{
  "family": "ardamax",
  "sample_count": 114,
  "category": "advanced_threat",
  "description": "PWS:Win32/Ardamax (also known as Ardamax Keylogger) is a commercially available surveillance tool that is overwhelmingly abused by threat actors to stealthily capture keystrokes, clipboard data, screen captures, and chat logs for credential theft and corporate espionage.<br><br><b>Understanding Ardamax</b><br>To the end-user, an Ardamax infection is entirely invisible. It is designed to run in complete stealth mode. While marketed as a 'monitoring tool' for parents or employers, its robust feature set—including hidden installation, SMTP/FTP log delivery, and anti-AV evasion—makes it a highly potent weapon for cybercriminals. The fact that it is a 'commercial' tool often means attackers do not need advanced coding skills; they simply purchase a license and configure the builder.<br><br><b>Execution and Evasion Strategies</b><br>Ardamax is distributed via spearphishing, physical access (USB drops), or bundled with pirated software. The attacker uses the Ardamax 'Builder' to generate a custom executable. This builder allows the attacker to configure the payload to run invisibly, establish persistence via Registry Run keys (<code>HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run</code>), and bypass UAC prompts. Once running, it utilizes Windows API hooking (<code>SetWindowsHookEx</code>) to record every keystroke. It periodically encrypts these logs and emails them directly to the attacker, or uploads them to a compromised FTP server.<br><br><b>Indicators of Compromise & Impact</b><br>The impact is a massive loss of credential security and confidentiality. Threat hunters will observe anomalous outbound SMTP (port 25/587) or FTP traffic originating from the user's profile. EDR tools frequently flag the payload for 'Suspicious API Hooking' or 'Clipboard Access'. The presence of hidden, encrypted log files (often in the <code>%AppData%\\Ardamax Keylogger</code> directory, though this path is configurable) is a definitive indicator.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1056.001",
    "T1048",
    "T1115",
    "T1547.001",
    "T1113"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1056.001",
      "name": "Input Capture: Keylogging",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1115",
      "name": "Clipboard Data",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1113",
      "name": "Screen Capture",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1048",
      "name": "Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol",
      "tactic": "Exfiltration"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1547.001",
      "name": "Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder",
      "tactic": "Persistence"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Instantly sever the endpoint from the network to halt the active exfiltration of stolen credentials, screenshots, and keystrokes.",
    "Force a global password reset for all user accounts, prioritizing corporate VPN access, email, and financial portals.",
    "Utilize EDR or memory forensics to locate and terminate the specific process executing the Ardamax keylogging hooks.",
    "Perform a full system sweep to eradicate the dropped executables and delete the hidden log directory containing the stolen data."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not allow the user to type any passwords or access sensitive portals while the machine is infected, as the keylogger captures all input.",
    "Avoid assuming the threat is contained just by removing the executable; the exfiltrated passwords must be reset globally."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}