Adversary-emulation profile for Salt Typhoon (G1045 / Earth Estries / GhostEmperor / FamousSparrow / UNC2286 / RedMike / OPERATOR PANDA), a PRC state-sponsored cyber-espionage actor targeting telecommunications and critical infrastructure worldwide.
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tessl review fix ./packages/decepticon/decepticon/skills/shared/adversary-emulation/salt-typhoon/SKILL.mdSalt Typhoon (MITRE ATT&CK G1045) is a People's Republic of China (PRC) state-backed cyber-espionage group that has been active since at least 2019, with operations traced back to 2021 targeting network infrastructure worldwide. The group is best known for its sustained, large-scale compromises of major U.S. and global telecommunications providers and ISPs, exploiting edge network devices — particularly Cisco IOS XE routers — for long-term covert access. Salt Typhoon is characterized by its focus on network-layer operations (router compromise, GRE/IPsec tunneling, traffic interception via SPAN/ERSPAN), heavy use of living-off-the-land techniques on network devices, a broad custom malware arsenal (DEMODEX kernel rootkit, GhostSpider modular backdoor, SnappyBee/Deed RAT, Crowdoor, ZINGDOOR, HemiGate, MASOL RAT), and exploitation of N-day vulnerabilities in edge appliances from Cisco, Ivanti, Fortinet, Sophos, and Palo Alto Networks. The group's operations ultimately enable Chinese intelligence services to identify and track targets' communications and movements globally.
guestshell run bash; on NX-OS via run guestshell and dohost for host CLI actions./etc/shadow and /etc/passwd modification, with sudo privileges granted via /etc/sudoers./%2577eb%2575i_%2577sma_Http) when exploiting CVE-2023-20198 WSMA endpoints to evade detection..bash_history, auth.log, lastlog, wtmp, and btmp.guestshell disable and guestshell destroy to deactivate and remove Guest Shell containers, returning resources to the system and removing forensic artifacts./level/15/exec/-/*) to display configurations, BGP routes, VRF instances, and system information.22x22 or xxx22) on network devices; modifying loopback addresses on compromised switches to use them as SSH sources, bypassing ACLs. On IOS XR, enabling sshd_operns on TCP/57722 for direct Linux shell access.| Name | ATT&CK ID | Type | Public/Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| JumbledPath | S1206 | ELF utility for PCAP capture, multi-hop relay, and log clearing on network devices | Custom |
| GhostSpider | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Modular multi-layer backdoor with TLS-encrypted custom protocol C2; targets telecom networks | Custom |
| DEMODEX | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Windows kernel rootkit for long-term stealth persistence; newer variant uses CAB-bundled registry payloads | Custom |
| SnappyBee / Deed RAT | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Shared modular backdoor (likely MaaS-sourced); encrypted payloads loaded via DLL side-loading | Shared/Custom |
| Crowdoor | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Custom backdoor deployed after exploiting web management tool vulnerabilities (ShadowPad variant) | Custom |
| ZINGDOOR | (no ATT&CK software ID) | HTTP-tunneling backdoor deployed in Exchange server attack chains | Custom |
| HemiGate | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Multi-instance backdoor supporting file management, keylogging, screen capture, and process control | Custom |
| MASOL RAT | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Cross-platform (Linux) backdoor targeting Southeast Asian government Linux servers | Custom |
| Trillclient | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Browser credential harvester targeting cached credentials | Custom |
| cmd1 / cmd3 / new2 / sft | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Custom Golang SFTP exfiltration clients with AES-encrypted config; cmd1 includes PCAP collection capability | Custom |
| Cobalt Strike | S0154 | Post-exploitation framework; encrypted payloads loaded via DLL side-loading | Public |
| PlugX | S0013 | RAT; encrypted payloads via custom loaders | Public (shared among Chinese APTs) |
| Mimikatz | S0002 | Credential dumping | Public |
| ChinaChopper | S0020 | Web shell for Exchange/IIS persistence | Public |
| PsExec | S0029 | Remote execution for lateral movement | Public |
| STOWAWAY | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Open-source multi-hop proxy/relay framework | Public |
| siet.py | (no ATT&CK software ID) | Cisco Smart Install exploitation tool (CVE-2018-0171) | Public |
| cURL / WMIC / netsh / reg | Built-in | LOLBins for download, lateral movement, ACL modification, and registry operations | Built-in |
Note: Trend Micro states they do not have sufficient evidence to attribute DEMODEX and GhostSpider as proprietary to Earth Estries — these tools may be shared across multiple Chinese APT groups or sourced from third-party malware developers.
Authorized-use caveat: Execute the following ONLY within the documented rules of engagement, target scope, and time window of an authorized engagement. Salt Typhoon's operations involve network infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls) — emulation on production network devices requires explicit written authorization and coordination with network operations teams. Never modify production routing tables or SPAN configurations outside an explicitly sanctioned, isolated lab.
Map Salt Typhoon's signature plays to Decepticon's own capabilities:
/webui_wsma_Http with double-encoded paths (/%2577eb%2575i_%2577sma_Http) to create unauthorized admin accounts, then chain CVE-2023-20273 for root privilege escalation. For older devices, emulate CVE-2018-0171 Smart Install exploitation using siet.py from within the sandbox. Use the payload-builder to stage Ivanti Connect Secure (CVE-2023-46805 + CVE-2024-21887) and Fortinet (CVE-2023-48788) exploit chains for broader edge device coverage.privilege 15, add SSH authorized_keys for persistent re-entry on non-default high ports (22x22 pattern), and configure GRE/IPsec tunnels for covert C2 channels. If Guest Shell (IOS XE/NX-OS) is available in the lab, enable it (guestshell enable) and demonstrate tool staging, Python script execution, and lateral movement from within the container — this is Salt Typhoon's defining evasion technique.monitor capture mycap interface ... match ipv4 protocol tcp any any eq 49) to capture TACACS+ authentication traffic. Demonstrate TACACS+ server redirection by modifying the router's AAA configuration to point at an attacker-controlled server. Dump device configurations via SNMP and crack Type 5/7 passwords offline — this mirrors the group's primary lateral movement enabler.bootflash:), archive into password-protected compressed files, and exfiltrate via FTP/TFTP to a staging server, then via encrypted SFTP to a final collection point — replicating the group's multi-stage exfiltration pattern. Use copy bootflash:tac.pcap ftp://... syntax to match observed commands.no vstack); CVE-2023-46805/CVE-2024-21887 on Ivanti; CVE-2023-48788 on Fortinet; CVE-2022-3236 on Sophos; CVE-2024-3400 on PAN-OS. Disable web UI on Cisco devices when not required (no ip http server, no ip http secure-server).sshd_operns (TCP/57722) on IOS XR.guestshell disable; no iox on IOS XE). Where used, forward container logs (journald/systemd) to SIEM; restrict Guest Shell VRF egress to only required destinations; alert on guestshell enable, guestshell run bash, guestshell destroy, chvrf, and dohost commands. Periodically inventory bootflash: for unexpected files.monitor capture ... start), SPAN/RSPAN/ERSPAN session definitions, and TACACS+ traffic (TCP/49) to non-approved destinations. Watch for PCAP naming patterns: mycap, tac.pcap, 1.pcap. Monitor for unauthorized FTP/TFTP transfers from network devices.22x22/xxx22 patterns; HTTPS on 18xxx ports. Monitor for STOWAWAY relay traffic patterns..bash_history truncation, and auth.log/wtmp/btmp deletion on Linux-based network OS.4484f85
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