{
  "family": "poison",
  "sample_count": 261,
  "category": "rat",
  "description": "Backdoor:Win32/Poison (widely known as PoisonIvy) is an infamous, highly customizable Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that has been a staple of both cybercriminal and nation-state (APT) arsenals for over a decade.<br><br><b>Understanding PoisonIvy</b><br>To a layman, PoisonIvy is the ultimate spyware, granting a remote hacker total control over the victim's computer. For cybersecurity experts, PoisonIvy is a severe Indicator of Compromise (IoC) often linked to targeted espionage campaigns. Due to its builder interface, attackers can highly customize the payload, making each instance unique and difficult for static anti-virus engines to detect.<br><br><b>Execution and Evasion Strategies</b><br>PoisonIvy is typically delivered via spearphishing emails containing exploited documents (e.g., CVE-2012-0158) or weaponized executables. Upon execution, the RAT immediately injects itself into legitimate system processes (such as <code>explorer.exe</code> or the default browser) to mask its presence from Task Manager. It establishes persistence via the <code>ActiveX</code> or <code>Run</code> registry keys. The malware encrypts its Command-and-Control (C2) traffic, often using a custom protocol over TCP port 3460 (by default, though highly configurable).<br><br><b>Forensic Footprint & Capabilities</b><br>Once active, PoisonIvy provides the attacker with a vast array of capabilities: interactive command shell access, file system manipulation, registry editing, audio/video capture via webcam and microphone, keylogging, and password hash theft. Incident responders must utilize memory forensics to extract the PoisonIvy configuration block from the injected process memory, which reveals the C2 IP address, the campaign ID (mutex), and the encryption password.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1573",
    "T1056.001",
    "T1125",
    "T1055",
    "T1059.003"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1055",
      "name": "Process Injection",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1056.001",
      "name": "Input Capture: Keylogging",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1125",
      "name": "Video Capture",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1059.003",
      "name": "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell",
      "tactic": "Execution"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1573",
      "name": "Encrypted Channel",
      "tactic": "Command and Control"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Immediately sever the endpoint from the network to terminate the attacker's interactive, remote-control session.",
    "Capture a full RAM image of the endpoint; memory forensics is critical for extracting the PoisonIvy configuration and C2 details.",
    "Identify the specific C2 IP address and implement immediate blocks at the perimeter firewall and proxy servers.",
    "Assume total endpoint compromise; perform a clean OS rebuild and force password resets for all accounts that accessed the machine."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not leave the machine connected to the network during triage; the attacker has live access and will likely destroy evidence or deploy ransomware.",
    "Do not assume the infection is isolated; PoisonIvy is frequently used as a beachhead for lateral movement across the domain."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}