Backdoor.Mistic
Hunt this family in your stack
Mallory pivots from this family to the IOCs, detections, and named campaigns that touch your stack, and pages you when something new lands.
Groups observed using it
2 distinct threat actors attributed by public researchers. Open in Mallory to see the full evidence chain and overlapping campaigns.
A newly discovered remote access Trojan (RAT) called Backdoor.Mistic (Mistic backdoor), tracked by Zscaler as MLTBackdoor, is helping hackers infiltrate corporate networks.
A newly discovered remote access Trojan (RAT) called Backdoor.Mistic (Mistic backdoor), tracked by Zscaler as MLTBackdoor, is helping hackers infiltrate corporate networks.
Techniques & procedures
14 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.
Initial Access
2 techniques
Initial Access
Execution
4 techniques
Execution
Mistic provides attackers with typical capabilities, including ... code execution.
Once an employee falls for the trick, a multi-stage PowerShell chain downloads the malware.
they purposely froze a victim’s web browser and displayed a message telling them to copy-paste a command to fix the issue... started messaging staff directly on Microsoft Teams, posing as the company’s IT helpdesk to lure workers into running malicious commands.
A loader (version.dll) hooks GetModuleFileNameW and LoadLibraryW. The GetModuleFileNameW hook makes sure that the path mpextms.exe is pointed to the legitimate location of mpextms.exe. The LoadLibraryW hook makes sure it loads the malicious EndpointDlp.dll, which is Backdoor.Mistic.
Stealth
4 techniques
Stealth
loaded from a DLL named EndpointDlp.dll, a name associated with Microsoft endpoint-security tooling. This would help the backdoor blend in with trusted software... Persistence is established through several redundant mechanisms, including Run-key entries that masquerade as legitimate remote-access software, using names such as AnyDesk, Splashtop and Comms.
If the scammers think they may get caught, they use a built-in kill switch to make the malware delete itself instantly.
A loader (version.dll) hooks GetModuleFileNameW and LoadLibraryW. The GetModuleFileNameW hook makes sure that the path mpextms.exe is pointed to the legitimate location of mpextms.exe. The LoadLibraryW hook makes sure it loads the malicious EndpointDlp.dll, which is Backdoor.Mistic.
Credential Access
1 technique
Credential Access
Discovery
2 techniques
Discovery
Collection
1 technique
Collection
Command and Control
1 technique
Command and Control
IOCs tracked for this family
39 indicators attributed across vendor reports, sandbox runs, and researcher write-ups. Full values are available in Mallory.
IPs, domains, and DNS infrastructure linked to this family.
File hashes (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256) from samples and reports.
Other indicator types observed in public reporting.
Recent activity
3 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A newly detected remote access trojan used to infiltrate corporate networks, manage files, display fake login screens to steal passwords, and maintain stealth via DLL sideloading, memory-only execution, and a self-delete kill switch.
A stealthy backdoor first seen in April 2026 that is side-loaded via a legitimate executable and malicious DLL, executes payloads directly in memory, supports file operations, command execution from C2, and includes a self-delete kill switch for low-visibility persistence.
A stealthy backdoor launched via DLL sideloading through MpExtMs.exe and a malicious EndpointDlp.dll. It executes payloads directly in memory, supports file operations, command polling changes, and includes a self-delete kill switch for low-visibility, durable access.
The version that knows your environment.
Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.
Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.
CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.
Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.