Pidgeon
Table of Contents
Overview
Pidgeon (identified across endpoint security databases under signatures including TrojanDownloader:Win32/Pidgeon, Trojan:Win32/Pidgeon, and Trojan.Pidgeon) is an evasive multi-stage Windows trojan downloader active since 2016. Infiltrating endpoints primarily through phishing email attachments and malicious software downloads, Pidgeon functions as an initial staging loader for secondary crimeware threats. Upon execution, Pidgeon performs environmental fingerprinting, checks for sandbox and hypervisor indicators, and creates autostart registry keys to establish persistence. It connects to remote command-and-control servers over HTTP/HTTPS, transmits host telemetry, and downloads encrypted payload files—frequently modular banking trojans, cryptocurrency miners, and ransomware—saving and executing them from temporary directories or directly into memory via process hollowing.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
Family Pedigree & Lineage
Malware authors regularly fork and iterate upon existing codebases. Observed upstream lineage and downstream variants for this family include:
Known Derivatives & Downstream Variants: Trojandownloader:Win32/Pidgeon.A · Trojandownloader:Win32/Pidgeon.B
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1105 · T1497.001 · T1055 · T1071.001 · T1547.001
Tactical Mitigations
Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:
- T1071.001: Implement web filtering and SSL/TLS inspection to detect malicious command and control (C2) traffic hiding in HTTP/HTTPS.
- T1105: Implement network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and host-based firewalls to block unauthorized inbound or outbound file transfers.
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-PIAD | Process Injection Analysis & Detection | Detect | T1055 | Monitor cross-process thread creation (CreateRemoteThread) and asynchronous procedure calls (QueueUserAPC). |
D3-WAF | Web Content Filtering & Inspection | Filter | T1071.001 | Block newly registered domains (NRDs) and inspect HTTP Host and URI headers for known C2 profiles. |
D3-NTI | Network Traffic Inspection | Detect | T1105 | Inspect deep packet payloads for anomalous staging binaries and unauthorized egress protocols. |
D3-EED | Execution Environment Detection | Detect | T1497.001 | Configure malware sandboxes to emulate legitimate hardware metrics, realistic mouse movements, and valid system uptimes. |
D3-RPM | Registry Persistence Monitoring | Detect | T1547.001 | Audit and restrict write privileges to user and machine-level Registry Run/RunOnce keys using Endpoint Privilege Management. |
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_PIDGEON_T1_ARTIFACT {
meta:
description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Pidgeon"
tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
$s1 = "pidgeon" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "trojandownloader:win32/pidgeon" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "trojan:win32/pidgeon" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "trojan.pidgeon" ascii wide nocase
$s5 = "win32/pidgeon" ascii wide nocase
$s6 = "trojandownloader:win32/pidgeon.a" 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 - Pidgeon (Trojan Downloader) Execution & Triage
id: 24cf804d-69b8-5fd2-a7b1-0d663213a894
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
with the Pidgeon malware family. Detects suspicious execution from temporary user
directories with hidden window flags and background transfer utilities.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/pidgeon
- 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.trojan-downloader
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1105
- attack.t1497_001
- attack.t1055
- attack.t1071_001
- attack.t1547_001
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_process:
Image|endswith:
- \cmd.exe
- \powershell.exe
- \cscript.exe
- \wscript.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- AppData\Local\Temp
- -WindowStyle Hidden
- /e:jscript
- bitsadmin /transfer
condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: mediumTier 3 Attribution Fingerprint Rule (High Fidelity)
Deep signature matching distinctive operational fingerprints and payload characteristics.
rule MALWARE_WIN_PIDGEON_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
meta:
description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Pidgeon 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 = "pidgeon" 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
}References & External Analysis
- Microsoft Defender Threat Encyclopedia - TrojanDownloader:Win32/Pidgeon
- Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia - Trojan.Win32.Pidgeon
- Search "pidgeon" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
- Search "pidgeon" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
- Search "pidgeon" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TrojanDownloader:Win32/Pidgeon?
Pidgeon is a Windows trojan downloader that fingerprints systems and downloads secondary malware payloads like ransomware and miners.
How does Pidgeon evade detection?
It checks for virtual machine artifacts, uses PEB hashing for dynamic API resolution, and hollows code into svchost.exe.
What secondary payloads are deployed by Pidgeon?
Threat actors use Pidgeon to drop modular banking trojans, cryptocurrency stealers, keyloggers, and ransomware.
How does Pidgeon establish persistence?
It writes autostart entries under CurrentVersion\Run and registers scheduled background tasks.
How can administrators defend against Pidgeon downloaders?
Filter email attachments for malicious macros, restrict script execution in %Temp%, and deploy modern behavioral EDR.
How do I remove the Pidgeon Trojan_Downloader from Windows?
Manual removal of Pidgeon 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 Pidgeon a virus or a Trojan_Downloader?
Pidgeon is classified as a Trojan_Downloader. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Pidgeon typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Pidgeon infection?
Symptoms of Pidgeon 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 Trojan_Downloaders
Want to prevent Pidgeon and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Banking Trojan Protection for Businesses.
📣 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/pidgeon.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.