SpiceRAT

SpiceRAT is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) used in government targeting campaigns in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. It’s attributed to the threat actor group SneakyChef and is delivered via phishing emails with malicious attachments. SpiceRAT allows attackers to get into the system, establish persistence and exfiltrate sensitive data while evading detection.

Key Insights

Deployment and Infection Vectors

SpiceRAT is delivered via phishing campaigns that use malicious attachments like RAR files containing LNK or HTA files. These attachments trigger a multi-stage infection process, including DLL side-loading. This is a technique where a legitimate application loads a malicious DLL, so the malware can evade traditional security solutions.

Capabilities and Functionality

Once deployed, SpiceRAT has post-exploitation capabilities. It can download and execute arbitrary binaries, issue system commands, and communicate with its operators through encrypted command and control (C2) channels. By using TLS encryption over standard HTTP(S) ports, SpiceRAT hides its malicious activities within legitimate network traffic making it harder to detect.

Persistence and Evasion Techniques

To maintain its presence, SpiceRAT uses scheduled tasks to run its components. The malware’s use of DLL side-loading helps it to run as trusted software. These persistence and evasion techniques make it very hard to detect and kill within compromised systems.

Known Variants

SpiceRAT has been seen with SugarGh0st in coordinated attacks. While there are no known variants of SpiceRAT itself, its modular design suggests it can be customized for specific campaigns.

Mitigation Strategies

Educate users about phishing and not to open unsolicited email attachments.
Deploy advanced email filtering to block malicious attachments and links.
Monitor network traffic for anomalies especially encrypted traffic over standard ports.
Patch systems and applications regularly to fix known vulnerabilities.

Targeted Industries or Sectors

SpiceRAT targets government agencies, focusing on ministries and departments in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Its espionage goals are clear from the fact that it’s used to steal sensitive data from government institutions and critical infrastructure.

Associated Threat Actors

SpiceRAT is attributed to the threat actor group SneakyChef which is known for cyber espionage campaigns. This group has used advanced techniques to compromise high value targets and used malware like SpiceRAT to achieve their goals.