{
  "timestamp": "2025-02-05T22:58:58.373979",
  "model": "deepseek/deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b",
  "request": {
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        "content": "You are a cybersecurity expert analyzing company website content and product documentation.\n            Focus on clear explanations of security features, compliance certifications, and practical user guidance."
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        "content": "\n            Provide a comprehensive analysis of the following security-related content.\n            \n            Content to analyze:\n            Search Free Trial Get Demo The Resurgence of Emotet May 12, 2022 Password Protected Docs One of the most recent Emotet samples we received were emails with password protected attachments. Although the malicious document needs an extra step to be accessed compared to just being attached as it is, the additional layer of security may cause an unsuspecting user to think that this came from a legitimate source. Figure 1. Email sample Same Code, Different Types Emotet downloaders are leveraging the different file types of excel. The two examples below have the same macro code but one is an OLE format Excel file .XLS and the other is an XML-based Excel file .XLSM. The difference between the two is the URL list it will use to download the main Emotet payload. As for your typical macro malware, an image is used to convey the instruction to enable macros. Figure 2. Both samples included prompts for the user to enable macros. The left image is OLE format and the right image is XML format. Figure 3. Both samples contained a hidden sheet with similar names Figure 4. Macro source code The font in red Figure 4 is the malicious macro code found in the AUTO_OPEN of both Excel files. The font in green is the decoded excerpt of the code. They both have similar macro code but use differrent URLs to download the main binary payload. Evasion Aside from changing the download URLs of the emotet binary payload, the strings used by the malware are modified from time to time to evade detection that relies on matching strings to identify malware. The images below are from a sample associated with an earlier wave and the other sample is from a more recent wave of attacks. Both samples have the same instruction message and hidden sheets. The newer sample splits the string for regsvr.exe and joins the substrings upon execution. Figure 5. The left image is from an older sample. The right image is from recent samples. Figure 6. The recent samples use a new image for the user prompt Figure 7. The recent samples also use new sheet names Figure 8. The left image is of the seemingly empty sheet. The right image reveals the hidden strings when the font color is changes from white to red. Figure 9. The URLs were placed in the Sheet tab with the image used to prompt the user to enable the macro. The URL and other strings were hidden using white font color. Guidance, Detection and IOCs Its important to note this Emotet campaign includes the use of email to deliver the payload. Its important to understand the limits of your current detection capabilities  including employees. If you havent evaluated your cyber threat intelligence providers recently, its never a bad time to survey the market for sources with more timely, more accurate, and more comprehensive malware threat intelligence. Make sure your malware detection engines are always using up to date definition files. Cyren detects these samples as XLSMDownldr.A.aggr!Camelot XFEmotet.B.gen!Eldorado Indicators of Compromise file hashes 01019e5d292134b5cc7d04107e71eee5bbb96c9607686ad40a7092011593b5b3 6309a7e12e3647f12f50ff5bdf3450ffe9855ca062cf34fd5537bb91da74d22d bbd95b19e8cf7b776b69062e99cb2609568ba23050a93904c46306827b82949d 234efc5c5c355aaa375461b56eef44a2b509dd25968fc76eb2e7f3e6396c2f40 db36207307284a28ac838dc4eb20ed98f2be8d31327504646229b0c11675efbd Try it for Free Instant Data Classification Cyren URL Category Chacker Prev Malicious Excel Add-in Variant Delivers Malware How the War in Ukraine Has Influenced the Scammers Underground Next Company Partners Resources Investor Relations Products Freeware Demo Solutions Contact Us Privacy Management Service by Data443\n            \n            Your analysis should cover:\n            1. Key security features and their benefits to users\n            2. Compliance certifications and regulatory adherence\n            3. User-focused security recommendations\n            4. Technical security implementation details\n            5. Data protection measures\n            6. Best practices for end users\n            "
      }
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    "model": "deepseek/deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b"
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  "response": {
    "content": "**Analysis of Security-Related Content**\n\nThe provided content discusses the resurgence of the Emotet malware, focusing on its tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), as well as guidance for detection and mitigation. Below is a comprehensive analysis covering the key aspects of cybersecurity:\n\n---\n\n### 1. **Key Security Features and Their Benefits to Users**\nThe content highlights several security features and mechanisms that can help users and organizations protect themselves from Emotet and similar threats:\n\n- **Threat Intelligence and Detection Capabilities**:\n  - The content emphasizes the importance of **timely, accurate, and comprehensive cyber threat intelligence** to stay ahead of evolving threats like Emotet.\n  - Advanced detection engines, such as those provided by the company, are critical for identifying and blocking malicious payloads. For example, the content mentions Cyren's detection capabilities, which identify the Emotet samples as **XLSMDownldr.A.aggr!Camelot** and **XFEmotet.B.gen!Eldorado**.\n\n- **Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)**:\n  - The content provides specific file hashes (e.g., `01019e5d292134b5cc7d04107e71eee5`) and other IOCs to help organizations detect and block Emotet-related activity. These IOCs enable security teams to monitor for malicious activity and take proactive measures.\n\n**Benefits to Users**:\n- Early detection and blocking of malicious activity reduce the risk of compromise.\n- IOCs empower organizations to harden their defenses and improve incident response.\n\n---\n\n### 2. **Compliance Certifications and Regulatory Adherence**\nThe content does not explicitly mention compliance certifications or regulatory adherence, but it indirectly supports compliance with cybersecurity best practices by:\n- Encouraging the use of up-to-date threat intelligence and detection tools, which align with standards like **NIST SP 800-53** and **ISO 27001**.\n- Providing actionable guidance for detecting and mitigating threats, which supports compliance with regulations such as **GDPR** (data protection) and **HIPAA** (health information security).\n\nOrganizations that implement the recommended measures demonstrate adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements.\n\n---\n\n### 3. **User-Focused Security Recommendations**\nThe content offers practical guidance for users and organizations:\n\n- **Evaluate Cyber Threat Intelligence Providers**:\n  - Regularly assess and update threat intelligence sources to ensure they provide timely and accurate data.\n  \n- **Keep Malware Detection Engines Updated**:\n  - Ensure antivirus and other security tools are using the latest definition files to detect evolving threats like Emotet.\n\n- **Monitor and Respond to IOCs**:\n  - Use the provided file hashes and other indicators to enhance detection and response capabilities.\n\n- **User Awareness Training**:\n  - Train employees to recognize suspicious emails, especially those with password-protected attachments or prompts to enable macros.\n\n---\n\n### 4. **Technical Security Implementation Details**\nThe content provides a detailed technical analysis of the Emotet campaign, including:\n\n- **Evasion Techniques**:\n  - Emotet uses different file types (e.g., `.XLS` and `.XLSM`) and modifies strings to evade detection.\n  - Recent samples split and reassemble strings (e.g., for `regsvr.exe`) to bypass signature-based detection.\n\n- **Malicious Macro Code**:\n  - The content highlights the use of malicious macro code in Excel files, which is often hidden or obfuscated. For example, the code is embedded in the `AUTO_OPEN` macro and uses hidden sheets with names like \"Sheet\" to evade detection.\n\n- **Payload Delivery**:\n  - The content explains how Emotet uses URLs hidden in Excel files to download the main payload. These URLs are often concealed using white font color on hidden sheets.\n\n**Implementation Takeaways**:\n- Organizations should implement **macro-blocking policies** or restrict macro execution to trusted sources.\n- Use **behavioral analysis tools** to detect malicious activity that bypasses signature-based detection.\n\n---\n\n### 5. **Data Protection Measures**\nWhile the content does not explicitly focus on data protection measures, the following can be inferred:\n\n- **Encryption and Access Control**:\n  - Emotet's use of password-protected documents suggests that attackers are exploiting trust in such mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that sensitive data is encrypted and access controls are strictly enforced.\n\n- **Regular Backups**:\n  - Since Emotet often leads to ransomware attacks, organizations should implement regular, secure backups to recover data in case of compromise.\n\n- **Data Loss Prevention (DLP)**:\n  - Tools like DLP can help monitor and block unauthorized data transfers, reducing the risk of sensitive data being exfiltrated.\n\n---\n\n### 6. **Best Practices for End Users**\nThe content indirectly provides best practices for end-users by highlighting the tactics used by attackers:\n\n1. **Avoid Enabling Macros**:\n   - Never enable macros in unsolicited or unexpected Excel files, even if prompted by an image or message. Legitimate organizations rarely ask users to enable macros to view content.\n\n2. **Be Cautious of Password-Protected Attachments**:\n   - While password-protected documents may seem legitimate, they can still contain malicious content. Verify the authenticity of the sender before opening such files.\n\n3. **Exercise Email Safety**:\n   - Be wary of emails with generic greetings, spelling or grammar mistakes, or urgent requests. These are common red flags for phishing campaigns.\n\n4. **Use Antivirus and Endpoint Protection**:\n   - Ensure all devices are protected with up-to-date antivirus software and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools.\n\n5. **Update Software Regularly**:\n   - Keep operating systems, applications, and security tools updated to protect against vulnerabilities exploited by malware.\n\n---\n\n### **Conclusion**\nThe content provides a detailed analysis of the Emotet campaign, emphasizing the importance of **timely threat intelligence**, **advanced detection capabilities**, and **user awareness**. By implementing the recommended measures, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to Emotet and similar threats. A combination of technical controls, user education, and proactive monitoring is essential for robust cybersecurity.",
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