In late 2023, Sygnia identified a potential resurgence of the GhostEmperor threat group, initially documented by Kaspersky in 2021. This new variant involves a compromise using the Demodex rootkit, which was first observed in the original GhostEmperor activity. The new infection chain closely mirrors that of GhostEmperor, employing similar stealth techniques and tools, suggesting a connection to the previous threat actor.
Sygnia’s investigation revealed that the new compromise utilized WMIExec to run a batch file, drop an encrypted CAB file, and modify the registry for persistence. The actor’s heavy use of legitimate Windows tools for stealth, alongside the final installation of the Demodex kernel rootkit, echoes the tactics reported by Kaspersky. Despite these similarities, there are notable differences in the infection chain and the C++ DLL variant used, which raise questions about whether this represents the same threat actor or a new entity.
Amir Sadon from Sygnia expressed uncertainty about whether this new activity is indeed GhostEmperor or a different actor adopting similar techniques. The time gap between Kaspersky’s 2021 report and Sygnia’s 2023 findings, combined with the lack of additional unique tools, complicates definitive attribution. There is a possibility that a different group has repurposed the same rootkit, although Sygnia cannot confirm this.
The investigation suggests that the primary goal of this attack was likely to gain access to the victim’s business partners, potentially setting the stage for supply chain attacks. Sygnia is seeking collaboration with the security community to better understand the evolution of this threat and determine whether it signifies a resurgence of GhostEmperor or the emergence of a new, similarly skilled threat actor.
