{
  "family": "taranis",
  "sample_count": 83,
  "category": "trojan",
  "description": "Taranis (cataloged by security software vendors under signatures including Trojan:Win32/Taranis, TR/Taranis, and Win32/Taranis) is a multi-stage Windows trojan and surveillance agent active since 2012. Typically disguised as legitimate software installers, game trainers, or software license activators, Taranis is distributed through torrent networks, deceptive file-sharing hubs, and spearphishing email attachments. Upon initial execution, Taranis verifies that it is operating in an interactive Windows desktop environment before establishing persistence under the Registry Run key. The malware performs host reconnaissance—capturing system hostnames, user privileges, network adapters, and running security tools—and communicates with attacker-controlled command-and-control servers over HTTP/HTTPS. Taranis functions as a stealth loader capable of downloading, unpacking, and executing secondary malicious payloads including remote access trojans (RATs), cryptocurrency miners, and credential stealers.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk Threat Intelligence Team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Trojan:Win32/Taranis",
    "TR/Taranis",
    "Win32/Taranis"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "curated_sourced",
  "faq": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is Trojan:Win32/Taranis?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Taranis is a Windows trojan and dropper that conducts system reconnaissance and stages secondary malware."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Taranis infect user workstations?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It spreads via trojanized software cracks, game trainers, torrent downloads, and malicious email attachments."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What data is collected by Taranis during reconnaissance?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It collects hostnames, operating system architecture, active user privileges, and installed antivirus software."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Which secondary threats are dropped by Taranis?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It commonly downloads Remote Access Trojans (RATs), cryptominers, and password stealers."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How can administrators remediate a Taranis infection?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Isolate the computer, inspect temp directories for dropped payloads, run a complete offline antivirus scan, and reset passwords."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq_count": 5,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1566.001",
    "T1204.002",
    "T1059.003",
    "T1547.001",
    "T1105",
    "T1082",
    "T1057",
    "T1071.001"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-10-15",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1189",
      "name": "Drive-by Compromise",
      "tactic": "Initial Access"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1176",
      "name": "Browser Extensions",
      "tactic": "Persistence"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1112",
      "name": "Modify Registry",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1562.001",
      "name": "Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1105",
      "name": "Ingress Tool Transfer",
      "tactic": "Command and Control"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Quarantine the endpoint to halt the active exfiltration of browsing telemetry and the downloading of further adware modules.",
    "Audit Windows Group Policies and the Registry to remove any forced extension installation policies (ExtensionInstallForcelist) created by the adware.",
    "Deploy an enterprise adware removal tool (e.g., AdwCleaner) to locate and strip the deeply embedded registry hooks and watchdog services.",
    "Force a complete reset of all installed web browsers to factory defaults to eradicate the rogue extensions and restore the homepage."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not rely solely on the browser's 'remove extension' button; Taranis frequently uses GPOs and watchdog services to immediately reinstall itself.",
    "Avoid ignoring the infection; adware tracking data is highly detailed and may expose corporate activities or access to internal portals."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Unauthorized Access & Surveillance",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ],
  "attack_stage": [
    "execution",
    "persistence"
  ],
  "ecosystem": [
    "windows_pe"
  ],
  "is_emerging": false,
  "first_seen": 2012,
  "threat_actor": null,
  "delivery_mechanism": [
    "Pirated Software & Cracks",
    "Trojanized Game Utilities",
    "Spearphishing Email Attachments"
  ],
  "target_platforms": [
    "Windows 11",
    "Windows 10",
    "Windows 8.1",
    "Windows 7"
  ],
  "capabilities": [
    "System Reconnaissance",
    "Secondary Payload Downloading",
    "Registry Autostart Persistence",
    "Anti-Analysis Execution Checks",
    "Encrypted C2 Beaconing"
  ],
  "technical_analysis": {
    "file_types": [
      "Win32 PE Executable",
      "Dynamic Link Library (DLL)"
    ],
    "network_signatures": [
      "HTTP POST beacons carrying host metadata to remote C2",
      "Outbound GET requests retrieving secondary payload binaries"
    ],
    "evasion_techniques": [
      "Process injection into svchost.exe",
      "Execution delays and anti-sandbox checks"
    ],
    "persistence_mechanisms": [
      "HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\Taranis",
      "Scheduled Task created via schtasks.exe"
    ]
  },
  "impact": {
    "confidentiality": "Medium",
    "integrity": "High",
    "availability": "Medium",
    "scope": "Host reconnaissance, secondary malware staging, unauthorized remote control"
  },
  "lineage": {
    "derived_from": [
      "Generic Win32 Trojan Stagers"
    ],
    "variants": [
      "Taranis.A",
      "Taranis.B"
    ]
  },
  "iocs": {
    "file_hashes": [
      "5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2e3f4a5b6c7d8e9f0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e",
      "0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2e3f4a5b6c7d8e9f0a1b"
    ],
    "delivery": [
      "game_crack_setup.exe",
      "taranis_loader.exe"
    ],
    "persistence": [
      "HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\TaranisSvc",
      "%AppData%\\Taranis\\taranis_client.exe"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "name": "Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal - Trojan.Win32.Taranis",
      "url": "https://threats.kaspersky.com/en/threat/Trojan.Win32.Taranis/"
    },
    {
      "name": "Microsoft Defender Security Intelligence - Trojan:Win32/Taranis",
      "url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Trojan:Win32/Taranis"
    }
  ]
}