DanBot
DanBot is a backdoor/tool attributed in the provided content to Lyceum, an OilRig subgroup also known as HEXANE and Storm-0133. The content states that major tools attributed to Lyceum include DanBot, the Shark, Milan, and Marlin backdoors. DanBot has been distributed via spearphishing emails carrying malicious Excel attachments and relies on victim user execution of the malicious file for initial execution. It can use a VBA macro embedded in an Excel file to drop its payload. For persistence or installation, DanBot can use a scheduled task. The malware has also been observed uploading files from compromised hosts. For defense evasion/masquerading, DanBot files have been named UltraVNC.exe and WINVNC.exe to appear as legitimate VNC tools. High-confidence filenames mentioned in the content are UltraVNC.exe and WINVNC.exe.
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Groups observed using it
2 distinct threat actors attributed by public researchers. Open in Mallory to see the full evidence chain and overlapping campaigns.
Major tools we attribute to Lyceum include DanBot, the Shark, Milan, and Marlin backdoors...
Major tools we attribute to Lyceum include DanBot, the Shark, Milan, and Marlin backdoors...
Techniques & procedures
19 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.
Initial Access
1 techniqueThe content repeatedly describes threat actors and malware being delivered through phishing or spearphishing emails containing malicious attachments such as Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, RAR/ZIP archives, CHM, ISO, IMG, HTA, LNK, and executable files disguised as documents.
Execution
6 techniques“Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.” / “APT29 used scheduler and schtasks to create new tasks on remote host as part of their lateral movement… updating an existing legitimate task to execute their tools and then returned the scheduled task to its original configuration.”
During the 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.
During the 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team used the xp_cmdshell command in MS-SQL. During the 2025 Poland Wiper Attacks, the adversaries leveraged PsExec to run cmd.exe commands on multiple victim machines. Numerous malware families and groups are described as using cmd.exe, cmd /c, Windows command shell, or command-line interfaces to execute commands, payloads, reconnaissance, persistence, cleanup, and ransomware actions.
The content repeatedly describes threat actors and malware using VBScript, VBS, VBA macros, and Visual Basic code for execution, payload delivery, persistence, reconnaissance, and command execution.
The content repeatedly describes victims being lured into opening malicious attachments, enabling macros, launching installers, clicking embedded files/links, or otherwise directly executing malicious content.
Examples include: "Sandworm Team leveraged Microsoft Office attachments which contained malicious macros..."; "Bumblebee has relied upon a user opening an ISO file to enable execution of malicious shortcut files and DLLs"; "Lumma Stealer has gained initial execution through victims opening malicious executable files embedded in zip archives, and MSI files within RAR files."
Persistence
2 techniques“Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.” / “APT29 used scheduler and schtasks to create new tasks on remote host as part of their lateral movement… updating an existing legitimate task to execute their tools and then returned the scheduled task to its original configuration.”
Privilege Escalation
2 techniques“Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.” / “APT29 used scheduler and schtasks to create new tasks on remote host as part of their lateral movement… updating an existing legitimate task to execute their tools and then returned the scheduled task to its original configuration.”
Stealth
6 techniquesThe content repeatedly describes payloads, strings, configuration files, scripts, URLs, and binaries being obfuscated or encoded using Base64, XOR, RC4, AES, RSA, hex encoding, custom algorithms, and other methods across many malware families and threat actors.
During the 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, DLLs and EXEs with filenames associated with common electric power sector protocols were used to masquerade files.
Akira has used legitimate names and locations for files to evade defenses.
The content repeatedly describes threat actors and malware deleting files, tools, scripts, logs, droppers, staged data, and artifacts from compromised systems to cover tracks, remove evidence, or self-delete.
The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors decoding, decrypting, or deobfuscating payloads, strings, configuration data, commands, and C2 traffic prior to execution or use, e.g., 'APT28 macro uses the command certutil -decode to decode contents of a .txt file storing the base64 encoded payload' and 'Action RAT can use Base64 to decode actor-controlled C2 server communications.'
Lateral Movement
1 techniqueCollection
1 techniqueCommand and Control
3 techniquesThe content repeatedly describes threat actors, malware, and campaigns using HTTP and/or HTTPS for command and control, including examples such as BlackEnergy communicating with C2 over HTTP POST requests and many other families using HTTP/S for C2.
Exfiltration
1 techniqueMany entries state malware or actors can upload, transfer, send, or exfiltrate files from compromised hosts to command-and-control servers or attacker infrastructure.
Recent activity
14 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Backdoor attributed to Lyceum/OilRig; mentioned as part of the group’s toolset (details not expanded in this text).
Bot/backdoor malware that uses scheduled tasks during installation.
Malware delivered via VBA macros embedded in Excel files.
Malware requiring victims to open a malicious file for initial execution.
The version that knows your environment.
Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.
Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.
CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.
Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.