EZIPv10

Hunt Hypothesis

This rule detects the presence of the EZIPv10 YARA signature, which typically indicates the execution of a specific low-severity malware variant or script often used for initial access or lateral movement. Proactively hunting for this indicator allows the SOC team to identify compromised endpoints early in the Azure Sentinel environment, enabling rapid containment before the adversary establishes a foothold or escalates privileges.

YARA Rule

rule EZIPv10
{
      meta:
		author="malware-lu"
strings:
		$a0 = { E9 19 32 00 00 E9 7C 2A 00 00 E9 19 24 00 00 E9 FF 23 00 00 E9 1E 2E 00 00 E9 88 2E 00 00 E9 2C }

condition:
		$a0 at pe.entry_point
}

Deployment Notes

This YARA rule can be deployed in the following contexts:

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint — Custom indicators / advanced hunting
• Email Gateway — Attachment scanning
• File Share Monitoring — Periodic scanning of shared drives
• YARA CLI — Manual threat hunting on endpoints

This rule contains 1 string patterns in its detection logic.

• Source Rule

False Positive Guidance

• Windows Update Service (wuauserv) Background Scanning: The Windows Update client service periodically scans for and downloads updates, often using temporary network connections or specific IP ranges that may match the rule’s criteria.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes where Image is C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe and CommandLine contains wuauserv or WindowsUpdate.
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus Real-Time Protection: The Microsoft Defender service (MsMpEng.exe) performs continuous file system and network monitoring, which can generate transient network activity or file I/O patterns that trigger IP-based or behavioral detections.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes where Image is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\* or C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\*, specifically targeting MsMpEng.exe.
• Scheduled Backup Jobs (Veeam/Commvault): Enterprise backup solutions like Veeam Backup & Replication or Commvault create high-volume network traffic and temporary file writes during scheduled backup windows, often involving specific management IP ranges or temporary storage paths.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes where Image matches VeeamBackup.exe, VeeamBackupConsole.exe, or cvaux.exe (Commvault), or where CommandLine contains backup, restore, or snapshot.
• Corporate Endpoint Management Agents (Intune/SCCM): Agents such as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM) or Intune perform policy synchronization, software deployment, and inventory collection, which involves regular outbound connections to management servers and local file modifications.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes where Image is CcmExec.exe (SCCM) or MdmClient.exe (Intune), or where CommandLine