Suspicious Creation of MuddyWater Log-Named Payload Files

ATT&CK techniques

C2

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
- T1071.001Web Protocols
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the creation of files named ManagerProc.log or PhotoAcq.log, distinctive artifact names observed in a MuddyWater APT campaign where malicious components were dropped under a log file guise. It captures the staging of implant files disguised with benign logging names. Detecting this is important because these specific filenames are tied to the campaign and their appearance strongly indicates targeted intrusion activity.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1071.001 — drag to rearrange

Possible FDMTP Implant C2 Cluster Registration via HTTP (via proxy)

Possible SPECTRALVIPER C2 Communication via Crafted Consent Cookie Values

Malicious Winter Vivern C2 Endpoint saveMessage via Proxy (via proxy)

Suspicious Whisper Backdoor Log File in Windows Temp

Suspicious Lunar Backdoor State File Creation via File System

Malicious OilRig OAuth Application Sign-In via Azure (via azure)

Malicious FIN7 DiceLoader C2 via Placeholder User-Agent (via proxy)

Malicious D3f@ck Loader C2 via Java User-Agent Ready Beacon (via proxy)

Suspicious AddInProcess32 Outbound Connection after Process Hollowing

Suspicious Creation of MuddyWater Log-Named Payload Files

Pivot detection · T1071.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →