System Information Discovery

April 3, 2025 · View on GitHub

ID E1082
Objective(s) Discovery
Related ATT&CK Techniques System Information Discovery (T1082)
Version 2.3
Created 2 August 2022
Last Modified 30 April 2024

System Information Discovery

Malware may attempt to get detailed information about the system. This can include details about the operating system, hardware configurations, installed software, system uptime, and other system-level details.

See ATT&CK: System Information Discovery (T1082).

Methods

NameIDDescription
Generate Windows ExceptionE1082.m01Malware may trigger an exception as a way of gathering system details.
Enumerate Environment VariablesE1082.m02Malware may query environmental variables as a way of gathering system details.

Use in Malware

NameDateMethodDescription
TrickBot2016--The malware can collect information about the computer, resources, services, installed programs, firmware, and operating system versions. [7]
WebCobra2018--Malware learns about the system so it can drop compatible miner software. [8]
Ursnif2016--Malware uses Window's command prompt commands to gather system info, task list, installed drivers, and installed programs. [1]
BlackEnergy2007--Malware uses Systeminfo to gather OS version, system configuration, BIOS, the motherboard, and processor. [2]
DarkComet2008--Malware can collect information about the computer, resources, and operating system version. [3]
Emotet2018--Emotet collects information related to OS, processes, and sometimes mail client information and sends it to C2. [4]
Stuxnet2010--Malware gathers information (OS version, workgroup status, computer name, domain/workgroup name, file name of infected project file) about each computer in the network to spread itself. [5]
Stuxnet2010--Stuxnet checks OS version. [5]
CHOPSTICK2015--CHOPSTICK collects information from the host including Windows version, CPU architecture, and UAC settings. [6]
CryptoLocker2013--The malware queries environment variables. [9]
Gamut2014--The malware queries environment variables. [9]
GoBotKR2019--GoBotKR uses wmic, systeminfo and ver commands to collect information about the system and the installed software and queries environment variables. [9] [10]
Hupigon2013--Hupigon queries environment variables. [9]
Kovter2016--Kovter gets disk information. [9]
Mebromi2011--Mebromi checks OS version. [9]
Redhip2011--Redhip checks the OS version. [9]
Rombertik2015--Rombertik gets the disk size. [9]
Shamoon2012--Shamoon gets the hostname. [9]
UP0072016--The malware queries environment variables. [9]
Snake2004--Snake gets the OS version, disk size, machine name, and geographic location [11]

Detection

Tool: capaMappingAPIs
query environment variableSystem Information Discovery (E1082)kernel32.GetEnvironmentVariable, kernel32.GetEnvironmentStrings, kernel32.ExpandEnvironmentStrings, msvcr90.getenv, msvcrt.getenv, System.Environment::GetEnvironmentVariable, System.Environment::GetEnvironmentVariables, System.Environment::ExpandEnvironmentVariables
get disk informationSystem Information Discovery (E1082)kernel32.GetDriveType, kernel32.GetLogicalDrives, kernel32.GetVolumeInformation, kernel32.GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPoint, kernel32.GetVolumePathNamesForVolumeName, kernel32.GetLogicalDriveStrings, kernel32.QueryDosDevice
get disk sizeSystem Information Discovery (E1082)kernel32.GetDiskFreeSpace, kernel32.GetDiskFreeSpaceEx
check OS versionSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
get hostnameSystem Information Discovery (E1082)kernel32.GetComputerName, kernel32.GetComputerNameEx, GetComputerObjectName, ws2_32.gethostname, gethostname
Tool: CAPEMappingAPIs
antivm_generic_diskSystem Information Discovery (E1082)DeviceIoControl, NtClose, NtCreateFile, NtDuplicateObject, NtOpenFile, NtDeviceIoControlFile
recon_systeminfoSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
recon_beaconSystem Information Discovery (E1082)HttpOpenRequestA, HttpSendRequestA
uses_adfindSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_cpuSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
accesses_mailslotSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
accesses_netlogon_regkeySystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_biosSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_hyperv_keysSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
uses_windows_utilities_nltestSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_scsiSystem Information Discovery (E1082)RegOpenKeyExW, RegQueryValueExA, RegQueryValueExW, RegOpenKeyExA
antivm_parallels_keysSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_diskregSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_systemSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_account_discovery_cmdSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_currently_loggedin_user_cmdSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_info_discovery_cmdSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_info_discovery_pwshSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_network_discovery_cmdSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_network_discovery_pwshSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
system_user_discovery_cmdSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--
antivm_generic_servicesSystem Information Discovery (E1082)RegOpenKeyExW, RegEnumKeyExW, RegEnumKeyExA, RegOpenKeyExA
antivm_generic_disk_setupapiSystem Information Discovery (E1082)SetupDiGetClassDevsA, SetupDiGetClassDevsW
antisandbox_check_userdomainSystem Information Discovery (E1082)rtcEnvironBstr
browser_scanboxSystem Information Discovery (E1082)JsEval, COleScript_ParseScriptText, COleScript_Compile
recon_fingerprintSystem Information Discovery (E1082)--

E1082.m02 Snippet

System Information Discovery SHA256: e4b36a1d4e70d988efa2ec27e5a639be5eb0880474f746851c13e56f007a8377 Location: 0x004017e9
push    eax     ; push register to store return value onto the stack
push    u_ALLUSERSPROFILE_0041a9a4      ; push argument to function (name of the sought environment variable - in this case, ALLUSERSPROFILE)
call    dword ptr [->KERNEL32.DLL::GetEnvironmentVariableW]     ; call function to get environment variable value

References

[1] https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/threat-encyclopedia/malware/PE_URSNIF.A2?_ga=2.131425807.1462021705.1559742358-1202584019.1549394279

[2] https://blog-assets.f-secure.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/15163408/BlackEnergy_Quedagh.pdf

[3] https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2012/06/you-dirty-rat-part-1-darkcomet/

[4] https://documents.trendmicro.com/assets/white_papers/ExploringEmotetsActivities_Final.pdf

[5] https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/security-response-w32-stuxnet-dossier-11-en

[6] https://web.archive.org/web/20210307034415/https://www.fireeye.com/content/dam/fireeye-www/global/en/current-threats/pdfs/rpt-apt28.pdf

[7] https://www.securityartwork.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Trickbot-report-S2-Grupo.pdf

[8] https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/webcobra-malware-uses-victims-computers-to-mine-cryptocurrency/

[9] capa v4.0, analyzed at MITRE on 10/12/2022

[10] https://www.welivesecurity.com/2019/07/08/south-korean-users-backdoor-torrents/

[11] https://www.cybereason.com/blog/research/threat-analysis-report-snake-infostealer-malware