ThreatFox: KongTuke IOCs

Hunt Hypothesis

This hypothesis detects adversary activity involving specific indicators of compromise (IOCs) linked to the KongTuke malware campaign, which is known for targeting enterprise environments through malicious document execution and lateral movement. A proactive hunt in Azure Sentinel is essential to identify early-stage infections before they escalate into widespread data exfiltration or ransomware deployment across the organization’s cloud infrastructure.

IOC Summary

Malware Family: KongTuke Total IOCs: 4 IOC Types: domain, url

KQL: Domain Hunt

// Hunt for DNS queries to known malicious domains
// Source: ThreatFox - KongTuke
let malicious_domains = dynamic(["marhhetti.sbs"]);
DnsEvents
| where Name has_any (malicious_domains)
| project TimeGenerated, Computer, Name, IPAddresses, QueryType
| order by TimeGenerated desc

KQL: Url Hunt

// Hunt for access to known malicious URLs
// Source: ThreatFox - KongTuke
let malicious_urls = dynamic(["https://marhhetti.sbs/api/v1/status", "https://marhhetti.sbs/api/v1/session", "https://marhhetti.sbs/api/v1/verify"]);
UrlClickEvents
| where Url has_any (malicious_urls)
| project Timestamp, AccountUpn, Url, ActionType, IsClickedThrough
| order by Timestamp desc

Required Data Sources

References

• ThreatFox — KongTuke

False Positive Guidance

Here are 5 specific false positive scenarios for the ThreatFox: KongTuke IOCs detection rule, including suggested filters and exclusions tailored for an enterprise environment:

• Scenario: Scheduled Antivirus Definition Updates via Microsoft Defender

  • Context: The daily automated update job for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (or Symantec Endpoint Protection) connects to the vendor’s update servers. If the KongTuke IOCs include specific IP addresses or domain names that overlap with the antivirus vendor’s distribution network, the rule may trigger.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Add a filter to exclude alerts where the Process Name is MsMpEng.exe (Microsoft Defender) or Symantec Endpoint Protection Client, and the User Account matches the service account used for updates (e.g., NT SERVICE\wuauserv).

• Scenario: Cloud Backup Synchronization via Veeam or Commvault

  • Context: Enterprise backup agents often initiate outbound connections to cloud storage gateways or management consoles. If KongTuke IOCs include a specific port range (e.g., 443) or a domain used by the backup provider, legitimate backup traffic will generate hits.
  • Filter/Exclusion: Create an exclusion for processes matching VeeamAgent.exe or CommServe.exe when the destination IP falls within the organization’s trusted cloud backup CIDR block (e.g., 10.20.30.0/24).

• Scenario: Patch Management Deployment via SCCM/Intune

  • Context: During Windows Update or third-party patching cycles, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) or Microsoft Intune agents download payloads from content distribution points. If the KongTuke detection logic monitors specific hash values or URLs that match the patch repository structure, legitimate downloads will trigger alerts.