NET-STAR
Intelligence Profile
According to Unit 42, NET-STAR is a .NET malware suite designed to target Internet Information Services (IIS) web servers. It was named based on the use of the string in the malware’s program database (PDB) paths. The suite consists of three distinct web-based backdoors, each serving a specific role in the attack chain while maintaining persistence within the target’s IIS environment: A fileless modular backdoor that supports in-memory execution of command-line arguments, arbitrary commands and payloads, a loader for additional Assemblies, and improved version of the Assembly loader that is also equipped with Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) and Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) bypass capabilities.
Threat Analysis
NET-STAR is a malware family tracked by threat intelligence researchers and catalogued in the Malpedia dataset. It represents a distinct malicious software lineage with identifiable code characteristics, behaviors, and victimology.