Biblio

Modern malware indicators utilized by the current top threat feeds are easily bypassed and generated through enigmatic methods, leading to a lack of detection capabilities for cyber defenders. Static hash-based algorithms such as MD5 or SHA generate indicators that are rendered obsolete by modifying a single byte of the source file. Conversely, fuzzy hash-based algorithms such as SSDEEP and TLSH are more robust to alterations of source information; however, these methods often utilize context boundaries that are hard to define or not based on meaningful information. In previous work, a custom binary analysis tool was created called @DisCo. In this study, four current ransomware campaigns were analyzed using TLSH fuzzy hashing and the @DisCo tool. While TLSH works on the binary level of the entire program, @DisCo works at an intermediate function level. The results from each analysis method were compared to provide validation between the two as well as introduce a narrative for using combinations of these types of methods for the creation of stronger indicators of compromise.

The internal laboratory directed research and development (LDRD) project Infrastructure eXpression (IX) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is based on codifying infrastructure to support automatic applicability to emerging cyber issues, enabling automated cyber responses, codifying attack surfaces, and analysis of cyber impacts to our nation's most critical infrastructure. IX uses the Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) open international standard version 2.1 which supports STIX Cyber Observable (SCO) to codify infrastructure characteristics and exposures. Using these codified infrastructures, STIX Relationship Objects (SRO) connect to STIX Domain Objects (SDO) used for modeling cyber threat used to create attack surfaces integrated with specific infrastructure. This IX model creates a shareable, actionable and implementable attack surface that is updateable with emerging threat or infrastructure modifications. Enrichment of cyber threat information includes attack patterns, indicators, courses of action, malware and threat actors. Codifying infrastructure in IX enables creation of software and hardware bill of materials (SBoM/HBoM) information, analysis of emerging cyber vulnerabilities including supply chain threat to infrastructure.