{
  "family": "fspm",
  "sample_count": 1,
  "category": "ransomware",
  "description": "<h3>Executive Summary</h3>\nFspm is a classification typically applied to a HackTool or localized exploit script designed to bypass security controls or facilitate unauthorized access, often specifically targeting misconfigurations or vulnerabilities in file sharing protocols or specific enterprise software suites. The presence of an Fspm tool indicates a targeted attempt by an attacker (or an unauthorized insider) to map, exploit, or extract data from network resources.\n\n<h3>Infection Vector and Technical Capabilities</h3>\nFspm tools are generally not self-spreading malware. They are explicitly downloaded and executed by an attacker who has already gained initial access to a network (e.g., via a compromised VPN or RDP session) and is attempting to move laterally or locate sensitive data.\n\nCapabilities vary based on the specific variant, but generally focus on network exploitation:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Protocol Scanning and Exploitation:</strong> The tool may rapidly scan the local subnet for specific open ports (like SMB/445 or FTP/21) and attempt to exploit known vulnerabilities or misconfigurations (such as anonymous access or weak default credentials).</li>\n<li><strong>Share Enumeration:</strong> Fspm tools often automate the process of mapping hidden or administrative network shares (e.g., `C$`, `ADMIN$`), allowing the attacker to locate file servers, backup repositories, or user directories that should be restricted.</li>\n<li><strong>Brute-Forcing:</strong> Some variants include localized brute-forcing capabilities, attempting a rapid dictionary attack against identified services using a hardcoded list of common corporate passwords.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Threat Assessment</h3>\nThe detection of an Fspm tool is a critical security event indicating active, post-compromise lateral movement and reconnaissance. The attacker is actively mapping the internal network topology and attempting to identify targets for data exfiltration or ransomware deployment.\n\n<h3>Incident Response and Remediation</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Immediate Endpoint Isolation:</strong> The endpoint where the Fspm tool was executed must be isolated from the network immediately to halt the active reconnaissance and prevent further lateral movement.</li>\n<li><strong>Hunt for Lateral Movement (Network Logs):</strong> Security analysts must review internal firewall logs, Windows Event Logs (specifically Event ID 4624 - Successful Logon), and EDR telemetry to trace the network connections initiated by the tool. Identify any internal servers or shares the attacker successfully accessed.</li>\n<li><strong>Re-imaging and Credential Audit:</strong> The compromised machine must be wiped and re-imaged from a known-good baseline. A comprehensive audit of network share permissions and service account credentials is required to remediate the vulnerabilities the tool was attempting to exploit.</li>\n</ul>",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [
    "HackTool.Fspm",
    "Exploit.Win32.Fspm",
    "Tool.NetworkScanner"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is Fspm and what threat category does it belong to?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Fspm is classified as a Ransomware. Documented across security telemetry, it is engineered to execute unauthorized operations, establish persistent footholds on target endpoints, and facilitate malicious campaigns targeting enterprise and individual environments."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Fspm establish persistence and evade defensive controls?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Fspm typically establishes persistence through registry run keys, scheduled tasks, or service installations, while evading signature-based antivirus solutions through code obfuscation, memory injection, or anti-analysis sandbox checks."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What are the essential incident response steps for mitigating a Fspm compromise?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Security teams responding to Fspm should immediately isolate affected endpoints from the network, perform memory triage to capture volatile forensic artifacts, audit registry and startup persistence mechanisms, revoke exposed user credentials, and restore systems from verified, clean backups."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What cryptographic algorithms and file targeting techniques does HackTool.Fspm employ during execution?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "HackTool.Fspm typically leverages hybrid cryptographic architectures combining symmetric stream or block ciphers (such as AES-256 or ChaCha20) for rapid file encryption with asymmetric algorithms (such as RSA-2048 or Curve25519) to securely protect the session keys. It aggressively targets sensitive file extensions including corporate documents, databases, virtual disks, and backups while systematically executing commands to delete Volume Shadow Copies (vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet) and disable system recovery options."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Are decryptors available for HackTool.Fspm, and what is the recommended recovery procedure?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Decryption availability for HackTool.Fspm depends on whether security researchers or law enforcement (such as the No More Ransom initiative) have recovered the master private keys or discovered flaws in its key generation routines. Victims should never pay the extortion demand, as payment fuels criminal operations without guaranteeing file restoration. The recommended recovery procedure entails isolating infected hosts, conducting forensic disk imaging, identifying the root access vector, and restoring validated systems from immutable offline backups."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq_count": 5,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1046",
    "T1135",
    "T1110.001"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-10-15",
  "type": "HackTool / Exploit",
  "target_industries": [
    "Healthcare",
    "Critical Infrastructure",
    "Enterprise"
  ],
  "motivation": "Financial Extortion",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ],
  "attack_stage": [
    "defense_evasion",
    "impact"
  ],
  "ecosystem": [
    "windows_pe"
  ],
  "is_emerging": false,
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1046",
      "name": "Network Service Discovery",
      "tactic": "discovery"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1135",
      "name": "Network Share Discovery",
      "tactic": "Discovery"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1110.001",
      "name": "Brute Force: Password Guessing",
      "tactic": "Initial Access"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Immediately isolate affected host(s) from the internal network (disconnect physical Ethernet and disable Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) to prevent Fspm from spreading laterally or encrypting network-attached storage (NAS) and shared SMB volumes.",
    "Preserve volatile system memory (RAM capture) on a representative endpoint before attempting a reboot or power-down, as Fspm symmetric encryption keys or uncompiled payload components may still reside in memory.",
    "Audit process execution logs and terminate active scripting interpreters (e.g. PowerShell, CMD, WScript) or commands executing 'vssadmin.exe delete shadows' or 'wbadmin' used by Fspm to inhibit recovery.",
    "Investigate the initial compromise vector (such as exposed RDP instances, spearphishing attachments, or vulnerable edge gateways) and enforce an immediate credential reset for all compromised Active Directory accounts.",
    "Restore critical assets and databases exclusively from verified, air-gapped, or immutable offline backups once the Fspm binary and related persistence hooks are eradicated."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not restart or power cycle infected systems prematurely; doing so destroys volatile RAM encryption keys and may trigger bootloader locking logic embedded in Fspm.",
    "Avoid negotiating or paying the extortion demand without prior forensic evaluation and consultation with incident response specialists, as payment does not guarantee data recovery.",
    "Do not connect clean backup drives or external storage to the affected network until Fspm eradication is completely verified."
  ],
  "target_platforms": [
    "Windows 11",
    "Windows 10",
    "Windows Server 2022",
    "Windows Server 2019"
  ]
}