Researchers spotted a phishing campaign delivering a multi-feature, open-source remote administration tool known as Babylon RAT.

Cofense observed that the Babylon RAT samples distributed in this campaign were written in C# and came with an administration panel written in C++. This control feature allows the malware to manage multiple server configuration options around port numbers, network keys for authentication and IP versions. Together, these features enable digital attackers to customize the malware according to their needs.

A deeper analysis of the campaign revealed that the initial command-and-control (C&C) server connection that was made after execution came hardcoded in the binary. Cofense reasoned that this tactic allowed for the campaign to change IP addresses without interruption, thereby bolstering the attack’s resilience against takedown attempts. Simultaneously, the C&C connection contained fingerprinting data about the infected host, including IP address, username and operating system version.

The malware delivered in this campaign was also capable of using two different C&C domains for redundancy, deploying a password recovery module for harvesting credentials and conducting denial-of-service (DoS) attacks from the infected host.

Peering Into the History of Babylon RAT

Over the past few years, researchers have discovered multiple instances in which Babylon RAT appeared in attack campaigns or infrastructure with links to other malware. Back in 2017, for instance, Palo Alto Networks found a nest of contextually linked C&C domains that were predominantly dynamic DNS. These domains distributed Babylon RAT along with other threats such as DarkComet, DarkTrack and LuminosityLink. A year later, Kaspersky Lab discovered a malicious campaign leveraging Babylon, AZORult and other malware to target industrial enterprises.

How to Defend Against Phishing-Borne Malware

Security professionals can help defend their organizations against phishing-borne malware by using ahead-of-threat detection to spot and prevent employees from connecting to potentially malicious domains before they become active. Organizations should also use a unified endpoint management system to monitor the behavior of all endpoints for unapproved third-party connections, which could be indicative of a malware infection.