Author: @Cerbersec
CobaltWhispers is an aggressor script that utilizes a collection of Beacon Object Files for Cobalt Strike to perform process injection, persistence and more, leveraging direct syscalls to bypass EDR/AV.
CobaltWhispers is powered by SysWhispers2 and InlineWhispers2
CobaltWhispers is based on StayKit and work from Hasherezade and Forrest Orr.
CobaltWhispers was made as part of an internship at NVISO Security's Red Team. The associated blogposts can be found here (process-injection) and here (kernel karnage).
CobaltWhispers requires several tools to compile:
- MingW-w64 -
apt install mingw-w64 - Make -
apt install make - Python3
- SysWhispers2
- InlineWhispers2
Each project requires 3 files generated by SysWhispers2 / InlineWhispers2 to function:
- syscalls-asm.h
- syscalls.c
- syscalls.h
These files can be generated according to the InlineWhispers2 documentation, however this is not the optimal method because a lot of unused code will be included:
git clone https://github.com/Sh0ckFR/InlineWhispers2 && cd InlineWhispers2
cd SysWhispers2/ && python3 syswhispers.py --preset all -o syscalls_all && cd ..
python3 InlineWhispers2.py
Instead, use SysWhispers2 to generate the output files only for the necessary APIs, then manually (or script it) supply them to InlineWhispers2 which will convert them to the proper format. See the included makefile for additional information or use the included files at your own risk.
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | 5 | No | Inherit permissions from parent process |
Spawns a new suspended process with Code Integrity Guard (CIG) enabled to block non-Microsoft signed binaries. Spoofs the specified parent process. The PID is returned.
Parent process: The name of the process to set as parent
Executable location: Full path to executable on disk used to spawn new process
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shellcode/Raw | PID | 5 | No | - |
Injects a payload into a remote process using NtCreateThreadEx
Process PID: The process ID of the remote process
Payload location: Location of payload in binary form on disk (Conditional | Optional)
Payload b64: Raw shellcode in base64 encoded string format (Conditional | Optional)
Listener: Listener to generate payload for (Conditional)
A listener should be specified to generate a Beacon payload. If a manual payload is desired, it should be provided via a path to the raw binary on disk, or Base64 encoded shellcode.
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shellcode/Raw | PID | 2 | No | Potentially crash target process |
Injects a payload into a remote process using NtQueueApcThread
Process PID: The process ID of the remote process
Threads: Number of threads to add an APC call to
Payload location: Location of payload in binary form on disk (Conditional | Optional)
Payload b64: Raw shellcode in base64 encoded string format (Conditional | Optional)
Listener: Listener to generate payload for (Conditional)
A listener should be specified to generate a Beacon payload. If a manual payload is desired, it should be provided via a path to the raw binary on disk, or Base64 encoded shellcode.
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shellcode/Raw | Surrogate Process | 5 | No | - |
Injects a payload into a surrogate process using NtMapViewOfSection
Parent process: The name of the process to set as parent
Executable location: The location of the executable on disk to be used to spawn a new process
Payload location: Location of payload in binary form on disk (Conditional | Optional)
Payload b64: Raw shellcode in base64 encoded string format (Conditional | Optional)
Listener: Listener to generate payload for (Conditional)
A listener should be specified to generate a Beacon payload. If a manual payload is desired, it should be provided via a path to the raw binary on disk, or Base64 encoded shellcode.
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE | Surrogate Process | 5 | No | Requires x64 PE payload |
Injects a payload into a surrogate process using transacted sections and mapped views. Remote entry point and PEB are updated, no anomalous memory sections or memory permissions. See here for more information.
Parent process: The name of the process to set as parent
Executable location: The location of the executable on disk to be used to spawn a new process
Payload location: Location of x64 PE payload on disk (Conditional | Optional)
Payload b64: x64 PE payload in base64 encoded string format (Conditional | Optional)
Listener: Listener to generate payload for (Conditional)
A listener should be specified to generate a Beacon payload. If a manual payload is desired, it should be provided via a path to the x64 PE on disk, or Base64 encoded x64 PE.
CURRENTLY NOT IMPLEMENTED
| Payload Type | Target | Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position Independent Shellcode (PIC) | Surrogate Process | 5 | Yes | Elevated permissions are required to open system DLLs with write permissions |
Injects a payload into a surrogate process using transacted sections in combination with DLL hollowing. See here for more information.
Parent process: The name of the process to set as parent
Executable location: The location of the executable on disk to be used to spawn a new process
Payload location: Location of payload in binary form on disk (Conditional | Optional)
Payload b64: Raw shellcode in base64 encoded string format (Conditional | Optional)
Listener: Listener to generate payload for (Conditional)
A listener should be specified to generate a Beacon payload. If a manual payload is desired, it should be provided via a path to the raw binary on disk, or Base64 encoded shellcode.
Create or modify a registry key at the specified location.
- HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Key name: Value name
Command: Command to be ran when registry is used
Registry key: Location where registry key will be created
Hidden: Will prepend a null byte to the key name; throws errors in regedit
Cleanup: Removes created key
Cleanup requires the key name and registry key (location).
Create or modify a registry key at the specified location.
- HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon [UserInit]
Key name: Value name
Command: Command to be ran when registry is used
Registry key: Location where registry key will be created
Hidden: Will prepend a null byte to the key name; throws errors in regedit
Cleanup: Removes created key
Cleanup requires the key name and registry key (location).
UserInit: Automatically sets 'Key name' and 'Registry key'.
Create or modify a registry key at the specified location.
- HKCU:Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKCU:Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Key name: Value name
Command: Command to be ran when registry is used
Registry key: Location where registry key will be created
Hidden: Will prepend a null byte to the key name; throws errors in regedit
Cleanup: Removes created key
Cleanup requires the key name and registry key (location).
Create or modify a registry key at the specified location.
- HKCU:Environment [UserInitMprLogonScript]
Key name: Value name
Command: Command to be ran when registry is used
Registry key: Location where registry key will be created
Hidden: Will prepend a null byte to the key name; throws errors in regedit
Cleanup: Removes created key
Cleanup requires the key name and registry key (location).
UserInitMprLogonScript: Automatically sets 'Key name'and 'Registry key'.
Hijacks a scheduled task's COM handler. Creates a registry key at HKCU:\Software\Classes\CLSID\\InprocServer32 which points to a DLL.
Class ID: The CLSID that corresponds to the task's COM handler CLSID
DLL path: Path to DLL that is to be loaded
Cleanup: Removes created key
| Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Yes | Can potentially BSOD target system |
Loads a vulnerable signed driver with arbitrary kernel memory read/write (NalDrv/iqvm64.sys). Changes the ntoskrnl.exe g_CiEnabled or CI.dll g_CiOptions flag to disable Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE).
Loads a non-signed driver (Interceptor/Interceptor.sys), then restores the DSE flag values. Both the signed driver and non-signed driver are written to disk.
| Driver | MD5 checksum |
|---|---|
| iqvm64.sys | 1898ceda3247213c084f43637ef163b3 |
| Interceptor.sys | 508c8943359717cfa0c77b61ebea2118 |
Vulnerable driver location: Location of vulnerable signed driver in binary form on disk
Malicious driver location: Location of the malicious non-signed driver in binary form on disk
Vulnerable driver name: name used to create the registry key '\Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\'
Vulnerable driver device name: name used to contact the driver '\DosDevices\'
Malicious driver name: name used to create the registry key '\Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\'
Malicious driver device name: name used to contact the driver '\DosDevices\'
Target path: temporary path to write the vulnerable and malicious driver files to
| Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Yes | - |
Unloads a driver on the target using the provided registry key and deletes the binary from disk at the specified path.
Driver registry key: registry key used to unload driver '\Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\'
Driver installation path: location of driver on disk
| Reliability (0-5) | Elevated | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | No | Can potentially BSOD target system |
Information: Query the Interceptor driver
Hook: Hook the target driver's major functions (IRP)
Unhook: Restore the target driver's major functions
Patch: Patch the target kernel callbacks
Restore: Restore the target kernel callbacks
Vendors: display supported vendors
Modules: query all loaded drivers
Hooked modules: display all hooked drivers
Callbacks: query all registered callbacks
Index: hook a driver by index (see: information - modules)
Name: hook a driver by device name (\Device\Name)
Values: comma separated list of indexes (conditional)
Name: device name of the target driver (conditional)
Values are required when 'Index' is selected. Name is required when 'Name' is selected.
Index: unhook a driver by index (see: information - hooked modules)
All: unhook all hooked drivers
Values: comma separated list of indexes (conditional)
Values is required when 'Index' is selected.
Vendor: patch all callbacks associated with vendor module(s)
Module: patch all callbacks associated with module(s)
Process: patch process callback(s)
Thread: patch thread callback(s)
Image: patch image callback(s)
Registry: patch registry callback(s)
Object process: patch object process callbac(s)
Object thread: patch object thread callback(s)
Values: comma separated list of indexes (see: information - callbacks) (conditional)
Name: comma separated list of module names or single vendor name (see: information - vendors) (conditional)
Values is required when 'process', 'thread', 'image', 'registry', 'object process' or 'object thread' is selected. Name is required when 'vendor' or 'module' is selected.
Vendor: restore all callbacks associated with vendor module(s)
Module: restore all callbacks associated with module(s)
Process: restore process callback(s)
Thread: restore thread callback(s)
Image: restore image callback(s)
Registry: restore registry callback(s)
Object process: restore object process callbac(s)
Object thread: restore object thread callback(s)
All: restore all callbacks
Values: comma separated list of indexes (see: information - callbacks) (conditional)
Name: comma separated list of module names or single vendor name (see: information - vendors) (conditional)
Values is required when 'process', 'thread', 'image', 'registry', 'object process' or 'object thread' is selected. Name is required when 'vendor' or 'module' is selected.