ArmouryLoader Bypasses Safety Protections to Inject Malicious Code

ArmouryLoader and different malicious code loaders have grow to be important instruments for introducing Trojan-type payloads into hacked programs within the ever-changing world of cyberattacks.

First recognized in 2024, ArmouryLoader exploits the ASUS Armoury Crate software program by hijacking its export features, similar to freeBuffer in ArmouryA.dll, to provoke multi-stage execution chains.

This loader facilitates privilege escalation, persistence, and payload supply whereas incorporating anti-EDR capabilities, enabling subsequent malware like SmokeLoader and CoffeeLoader to evade system defenses.

By leveraging OpenCL for decryption, ArmouryLoader mandates GPU or 32-bit CPU environments, successfully bypassing sandboxes and digital machines.

It additional employs gadget-based reminiscence reads from professional DLLs and solid name stacks to hide system name origins, enhancing its stealth and rising payload supply success charges.

In accordance with Antiy CERT’s particular report, these strategies underscore the loader’s position in refined assault chains, posing important dangers to endpoint safety.

Rising Menace in Malware Supply Chains

ArmouryLoader’s obfuscation arsenal consists of inserting ineffective directions, self-decrypting code segments, and OpenCL-based decryption throughout its eight-stage course of.

In levels one and three, redundant opcodes litter the code to thwart static evaluation, whereas levels two, 4, and 6 characteristic layered XOR self-decryption loops.

The third stage uniquely invokes OpenCL to decrypt shellcode through NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel units, producing keys via string XOR operations.

Privilege escalation in stage 5 mimics explorer.exe and exploits the CMSTPLUA COM part for Administrator rights, with newer variants utilizing CMLuaUtil.

Persistence is achieved through scheduled duties created via schtasks or COM interfaces, operating each 30 or 10 minutes relying on privileges, with recordsdata fortified by hidden, read-only attributes and ACL modifications denying consumer entry.

Countermeasures embrace Halo’s Gate for syscall quantity extraction, evading hooks, and ROP chains to forge stack traces in opposition to backtracking.

In stage seven, Heaven’s Gate permits 64-bit code execution in dllhost.exe, transitioning from 32-bit environments, whereas stage eight allocates reminiscence through syscalls like NtAllocateVirtualMemory, utilizing devices like mov rax,[rax];ret; for oblique reads and jmp [rbx] for management movement redirection.

The assault course of unfolds progressively: Stage one hijacks exports to run shellcode; even levels decrypt and cargo PE recordsdata; odd levels deal with behaviors like OpenCL decryption, escalation, and injection.

Pattern evaluation of a 1.41 MB x86 ArmouryA.dll (MD5: 5A31B05D53C39D4A19C4B2B66139972F) reveals heavy obfuscation, invalid ASUS signatures, and dynamic API decision through PEB.

ATT&CK mappings spotlight persistence through scheduled duties (T1053), privilege escalation via COM abuse (T1546), protection evasion with deobfuscation and syscall indirection (T1140, T1620), and obfuscated recordsdata (T1027).

Antiy’s Zhijia merchandise detect these through real-time monitoring and kernel-level defenses, alerting on file additions and enabling centralized risk administration.

Indicators of Compromise

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