{
  "family": "dinwod",
  "sample_count": 973,
  "category": "file_infector",
  "description": "Trojan:Win32/Dinwod is a generic, polymorphic trojan downloader designed to breach endpoint defenses, establish a silent foothold, and download a myriad of secondary malicious payloads.<br><br><b>Understanding Dinwod</b><br>To an end-user, a Dinwod infection is typically invisible until the secondary payloads (like adware or ransomware) execute. For threat intelligence analysts, Dinwod represents a highly flexible delivery mechanism. It is heavily packed and obfuscated to evade static signature detection. Its primary function is to act as a staging ground, reaching out to a hardcoded list of Command-and-Control (C2) servers to retrieve updated instructions and payloads.<br><br><b>Execution and Evasion Strategies</b><br>Dinwod is distributed via spam campaigns, drive-by downloads, and peer-to-peer file sharing (often disguised as software cracks). Upon execution, it drops a randomized executable into the <code>%Temp%</code> or <code>%AppData%</code> directories and establishes persistence via the Windows Registry Run keys. It frequently injects its unpacking routine into legitimate system processes (like <code>svchost.exe</code>) to hide its network activity. The trojan uses HTTP POST requests to its C2 infrastructure, sending basic system profiling data (OS version, AV installed) before receiving the secondary payload.<br><br><b>Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)</b><br>Threat hunters should investigate EDR alerts for 'Suspicious Process Injection' or the sudden creation of highly entropic (packed) files in user directories. Network logs will often reveal Dinwod reaching out to compromised domains or dynamic DNS addresses. The presence of unexpected, hidden scheduled tasks designed to execute randomly named binaries is a strong IoC.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1055",
    "T1105",
    "T1189",
    "T1547.001",
    "T1027.002"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1105",
      "name": "Ingress Tool Transfer",
      "tactic": "Command and Control"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1055",
      "name": "Process Injection",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1547.001",
      "name": "Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder",
      "tactic": "Persistence"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1027.002",
      "name": "Obfuscated Files or Information: Software Packing",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1189",
      "name": "Drive-by Compromise",
      "tactic": "Initial Access"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Isolate the endpoint from the network immediately to prevent Dinwod from downloading destructive secondary payloads.",
    "Audit the Windows Registry Run keys and Startup folder to identify and remove the Dinwod persistence mechanisms.",
    "Review firewall and DNS logs to identify the C2 domains Dinwod attempted to contact, and block them enterprise-wide.",
    "Perform a full system scan with a reputable EDR solution to eradicate the dropped executables in the <code>%Temp%</code> directory."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not close out a Dinwod alert simply because the AV states the file was 'Quarantined'; always verify if secondary payloads were dropped first.",
    "Avoid relying solely on manual file deletion, as injected processes may simply recreate the dropped binaries."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}