Sinkholing CountLoader: Insights into Its Recent Campaign

    Date: 05/21/2026

    Severity: High

    Summary

    A large-scale CountLoader campaign was observed using heavily obfuscated, multi-stage infection chains involving PowerShell, JavaScript executed through mshta.exe, and in-memory shellcode injection to evade detection and maintain persistence. Researchers successfully sinkholed a backup C2 domain, revealing extensive infrastructure activity with thousands of infected systems and widespread propagation, including through USB devices. The campaign ultimately deployed cryptocurrency clipper malware, designed to hijack clipboard contents and redirect cryptocurrency transactions to attacker-controlled wallets. 

    Indicators of Compromise (IOC) List 

    Urls/Domains

    hell1-kitty.cc 

    alphazero1-endscape.cc 

    api-microservice-us1.com 

    bucket-aws-s1.com 

    bucket-aws-s2.com 

    fileless-storage-s3.cc 

    globalsnn1-new.cc 

    globalsnn2-new.cc 

    globalsnn3-new.cc 

    handle-me-sv1.com 

    hardware-office.cc 

    health-smooth-eu1.com 

    health-smooth-eu2.com 

    health-smooth-eu3.com 

    holiday-updateservice.com 

    memory-protection-layer1.cc 

    memory-protection-layer2.cc 

    microservice-update-s1-bucket.cc 

    microservice-update-s2-bucket.cc 

    my-smart-house1.com 

    polystore9-servicebucket.cc 

    s3-updatehub.cc 

    https://hell1-kitty.cc/gamecenter.fileManager 

    https://hardware-office.cc/foundation.halflife 

    https://edr-security-bucket1.cc/ 

    https://memory-scanner.cc/Presentation.pdf 

    https://memory-scanner.cc/ 

    https://hell1-kitty.cc/update1_usb_usb_usb.VOcx4wEV8 

    Hash

    3c278499c5e3ced3bf1a6a7287808c5267075f1dec0aa5c7be2c4c444f33f2bc

    5f9ff671955a6d551595f9838aed063c496da5039be0d222fe84f96cb3e1d32a

    c68e436d4cb984db026210806f50d0c81eec5f6e4860197dab91fab6f31ef796 

    e2faad8111e7d47349cbc549b85e62231b8678057906bc813aad7242fa95ae63 

    e5e1d8ec4cd109df290752ee3d4b2cbc9de6df4360e9983548f1bc6b1d088540 

    10593dbe9edfde7943fdaadd7882f190216b2f6502667daf701088a6e810deaf 

    0a69a9cc75d65774e5eb90a4a739bd4335d33b176dc4923acb691bd45af66bdf 

    27c6a6bda2c0ef3ecb78dad9c6bb7c3abaf2e32b3ad96f372a0102c0c9c0f08d 

    2cd449f1bb24f05d2e240812a74bd62f2583bbbe4d0ccc9ae5736240e29a0068 

    30dcd5c71beb76d2f8df768d5fd9e9145cb8fbbfc951a63b969d26d3b64002b9 

    dd4c7f5aae404816cf447b8090b620c1a1971a35c6791116aa3f871f00ae011b 

    42a1fc74334c9a3b8720c79df55f84c7398bd31609eb10581e8c7155835498e3 

    9c0d334aac5a6f66016dc5ce8df75c46d519a4e6d16c68cf2b1405c81189186d 

    44f6313e9542c0d51937a70160fe4137012905d8c79ad27ccc0021788ecfaa4e

    cbdfb46b9265a3dfb3bc6b0aade472dde28b1660dbd3ded3b67b1530b4497cca 

    4a5e1d6ee1217e1fbacf54fc6017fbf9d24a25078266b02358d56a9c7437ceb7 

    05becb67d8bf1e49fcfccb0d346b82368a2b1c2bf07316078c364c7b020154de 

    44daa1b68737b55a711963eec211c7c018bcba4cb6d68c286a4b45ea781a7d73 

    dc602cb53a9c24abfcdaadf0ca8256b5fb5cac6d91d20ed8431bdaaf51c0cafe

    Gurucul Threat Detection and Incident Response (TDIR) Queries for Detection

    Detection Query 1 :

    domainname like "globalsnn1-new.cc" or url like "globalsnn1-new.cc" or siteurl like "globalsnn1-new.cc" or domainname like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/update1_usb_usb_usb.VOcx4wEV8" or url like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/update1_usb_usb_usb.VOcx4wEV8" or siteurl like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/update1_usb_usb_usb.VOcx4wEV8" or domainname like "health-smooth-eu1.com" or url like "health-smooth-eu1.com" or siteurl like "health-smooth-eu1.com" or domainname like "https://edr-security-bucket1.cc/" or url like "https://edr-security-bucket1.cc/" or siteurl like "https://edr-security-bucket1.cc/" or domainname like "holiday-updateservice.com" or url like "holiday-updateservice.com" or siteurl like "holiday-updateservice.com" or domainname like "memory-protection-layer1.cc" or url like "memory-protection-layer1.cc" or siteurl like "memory-protection-layer1.cc" or domainname like "microservice-update-s1-bucket.cc" or url like "microservice-update-s1-bucket.cc" or siteurl like "microservice-update-s1-bucket.cc" or domainname like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/gamecenter.fileManager" or url like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/gamecenter.fileManager" or siteurl like "https://hell1-kitty.cc/gamecenter.fileManager" or domainname like "polystore9-servicebucket.cc" or url like "polystore9-servicebucket.cc" or siteurl like "polystore9-servicebucket.cc" or domainname like "bucket-aws-s2.com" or url like "bucket-aws-s2.com" or siteurl like "bucket-aws-s2.com" or domainname like "https://memory-scanner.cc/" or url like "https://memory-scanner.cc/" or siteurl like "https://memory-scanner.cc/" or domainname like "handle-me-sv1.com" or url like "handle-me-sv1.com" or siteurl like "handle-me-sv1.com" or domainname like "https://memory-scanner.cc/Presentation.pdf" or url like "https://memory-scanner.cc/Presentation.pdf" or siteurl like "https://memory-scanner.cc/Presentation.pdf" or domainname like "fileless-storage-s3.cc" or url like "fileless-storage-s3.cc" or siteurl like "fileless-storage-s3.cc" or domainname like "memory-protection-layer2.cc" or url like "memory-protection-layer2.cc" or siteurl like "memory-protection-layer2.cc" or domainname like "my-smart-house1.com" or url like "my-smart-house1.com" or siteurl like "my-smart-house1.com" or domainname like "globalsnn3-new.cc" or url like "globalsnn3-new.cc" or siteurl like "globalsnn3-new.cc" or domainname like "s3-updatehub.cc" or url like "s3-updatehub.cc" or siteurl like "s3-updatehub.cc" or domainname like "health-smooth-eu2.com" or url like "health-smooth-eu2.com" or siteurl like "health-smooth-eu2.com" or domainname like "globalsnn2-new.cc" or url like "globalsnn2-new.cc" or siteurl like "globalsnn2-new.cc" or domainname like "microservice-update-s2-bucket.cc" or url like "microservice-update-s2-bucket.cc" or siteurl like "microservice-update-s2-bucket.cc" or domainname like "health-smooth-eu3.com" or url like "health-smooth-eu3.com" or siteurl like "health-smooth-eu3.com" or domainname like "hell1-kitty.cc" or url like "hell1-kitty.cc" or siteurl like "hell1-kitty.cc" or domainname like "bucket-aws-s1.com" or url like "bucket-aws-s1.com" or siteurl like "bucket-aws-s1.com" or domainname like "https://hardware-office.cc/foundation.halflife" or url like "https://hardware-office.cc/foundation.halflife" or siteurl like "https://hardware-office.cc/foundation.halflife" or domainname like "alphazero1-endscape.cc" or url like "alphazero1-endscape.cc" or siteurl like "alphazero1-endscape.cc" or domainname like "api-microservice-us1.com" or url like "api-microservice-us1.com" or siteurl like "api-microservice-us1.com" or domainname like "hardware-office.cc" or url like "hardware-office.cc" or siteurl like "hardware-office.cc"

    Detection Query 2 :

    sha256hash IN ("2cd449f1bb24f05d2e240812a74bd62f2583bbbe4d0ccc9ae5736240e29a0068","10593dbe9edfde7943fdaadd7882f190216b2f6502667daf701088a6e810deaf","3c278499c5e3ced3bf1a6a7287808c5267075f1dec0aa5c7be2c4c444f33f2bc","30dcd5c71beb76d2f8df768d5fd9e9145cb8fbbfc951a63b969d26d3b64002b9","27c6a6bda2c0ef3ecb78dad9c6bb7c3abaf2e32b3ad96f372a0102c0c9c0f08d","cbdfb46b9265a3dfb3bc6b0aade472dde28b1660dbd3ded3b67b1530b4497cca","dc602cb53a9c24abfcdaadf0ca8256b5fb5cac6d91d20ed8431bdaaf51c0cafe","5f9ff671955a6d551595f9838aed063c496da5039be0d222fe84f96cb3e1d32a","05becb67d8bf1e49fcfccb0d346b82368a2b1c2bf07316078c364c7b020154de","9c0d334aac5a6f66016dc5ce8df75c46d519a4e6d16c68cf2b1405c81189186d","dd4c7f5aae404816cf447b8090b620c1a1971a35c6791116aa3f871f00ae011b","0a69a9cc75d65774e5eb90a4a739bd4335d33b176dc4923acb691bd45af66bdf","c68e436d4cb984db026210806f50d0c81eec5f6e4860197dab91fab6f31ef796","42a1fc74334c9a3b8720c79df55f84c7398bd31609eb10581e8c7155835498e3","44f6313e9542c0d51937a70160fe4137012905d8c79ad27ccc0021788ecfaa4e","44daa1b68737b55a711963eec211c7c018bcba4cb6d68c286a4b45ea781a7d73","4a5e1d6ee1217e1fbacf54fc6017fbf9d24a25078266b02358d56a9c7437ceb7","e2faad8111e7d47349cbc549b85e62231b8678057906bc813aad7242fa95ae63","e5e1d8ec4cd109df290752ee3d4b2cbc9de6df4360e9983548f1bc6b1d088540")

    Reference:    

    https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/sinkholing-countloader-insights-into-its-recent-campaign/                      


    Tags

    MalwareObfuscationMSHTAcryptocurrencyClipboard hijacking

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