The ThreatFox: BlackShades IOCs rule detects potential adversary activity associated with the BlackShades malware family, which is known for remote access and persistence capabilities. SOC teams should proactively hunt for these indicators in Azure Sentinel to identify and mitigate advanced persistent threats before they cause significant damage.
IOC Summary
Malware Family: BlackShades Total IOCs: 6 IOC Types: md5_hash, sha1_hash, sha256_hash
| Type | Value | Threat Type | First Seen | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| md5_hash | 49cb19282d2e43eadf128dd03ff98394 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
| sha256_hash | 2f8b6ff170d5c231fc25d0ecc9b907448a5cdea6513bef52a10856fd1b814479 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
| sha1_hash | 399921c6d715c4166b7641cf64fdc41ad06dde65 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
| md5_hash | 72e11e578b0195306835b11387846662 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
| sha256_hash | ee50115e22710719e3fc70e61fa09ce101e409d0acb6d9b9a1b4f32c96917c06 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
| sha1_hash | 6cf6221711c69d1b908e24ed08ab5c5766d0a882 | payload | 2026-06-20 | 95% |
// Hunt for files matching known malicious hashes
// Source: ThreatFox - BlackShades
let malicious_hashes = dynamic(["49cb19282d2e43eadf128dd03ff98394", "2f8b6ff170d5c231fc25d0ecc9b907448a5cdea6513bef52a10856fd1b814479", "399921c6d715c4166b7641cf64fdc41ad06dde65", "72e11e578b0195306835b11387846662", "ee50115e22710719e3fc70e61fa09ce101e409d0acb6d9b9a1b4f32c96917c06", "6cf6221711c69d1b908e24ed08ab5c5766d0a882"]);
DeviceFileEvents
| where SHA256 in (malicious_hashes) or SHA1 in (malicious_hashes) or MD5 in (malicious_hashes)
| project Timestamp, DeviceName, FileName, FolderPath, SHA256, InitiatingProcessFileName
| order by Timestamp desc| Sentinel Table | Notes |
|---|---|
DeviceFileEvents | Ensure this data connector is enabled |
Scenario: Legitimate System Backup Job Using BlackShades-Related Tools
Description: A scheduled backup job uses a tool like wbadmin or vssadmin which may have similar command-line syntax to BlackShades IOCs.
Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes associated with wbadmin, vssadmin, or tasks with names containing “backup” or “snapshot”.
Scenario: Admin Task Using PowerShell to Manage Services
Description: An administrator uses PowerShell to manage services (e.g., sc.exe, Get-Service) which may resemble BlackShades command patterns.
Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes with powershell.exe and command lines containing sc.exe, Get-Service, or Start-Service.
Scenario: Legitimate Log Collection Using LogParser
Description: A log collection tool like LogParser.exe is used to analyze event logs, which may have similar file paths or command structures to BlackShades IOCs.
Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes with LogParser.exe or file paths containing C:\Windows\System32\LogParser\.
Scenario: Scheduled Task for Patch Management Using Windows Update
Description: A scheduled task runs wusa.exe or WindowsUpdate.exe for patch management, which may trigger IOC matches due to similar executable names.
Filter/Exclusion: Exclude processes with wusa.exe, WindowsUpdate.exe, or tasks with names containing “Update” or “Patch”.
Scenario: Legitimate Remote Desktop Services Activity
Description: RDP sessions or mstsc.exe usage may have network connections that match BlackShades C2 patterns.
Filter/Exclusion: Exclude network connections initiated by mstsc.exe, RDP-Tcp, or IP addresses associated with