ToddyCat
ToddyCat is an advanced persistent threat group. Known aliases in the provided content are Storm-0247, ToddyCat, and Websiic. The content links ToddyCat to targeted activity against email servers, including Websiic operations that targeted seven email servers belonging to private companies in the IT, telecommunications, and engineering sectors in Asia and a governmental body in Eastern Europe. The group is described as using PowerShell, batch scripts, cmd, WMI, scheduled tasks, DLL sideloading, masquerading, document collection, staging, and cloud-based exfiltration. Reported behaviors include running PowerShell scripts, including hidden execution via powershell.exe -windowstyle hidden; using .bat scripts and cmd for execution on compromised hosts; running net user %USER% /dom for account discovery; and running cmd /c start /b tasklist for process discovery. ToddyCat has used WMI to execute scripts for post-exploit document collection and has used scheduled tasks to execute discovery commands and scripts for collection. For collection, ToddyCat has run scripts to enumerate recently modified documents with extensions including .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, and .xlsx, and has run scripts to collect documents from targeted hosts. For staging and exfiltration, the group manually transferred collected files to an exfiltration host using xcopy and also used a Dropbox uploader to exfiltrate stolen files. The content also notes use of the name debug.exe for malware components. ToddyCat has used DLL sideloading to launch a remote access trojan, specifically by using the legitimate application vlc.exe to load a malicious payload saved as libvlc.dll. Separate reporting in the provided content describes a previously unseen ToddyCat tool named TCESB, a 64-bit DLL detected as version.dll, designed to stealthily execute payloads while circumventing protection and monitoring tools. TCESB used DLL proxying in the context of ESET Command-line Scanner (ecls), exploiting insecure DLL loading later assigned CVE-2024-11859. The tool was described as derived from the open-source EDRSandBlast codebase and extended by ToddyCat. It used a Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver technique with Dell DBUtilDrv2.sys (CVE-2021-36276) to modify kernel structures and disable notification routines, then decrypted and executed AES-128-encrypted payloads from memory. Kaspersky detections cited in the content are Trojan.Win64.ToddyCat.a and Trojan.Win64.ToddyCat.b.
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Tradecraft
49 distinct techniques observed across reporting, grouped by tactic. Hover any cell for the evidence excerpt; click through for MITRE's full description.
Associated malware families
20 malware families attributed to this actor across reporting.
15 additional families tracked in Mallory.
Associated vulnerabilities
15 CVEs this actor has used in observed campaigns. 15 of them exploited in the wild.
APT41 leveraged vulnerabilities such as ProxyLogon exploitation... APT41 exploited CVE-2021-26855 against a vulnerable Microsoft Exchange Server... Threat Group-3390 ... exploited ... CVE-2021-26855, CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858, and CVE-2021-27065 in Exchange Server. ToddyCat has exploited the ProxyLogon vulnerability (CVE-2021-26855)...
This detection identifies instances where Windows Explorer.exe spawns PowerShell or cmd.exe processes, particularly focusing on executions initiated by LNK files. This behavior is associated with the ZDI-CAN-25373 Windows shortcut zero-day vulnerability, where specially crafted LNK files are used to trigger malicious code execution through cmd.exe or powershell.exe. This technique has been actively exploited by multiple APT groups in targeted attacks through both HTTP and SMB delivery methods.
Previously, Eset reported that about five APT groups has been exploiting the four Exchange vulnerabilities - CVE-2021-26855, CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858, and CVE-2021-27065
Previously, Eset reported that about five APT groups has been exploiting the four Exchange vulnerabilities - CVE-2021-26855, CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858, and CVE-2021-27065
Previously, Eset reported that about five APT groups has been exploiting the four Exchange vulnerabilities - CVE-2021-26855, CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858, and CVE-2021-27065
10 more CVEs tied to this actor tracked in Mallory.
Observables
39 indicators attributed to this actor: domains, IPs, hashes, and other artifacts pulled from reporting. View more in app.
Recent activity
20 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Listed as an associated threat actor in the detection annotation for exploitation of the public-facing PTC Windchill vulnerability CVE-2026-4681.
Uses DLL sideloading to launch a remote access trojan by abusing the legitimate VLC executable.
Listed as a threat actor associated with PowerShell execution behavior relevant to this detection.
Listed as a threat actor associated with the PowerShell P/Invoke process injection API chain detection and related ATT&CK techniques.
The version that knows your environment.
Match sector + geo + tech-stack targeting against your real footprint.
Every observed MITRE ATT&CK technique, grouped by tactic.
Families this actor is known to deploy, with IOCs and behavior.
CVEs this actor has used in known campaigns.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Domains, IPs, and hashes tied to this actor, refreshed continuously.