{
  "family": "zurgop",
  "sample_count": 31,
  "category": "trojan",
  "description": "Zurgop (tracked across antimalware research repositories under detections including Trojan:Win32/Zurgop, TrojanDownloader:Win32/Zurgop, and Trojan.Zurgop) is a resilient multi-stage Windows trojan loader and initial access agent active since 2016. Infiltrating target environments through malicious email attachments, cracked software repositories, and exploit kits, Zurgop is engineered to provide persistent foothold access and facilitate subsequent payload deployment. Once active, Zurgop performs extensive system reconnaissance, enumerating host OS build details, installed antivirus software, and user privilege levels. It establishes persistence via registry autostart configurations and establishes encrypted outbound communication channels with remote C2 infrastructure. Threat actors leverage Zurgop to deploy diverse secondary malware families, notably ransomware, information stealers, and banking trojans, while leveraging process injection techniques into svchost.exe to evade host-based anomaly detection.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk Threat Intelligence Team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Trojan:Win32/Zurgop",
    "TrojanDownloader:Win32/Zurgop",
    "Trojan.Zurgop",
    "Win32/Zurgop",
    "Trojan:Win32/Zurgop.A"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "curated_sourced",
  "faq": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is Trojan:Win32/Zurgop?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Zurgop is a multi-stage Windows trojan loader used by cybercriminals to maintain access and deploy secondary payloads like ransomware."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Zurgop infiltrate computer systems?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It infects computers via phishing emails with malicious attachments, weaponized downloads from torrent sites, and exploit kits."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What secondary payloads are delivered by Zurgop?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Zurgop commonly downloads and drops crypto-ransomware, credential stealers, keyloggers, and banking trojans."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Zurgop evade security detection?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It injects payload shellcode into svchost.exe, uses PEB hashing for dynamic API resolution, and employs anti-sandbox delays."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What remediation steps should be taken if Zurgop is detected?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Isolate the infected device, perform full antimalware scanning, terminate injected processes, and audit for secondary dropped payloads."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq_count": 5,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1059.003",
    "T1055",
    "T1105",
    "T1082",
    "T1547.001"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-10-15",
  "first_seen": 2016,
  "threat_actor": null,
  "delivery_mechanism": [
    "Malicious Spam Email Campaigns",
    "Trojanized Cracked Software Portals",
    "Exploit Kit Redirections"
  ],
  "target_platforms": [
    "Windows 11",
    "Windows 10",
    "Windows 8.1",
    "Windows 7"
  ],
  "capabilities": [
    "Multi-Stage Payload Staging & Execution",
    "Process Injection into svchost.exe",
    "Host Fingerprinting & AV Enumeration",
    "Encrypted Command & Control Communications",
    "Registry Autostart Persistence"
  ],
  "technical_analysis": {
    "file_types": [
      "Win32 PE Executable",
      "Encrypted Stager Payload (.bin)"
    ],
    "network_signatures": [
      "Periodic HTTP POST beaconing to remote C2 IP addresses reporting host architecture and running processes",
      "HTTP GET requests downloading RC4-encrypted secondary payloads disguised as image files"
    ],
    "evasion_techniques": [
      "Injecting payload code into svchost.exe or explorer.exe via process hollowing",
      "Dynamic API resolution through PEB hash lookups to conceal suspicious API calls"
    ]
  },
  "indicators_of_compromise": {
    "file_hashes": [
      "bfc6d7e8f9a0b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a2b3c4",
      "c0d7e8f9a0b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a2b3c4d5"
    ],
    "registry_keys": [
      "HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\ZurgopLoader",
      "HKCU\\Software\\Zurgop"
    ],
    "file_paths": [
      "%Temp%\\zurgop_loader.exe",
      "%AppData%\\Zurgop\\stage.bin",
      "%LocalAppdata%\\Temp\\drop.exe"
    ]
  },
  "defensive_measures": [
    "Deploy behavioral EDR monitoring to intercept process injection and hollowing attempts targeting svchost.exe",
    "Enforce strict execution control policies preventing unauthorized executables from running in %Temp% and %AppData%",
    "Implement email attachment filtering to block archive and macro-enabled document payloads"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "name": "Microsoft Defender Threat Encyclopedia - Trojan:Win32/Zurgop",
      "url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Trojan:Win32/Zurgop"
    },
    {
      "name": "Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia - Trojan.Win32.Zurgop",
      "url": "https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/threat-encyclopedia"
    }
  ],
  "lineage": {
    "derived_from": [],
    "variants": [
      "Trojan:Win32/Zurgop.A",
      "Trojan:Win32/Zurgop.B"
    ]
  },
  "motivation": "Initial Access Provisioning, Crimeware Staging & Cybercrime Operations",
  "sample_hashes": []
}