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MalwareUsed by 2 actorsExploits 1 CVE

FadeStealer

FadeStealer is a Windows-focused stealer malware family referenced in Splunk analytic content and associated with APT37 in the analytic story "APT37 Rustonotto and FadeStealer." The provided content explicitly describes FadeStealer as capable of collecting keylogging data, screenshots, audio, device information, and file data. It is repeatedly linked to Office-document and spearphishing-driven initial access activity, including detections for Windows Office products dropping CAB or INF files and spawning uncommon child processes, with specific association to Microsoft MSHTML remote code execution CVE-2021-40444. Additional related detections tied to the same analytic story include PowerShell-based file download activity, curl downloads to suspicious paths, suspicious LNK creation, startup-folder persistence, malicious URL shortcut creation, msiexec network communication, process injection, indicator removal via rmdir, and high file deletion frequency. Based on the content, high-confidence associations are that FadeStealer is tracked in connection with APT37-themed intrusion activity, targets Windows environments, and is relevant to spearphishing attachment and post-exploitation behaviors observed through endpoint telemetry.

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EXPLOITED CVES

Vulnerabilities exploited

1 CVE Mallory has correlated with this family across public research and vendor advisories. Each row links to the full Mallory page for that vulnerability.

1 CVES
CVE-2021-40444Microsoft MSHTML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Windows Office Product Dropped Cab or Inf File ... Spearphishing Attachments, Microsoft MSHTML Remote Code Execution CVE-2021-40444, Compromised Windows Host, APT37 Rustonotto and FadeStealer

via splunk researchresearch.splunk.com
THREAT ACTORS

Groups observed using it

2 distinct threat actors attributed by public researchers. Open in Mallory to see the full evidence chain and overlapping campaigns.

View more details
TA-RedAnt

“FadeStealer: … keylogging, screenshots, audio, device, and file data”

via ahnlab asec blogasec.ahnlab.com
APT37

Associated Analytic Story APT37 Rustonotto and FadeStealer

via splunk researchresearch.splunk.com
MITRE ATT&CK

Techniques & procedures

4 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.

Initial Access

1 technique
T1566.001Spearphishing AttachmentEvidence2

Annotations ID Technique Tactic T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment Initial Access

Execution

2 techniques
T1059.001PowerShellEvidence1
TacticExecution

PowerShell 4104 Hunting ... T1059.001 ... Malicious PowerShell

T1204.001Malicious LinkEvidence1
TacticExecution

Annotations ID Technique Tactic T1204.001 Malicious Link Execution

T1105Ingress Tool TransferEvidence1

Description Successful execution of Atomic Red Team T1105 - Ingress Tool Transfer. Also included Invoke-CertUtil using different command switches.

What this page doesn’t show

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IOC matching

Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.

Threat actor attribution2

Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.

Exploited vulnerabilities1

CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

MITRE ATT&CK mapping4

Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.

Researcher chatter

Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.