532ab1c8a731e7ba32e97ba180268eee8e6a74a2b9c4dc3efb669edb9af.psaa572532ab1c8a731e7ba32e97ba180268eee8e6a74a2b9c4dc3efb669edb9af


Operational Objective of the Campaign

The analyzed artifacts make the intention behind this operation painfully clear:
the campaign is aimed squarely at Ukrainian military, governmental, political, and administrative entities.

Based on filenames, document themes, and sender infrastructure, Gamaredon’s operational goals can be summarized as follows:

  • Military intelligence collection (documents, internal communication, location data, organization charts)
  • Rapid exfiltration (Pteranodon immediately sends host-, user-, and system-metadata to the C2)
  • Long-term espionage (stealers, wipers, tasking modules, USB spreaders)
  • Disruption & anti-forensics (registry cleaning, MRU deletion, startup folder cleanup)
  • Targeted propagation inside internal networks (USB/NAS/network spread)

This is not an opportunistic campaign. It is a structured, military-oriented espionage and sabotage operation consistent with, and likely coordinated by Russian state intelligence.


Campaign Timeline


Campaign Description

Gamaredon continues to bombard Ukrainian organizations with phishing emails, using a rotating set of attachments and themes.
The filenames of the analyzed samples strongly indicate military and political targeting, and the underlying infrastructure is built on large DynDNS farms and Fast-Flux C2 nodes an architecture that screams “FSB budget optimization,” if you will.

Until early November 2025, the group primarily distributed HTA and LNK attachments.
Then they shifted strategy, adopting a new Windows vulnerability CVE-2025-6218, allowing infections without the victim consciously executing anything.

Their new favorite delivery vector?
RAR archives containing seemingly harmless documents.

What happens?

When a victim opens the RAR archive:

  • the vulnerability triggers immediately
  • a hidden HTA is extracted straight into the Windows Startup folder
  • reboot -> automatic execution -> connection to Gamaredon’s C2
  • further payloads are downloaded and initial reconnaissance begins

A classic example of Microsoft doing Microsoft things.


Infection Chain (CVE-2025-6218 & CVE-2025-8088)

The multi-stage infection chain used in this campaign is simple, elegant, and annoyingly effective.
A key component is the server-side access control logic, which tightly restricts who is allowed to receive further payloads, ensuring that analysts outside the target region receive nothing but empty responses and existential frustration.


1. Initial Access: Web-based Loaders

Entry points include:

  • HTA attachments
  • LNK droppers
  • RAR archives containing HTA or LNK files
  • And increasingly:
    • RAR archives exploiting CVE-2025-6218 and CVE-2025-8088

CVE-2025-6218

  • Vulnerability allowing automatic file extraction into privileged directories
  • HTA placed into Startup without user execution

CVE-2025-8088

  • MSHTML execution bypass, circumventing Windows 11 hardening

All these delivery formats share one purpose:
download and launch Pteranodon, the central stage-2 loader.


2. Pteranodon Loader

Once the initial dropper executes, it fetches Pteranodon via HTTP(S).
This is where Gamaredon’s C2 firewall kicks in.

Persistence Mechanisms

Pteranodon uses multiple persistence vectors depending on available permissions:

  • Registry Run keys (HKCU and occasionally HKLM)
  • Scheduled tasks (5 – 30 minute intervals)
  • HTA files in the Startup folder
  • Hidden script copies inside %APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA%, and %PROGRAMDATA%

These ensure the loader survives multiple reboots and can continuously request new tasks and modules.

Communication Structure

Gamaredon’s C2 traffic is distinctive:

  • XOR + Base64 layering
  • Pseudo-JSON structures (loose key/value pairs)
  • Regular tasking requests (download payload, run wiper, USB spread, resend systeminfo)
  • Operator fingerprints (recurring variable names and patterns)

Pteranodon is intentionally simple, lightweight, and extremely flexible, the malware equivalent of a Russian Lada:
It may look primitive, but you’ll be surprised how long it keeps going.


3. Access Control Logic (C2 Firewall)

Gamaredon uses a multi-layered filtering system that serves as both OPSEC and anti-analysis defense.

Purpose of the Access Control Logic

The C2:

  • only responds fully to Ukrainian IP ranges
  • verifies browser headers
  • requires system registration before delivering deeper payloads

This effectively locks out researchers, sandboxes, cloud instances, and… pretty much everyone except the intended victims.

Stages

Stage 1: IP Validation

  • Non-Ukrainian IP -> HTTP 200 with empty body
  • Ukrainian IP -> proceed

Stage 2: Header Validation

  • Must supply correct:
    • Identifier/Token
    • User-Agent
    • Accept-Language

Invalid -> serve a 0-byte file
Valid -> proceed

Stage 3: Registration & Tasking

Full payload access only after system registration:

  • hostname
  • username
  • local IP
  • environment
  • token

Then the C2 provides:

  • USB/network spread modules
  • Wipers
  • Persistence modules
  • Stealers
  • Additional droppers

The basic access control logic looks like this:


4. Campaign Characteristics

  • Strict Ukraine-only geo-fencing
  • Strong anti-analysis (empty responses instead of errors)
  • High variation of initial access files
  • Consistent use of Pteranodon
  • Increased abuse of RAR + CVE-2025-6218
  • Multiple drops per day

Analysis

This article focuses more on mapping the infrastructure than on deep reverse-engineering.
If you want in-depth Stage-1 payload analysis, check my previous article.

Once the malicious attachment is executed, it contacts a remote Gamaredon domain and retrieves Pteranodon.

Key observations from sandboxing

  • Most sandbox environments receive empty responses, expected due to the C2 filtering
  • Simulating headers alone is insufficient
  • Regular Ukrainian proxies also fail
  • Rotating Ukrainian residential proxies do work
  • However, deeper stages require successful registration, which makes automated extraction time-consuming

After bypassing the filters, we obtained obfuscated HTAs containing Base64-encoded PowerShell.

These loaders then fetch:

  • Pteranodon
  • wiper modules
  • auxiliary droppers
  • etc.

All files are provided in the sample table for further analysis.

Telegram & graph.org C2 Distribution

Gamaredon uses:

  • Telegram channels for rotating C2 IPs and cryptographic material
  • graph.org pages for rotating payload URLs

Both platforms are:

  • ideal for operations requiring frequent updates
  • highly resilient
  • hard to take down



https://graph.org/vryivzphxwc-11-11

I built a tracker that extracts and publishes these rotating IPs, domains, and secrets to GitHub daily, you can access it here.


Fast-Flux Infrastructure (194.67.71.0/24)

One IP stood out: 194.67.71.75, belonging to REG.RU, a well-known high-abuse Russian hosting provider.

Findings:

  • 200+ IPs in the subnet engaged in coordinated port-scanning against Ukrainian targets (April 2025)
  • 44,157 PassiveDNS entries for the 256 hosts
  • 39,903 unique domains
  • Typical Fast-Flux characteristics:
    • extremely short TTL
    • rapid IP rotation
    • each IP hosting dozens of unrelated domains
    • low-quality disposable domain patterns
    • consistent abusive behavior

This subnet is:

  • clearly Russian-controlled
  • used for offensive operations
  • structurally similar to GRU-affiliated infrastructure
  • highly likely to be connected directly or indirectly to the FSB


I built a graph on VirusTotal to visualize the malware distribution by the subnet:


Changes in the 2025 Gamaredon Campaign

Compared to 2021 – 2024, the 2025 operation shows significant evolution:

1. Zero-Click via CVE-2025-6218

RAR-based exploit allows silent execution with no user interaction.

2. RAR-First Delivery

RAR replaced HTA/LNK as the primary attachment format.

3. More complex access control

Geo-fencing, header checks, registration tokens, and multi-stage filtering.

4. Decentralized C2

Heavy reliance on Telegram + graph.org.

5. Expanded Stage-1 variations

HTA, LNK, RAR+LNK, RAR+HTA, RAR exploiting CVE-2025-6218.

6. Stronger persistence & propagation

Better registry/task persistence and more aggressive lateral movement.


Summary

The 2025 Gamaredon campaign is no longer just “phishing with extra steps”
It has evolved into a modular, highly dynamic, multi-infrastructure malware ecosystem, powered by:

  • Zero-click exploits
  • Geo-fenced C2 delivery
  • Fast-Flux DNS
  • Telegram distribution
  • graph.org rotation
  • Persistent Pteranodon loaders

…all wrapped in a design philosophy best described as:
“If it works, ship it, if it breaks, wrap it in Base64 and ship it anyway.”


MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

The current Gamaredon campaign maps to a wide range of relevant MITRE ATT&CK techniques.
Below is a consolidated overview of the most important tactics and techniques observed during the various stages of the operation: (Click To Open)

TA0001 – Initial Access

T1566.001 – Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment
Distribution of HTA, LNK, and RAR attachments using thematically relevant document names.

T1204.002 – User Execution: Malicious File
Execution of HTA/LNK loaders, or automatic execution via CVE-2025-6218.


TA0002 – Execution

T1059.005 – Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic
Extensive use of HTA and VBScript for initial loader execution.

T1059.001 – Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell
Used to download and run Pteranodon modules.

T1203 – Exploitation for Client Execution
CVE-2025-6218 enabling automatic HTA placement and execution (zero-click).


TA0003 – Persistence

T1547.001 – Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Persistence achieved via HTA scripts placed in the Startup folder and registry autostarts.

T1053.005 – Scheduled Task/Job
Creation of scheduled tasks that periodically re-execute Pteranodon or supplemental scripts.


TA0004 – Privilege Escalation

(No explicit privilege escalation techniques observed; Gamaredon typically operates under user-level permissions.)


TA0005 – Defense Evasion

T1027 – Obfuscated/Encrypted Files and Information
Heavy use of BASE64 and XOR layers to obfuscate code and communications.

T1497 Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
C2 access-control (IP/header validation) to prevent payload delivery to researchers or sandboxes.

T1070 – Indicator Removal on Host
Wiper/cleanup scripts remove MRUs, registry traces, and startup entries.


TA0006 – Credential Access

(Seen in earlier Gamaredon campaigns; less prominent in 2025.)
T1552.001 – Unsecured Credentials: Credentials in Files
Some modules harvest document contents and autocomplete data.


TA0010 – Exfiltration

T1041 – Exfiltration Over C2 Channel
Hostnames, usernames, system metadata, and environment details sent directly to C2.


TA0011 – Command and Control

T1071.001 – Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols
C2 communication over HTTP/HTTPS.

T1102.002 – Web Service: Telegram
Use of Telegram channels for dynamic IP rotation and distribution of secrets/tokens.

T1102 – Web Service (graph.org)
Use of graph.org pages for periodically rotating payload URLs.

T1568.002 – Dynamic DNS
Frequent use of DynDNS for rotating C2 domains.

T1090 – Proxy
Fast-Flux infrastructure in subnet 194.67.71.0/24 used to proxy malicious infrastructure.


TA0009 – Collection

T1119 – Automated Collection
Immediate collection of system information after Pteranodon’s initial registration.


TA0008 – Lateral Movement / Propagation

T1091 – Replication Through Removable Media
USB-based propagation (a long-standing Gamaredon tactic).

T1021 – Remote Services (limited)
Some modules show capability for internal network spread.


High-Level Indicators for Threat Hunters

This section summarizes the most important behavioral indicators that SOCs, threat hunters, and CERT teams can use to detect Gamaredon activity early.
These are high-level detection patterns rather than sample-specific IOCs

1. Network Indicators

  • HTTP requests from mshta.exe or powershell.exe to DynDNS domains, graph.org pages, or Ukrainian/Russian subnets
  • Repeated GET requests resulting in 0-byte responses
  • Outbound traffic to 194.67.71.0/24 (REG.RU Fast-Flux cluster)
  • Unexpected connections to Telegram API/channels without active user sessions
  • Very low DNS TTL values for domains rotating across many IPs

2. File System Indicators

Presence of suspicious script files:

  • HTA/VBS in the Startup folder:
    %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\*.hta
  • Dropped PowerShell/VBS files in:
    • %APPDATA%
    • %LOCALAPPDATA%
    • %PROGRAMDATA%
  • Files with pseudo-legitimate names such as Update.hta, Sync.hta, etc.

3. Registry Indicators

New or unusual autostart entries in:

  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Suspicious values like:
SystemUpdate, WinService, TaskHost, MSConfigSync


4. Process Indicators

Suspicious execution of:

  • mshta.exe
  • wscript.exe
  • cscript.exe
  • powershell.exe

Especially when combined with:

  • obfuscated arguments
  • Base64-encoded payloads
  • long XOR/Chr() sequences
  • inline HTTP URLs

5. Anti-Analysis / Sandbox Indicators

  • Malware returns completely empty responses when contacted from non-Ukrainian IPs
  • Stage loaders delivering 0-byte payloads when no registration token is provided
  • Behavior drastically changes depending on IP region and C2 validation

6. Tactical Patterns

  • Multiple execution stages within a very short timeframe
  • Frequent contact with newly generated DynDNS domains
  • Appearance of new graph.org pages containing short random identifiers
  • Telegram messages containing random Base64 blobs representing rotating secrets/IPs

7. Runtime Indicators (Sysmon/SOC)

Event ID 11 – file creation within Startup folder

Event ID 1 – mshta.exe -> powershell.exe -> network connection

Event ID 3 – outbound network connections from mshta.exe or powershell.exe

Event ID 7 – unexpected script engine DLL loads


IOCs

In our Analysis we could find the following IOCs used in this campaign:


IOC-TypeIOC-Value
DynDNS Payload Delivery Serveracess-pdf.webhop.me
creates.webhop.me
digitall.webhop.me
dears.serveirc.com
dilopendos.serveirc.com
downcraft.serveirc.com
fixer.serveirc.com
fixfactors.serveirc.com
kia-court.serveirc.com
political-news.serveirc.com
readers.serveirc.com
serversftp.serveirc.com
ssu-procuror.redirectme.net
yeard.serveirc.com
papilonos.hopto.org
diskpart.myddns.me
selodovo.myddns.me
document-downloads.ddns.net
systems-debug.ddns.net
document-prok.freedynamicdns.org
downloads-document.freedynamicdns.org
write-document.freedynamicdns.org
procurature.freedynamicdns.org
print-documents.freedynamicdns.net
google-pdf.redirectme.net
hosting-redirect.sytes.net
tillthesunrise.sytes.net
open-files.systes.net
open-pdf.serveftp.com
pasive-host.gotdns.ch
Cloudflareapp-334825a6-4a2b-48bc-be92-e0582d656006.cleverapps.io
libraries-thus-yale-collaborative.trycloudflare.com
vacations-mic-games-scale.trycloudflare.com
incidence-polished-expires-denver.trycloudflare.com
streams-metallic-regulatory-armor.trycloudflare.com
divine-water-36e7.5ekz2z6pjk.workers.dev
long-king-02b7.5ekz2z6pjk.workers.dev
quietunion.48clhonm1m.workers.dev
divine-water-5123.svush66274.workers.dev
blackvoice.lydef24298.workers.dev
vaporblue.ddnsking.com
Domainsrqzbuwewuvnbbaucfhjl.supabase.co
For.estaca.ru
exorcise.me
andonceagain.online
gihs.andonceagain.ru
andonceagain.ru
antresolle.ru
IP Adresses5.181.2.158
5.181.2.161
95.163.236.162
185.168.208.228
194.58.66.5
194.58.66.132
194.58.66.192
194.67.71.75
194.87.240.141
194.87.230.166
194.87.240.215
194.87.240.217
185.39.204.82
45.141.234.234
5.8.18.46
103.224.182.251
144.172.84.70
45.32.220.217
65.38.120.43
64.7.199.177
172.104.206.42
107.189.18.173
107.189.23.61
Telegram URLshttps://www.telegram.me/s/natural_blood
https://www.telegram.me/s/oberfarir
https://telegram.me/s/teotori
URLs/gss_11.11.2025/kidneyfih/broadlyrQZ.pdf
/gpd_07.11.2025r/disputeqG1/concealedn2N.pdf
/moss_10.11.2025/futureHtG/accountc7z.pdf
/SUU_11.11.2025/dicontentedOhr/scoundrelit1.pdf
/SVrr_12.11.2025/crookoxQ/learningB4J.pdf
/mmoUU_13.11.2025/evolutionKPm/armourV2P.pdf
/sss_10.11.2025/dialGsd/horribleNQx.pdf
/ss_07.11.2025/flashlightsK8Q/pondjsQ.pdf
/motherrDJ/ssu/flowerbedD6M/dressmakerpvv.pdf
/sprdvth/tailor.ps1
/regretxso/GP4/investigationer4/exhibtionLD6.pdf
/OD/sensationaSL/AprilcWs.jpeg
/SS/atomN2s/arwardU26.jpeg
/OD/remisshKY/consentedjtP.jpeg
/OD/quitzU2/comparativelyNWU.jpeg
/Gost/pitchedcbY/intenseLKt.jpeg
/GPuUkr/satALU/eventfulpNq.pdf
/prosperousd92/allowingclO
/prosperousd92/allowingclO
Documentsдодаток.doc
дск.doc
доповідна запискa.doc
супровід катування.doc
лист до.doc
убд.doc
наказ наряд.doc
ГУР МОУ.doc
згвалтування.doc
супровод.doc
обезголовлення військовополоненого.jpeg
обезголовлення українського військовополоненого.jpeg
згвалтування військових.jpeg
фото секс.jpeg

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