Golem
Table of Contents
Overview
Executive Summary
Golem is a sophisticated malicious Trojan and rootkit designed to covertly infiltrate Windows systems, establish deep persistence, and recruit the compromised endpoint into a botnet. Historically, "Golem" variants have been utilized by advanced threat actors to facilitate massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, relay spam, or serve as a persistent backdoor for secondary payload delivery.Infection Vector and Technical Capabilities
Golem is typically distributed via exploit kits that silently compromise vulnerable web browsers, through massive spear-phishing campaigns, or by brute-forcing weak RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) credentials. Once executed, Golem focuses on stealth and network control:- Kernel-Level Rootkit: Advanced variants of Golem utilize kernel-mode drivers (rootkits) to intercept API calls. This allows the malware to completely hide its processes, files, and registry entries from the Windows Task Manager and traditional, user-mode antivirus scanners.
- Botnet Recruitment: The primary function is to connect the endpoint to a centralized Command and Control (C2) server. The machine then quietly awaits instructions, allowing the attacker to utilize the collective processing power and bandwidth of thousands of infected machines simultaneously.
- Secondary Payloads: Because Golem establishes a highly secure, hidden backdoor, the botnet operators frequently lease access to the infected machines to other criminal groups, who then utilize the Golem backdoor to deploy ransomware or info-stealers.
Threat Assessment
A Golem detection is a critical security incident. The presence of a rootkit implies that the operating system itself can no longer be trusted to accurately report its own state. The endpoint is actively contributing to malicious activity on the internet and is highly vulnerable to the deployment of secondary, destructive payloads.Incident Response and Remediation
- Immediate Network Isolation: The highest priority is to sever the connection to the C2 server by instantly isolating the infected endpoint from the LAN and the internet.
- Memory Forensics and Offline Scanning: Because the rootkit hides the malware from the running OS, analysis and detection often require memory forensics (e.g., Volatility) or booting the machine from an offline, trusted OS (like a Linux Live USB) to scan the dormant hard drive.
- Complete Re-imaging: Due to the kernel-level hooks established by the rootkit, attempting to "clean" the system is highly unreliable. The endpoint must undergo a complete bare-metal wipe and re-image from a trusted baseline.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
Observed techniques used by this family, mapped to our technical analysis hubs and the official MITRE ATT&CK framework:
| Technique | Name | Tactic | Official Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
T1014 | Rootkit (Hiding files and processes) | Defense Evasion | ATT&CK ↗ |
T1055 | Process Injection | Defense Evasion | ATT&CK ↗ |
T1543.003 | Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service | Persistence | ATT&CK ↗ |
MITRE D3FEND™ Defensive Countermeasures
Defensive techniques mapped to counter the offensive tradecraft observed in this family (via the MITRE D3FEND matrix):
| D3FEND ID | Countermeasure Name | Tactic | Countered ATT&CK | Defensive Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
D3-KMC | Kernel Memory Integrity Checking | Harden | T1014 | Enable Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) and UEFI Secure Boot to prevent unsigned kernel driver execution. |
D3-PIAD | Process Injection Analysis & Detection | Detect | T1055 | Monitor cross-process thread creation (CreateRemoteThread) and asynchronous procedure calls (QueueUserAPC). |
D3-SCM | Windows Service Creation Monitoring | Detect | T1543.003 | Verify service binary image signatures and restrict standard users from creating or modifying service definitions. |
Tiered Detection Rules (Cisco CAIRN Model)
Modern threat detection requires multi-layered rule engineering. We classify detections into three operational tiers based on signal fidelity:
Tier 1 Primitive Artifact Rule (Fast Triage)
Matches raw strings and file markers. Vulnerable to binary repacking and simple obfuscation.
rule MALWARE_WIN_GOLEM_T1_ARTIFACT {
meta:
description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Golem"
tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
$s1 = "golem" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "trojan.golem" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "rootkit.golem" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "botnet.golem" ascii wide nocase
$s5 = "win32/golem" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Tier 2 Behavioral Context Rule (Process Chains & Sigma)
Tracks parent-child process anomalies and suspicious scripting telemetry. Resilient against file renames.
title: SystemHelpDesk Detection - Golem (Ransomware) Execution & Triage
id: 118efedf-5f2c-510a-8f76-6a09839fb4c2
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
with the Golem malware family. Detects volume shadow copy deletion, boot status
tampering, and recovery inhibition characteristic of modern ransomware operations.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/golem
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/defensive/ransomware-protection
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/
author: Ricky Jordan, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, SystemHelpDesk MSP
date: '2026-10-14'
modified: '2026-10-14'
tags:
- attack.ransomware
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1014
- attack.t1055
- attack.t1543_003
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_process:
Image|endswith:
- \vssadmin.exe
- \wmic.exe
- \wbadmin.exe
- \bcdedit.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- delete shadows
- shadowcopy delete
- resize shadowstorage
- recoveryenabled no
- ignoreallfailures
condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: criticalTier 3 Attribution Fingerprint Rule (High Fidelity)
Deep signature matching distinctive operational fingerprints and payload characteristics.
rule MALWARE_WIN_GOLEM_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
meta:
description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Golem tradecraft"
tier = "T3 - Attribution Fingerprint"
confidence = "High (Confirmed Family Signature)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
// Core family identifier & heuristic payload signatures
$attrib_str = "golem" ascii wide nocase
$pe_magic = "MZ" ascii
$net_marker = "http" ascii nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and ($attrib_str and $net_marker) and filesize < 15MB
}Containment & Response Steps
Ordered checklist for responders. Adapt to your environment and engage professional support for active incidents.
- Immediately isolate affected host(s) from the internal network (disconnect physical Ethernet and disable Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) to prevent Golem 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 Golem 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 Golem 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 Golem binary and related persistence hooks are eradicated.
What to Avoid
Common mistakes during response to this family that can destroy evidence, spread the infection, or worsen recovery.
- Do not restart or power cycle infected systems prematurely; doing so destroys volatile RAM encryption keys and may trigger bootloader locking logic embedded in Golem.
- 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 Golem eradication is completely verified.
References & External Analysis
- Search "golem" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
- Search "golem" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
- Search "golem" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Golem and what threat category does it belong to?
Golem 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.
How does Golem establish persistence and evade defensive controls?
Golem 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.
What are the essential incident response steps for mitigating a Golem compromise?
Security teams responding to Golem 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.
What cryptographic algorithms and file targeting techniques does Trojan.Golem employ during execution?
Trojan.Golem 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.
Are decryptors available for Trojan.Golem, and what is the recommended recovery procedure?
Decryption availability for Trojan.Golem 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.
How do I remove the Golem Ransomware from Windows?
Manual removal of Golem 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 Golem a virus or a Ransomware?
Golem is classified as a Ransomware. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Golem typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Golem infection?
Symptoms of Golem 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.
Protect Your Network Against Ransomwares
Want to prevent Golem and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Ransomware Containment & Incident Response.
📣 Threat Intel Correction or Update?
Notice an outdated IOC, unlisted alias, or disputed attribution? Threat researchers are invited to propose an update on GitHub or contact the SystemHelpDesk research desk. All community revisions are credited in our public CHANGELOG.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/api/golem.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.