E13044Af
Overview
Executive Summary
E13044af is a heuristic detection name, typically representing a partial hash (like MD5 or SHA-256) assigned to a highly obfuscated or polymorphic Trojan variant. This naming convention is used by security vendors when a file exhibits malicious behavior during automated sandbox analysis, but does not match any known static malware family signature. It strongly suggests the use of dynamic packing or server-side polymorphism.Infection Vector and Technical Capabilities
Malware utilizing hash-based or heavily randomized nomenclature is almost exclusively delivered as a secondary payload. An initial access broker or a primary downloader (like Emotet or Trickbot) drops this obfuscated executable onto the victim's machine once initial access is achieved. Upon execution, this trojan prioritizes stealth and evasion:- Polymorphism and Packing: The executable is heavily packed. It unpacks itself directly into memory (fileless execution) to hide its true, underlying malicious code from static analysis tools.
- Process Injection: It frequently utilizes Process Hollowing, suspending a legitimate Windows process (e.g., `svchost.exe`) and replacing its memory space with the malicious code, allowing it to bypass application whitelisting and firewall rules.
- C2 Communication: The malware will attempt to establish an outbound connection to an unknown IP address or domain to receive further instructions, download additional payloads (acting as a loader), or exfiltrate data.
Threat Assessment
The presence of a highly obfuscated trojan like E13044af is a critical indicator of compromise. It signifies that advanced evasion techniques have successfully bypassed perimeter defenses and initial static scanning. The payload could be anything from a silent info-stealer to a precursor for a network-wide ransomware deployment.Remediation and Eradication
- Behavioral Analysis (EDR): Eradication requires Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions that monitor for anomalous process behavior (like code injection or unexpected outbound network connections) rather than relying on file hashes.
- Network Isolation: Immediately isolate the machine to prevent the malware from phoning home to its C2 infrastructure or pivoting laterally across the network.
- Complete Re-imaging: Due to the sophisticated evasion tactics and the high likelihood of undiscovered secondary payloads, a complete bare-metal wipe and re-image from a trusted backup is the most secure remediation path.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1027 T1055 T1105
Tactical Mitigations
Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:
- T1105: Implement network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and host-based firewalls to block unauthorized inbound or outbound file transfers.
Generated Detections (Boilerplate)
These YARA and Sigma rules are auto-generated based on the family name and aliases. They must be heavily tuned before deployment in a production environment.
YARA Rule
rule MALWARE_WIN_E13044AF {
meta:
description = "Detects E13044Af (ransomware)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Boilerplate Generator"
date = "2026-07-06"
strings:
$s1 = "e13044af" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "trojan.e13044af" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "win32/trojan.obfuscated" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "suspicious.hash" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Sigma Rule
title: Suspicious E13044Af Activity
id: f55bed5b2e2dd421a41907ca34be8d3c
status: experimental
description: Detects generic indicators of the e13044af malware family.
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith:
- '\cmd.exe'
- '\powershell.exe'
CommandLine|contains:
- "*e13044af*"
- "*trojan.e13044af*"
- "*win32/trojan.obfuscated*"
- "*suspicious.hash*"
condition: selection
level: mediumReferences & External Analysis
- Search "e13044af" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove the E13044Af Ransomware from Windows?
Manual removal of E13044Af is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.
Is E13044Af a virus or a Ransomware?
E13044Af is classified as a Ransomware. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like E13044Af typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a E13044Af infection?
Symptoms of E13044Af can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.
Related Families (Category: ransomware)
Explore other malware families in the same category:
Protect Your Network Against Ransomwares
Want to prevent E13044Af and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Ransomware Protection Guide.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://jordan123234-malware-families-explorer.static.hf.space/api/e13044af.json
Ecosystem & Interactive Environments
This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.