Preview

Bulletin of Shakarim University. Technical Sciences

Advanced search

A Deep Dive into Cobalt Strike Tool

https://doi.org/10.53360/2788-7995-2023-4(12)-7

Abstract

Cobalt Strike is a popular commercial penetration testing tool that has also been widely used in cyber attacks. This paper provides a review of the Cobalt Strike and its use in cyber attacks, including an analysis of the tactics, techniques, and trends associated with its use. Conducted a literature review and data analysis of academic research, industry reports, and news articles on Cobalt Strike and its use in cyber attacks, as well as case studies of specific attacks involving Cobalt Strike. This research is based on cases in which Cobalt Strike has been used in a wide range of attacks: ransomware attacks, espionage campaigns, and advanced persistent threats. Attackers using Cobalt Strike tend to be highly sophisticated and motivated by a range of factors, including financial gain, political espionage, and cyber warfare. The tool's flexibility and adaptability make it a formidable threat to organizations seeking to defend against cyber attacks. Our research highlights key features and explains thoroughly the logical structure of the Cobalt Strike. 

About the Authors

A. K. Shaikhanova
Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov
Kazakhstan

Aigul Kairulaevna Shaikhanova – professor of the department of Information Security

010000, Astana, Satpayev Str., 2



D. S. Kadyrov
Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov
Kazakhstan

Damir Serikovich Kadyrov – 2st year master’s degree; specialty of information security

010000,  Astana, Satpayev Str., 2



References

1. Navarrete C., Sangvikar D. Cobalt strike analysis and tutorial: Identifying beacon team servers in the wild [Электрон. ресурс]. - 2022. - URL: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cobalt-strike-team-server (дата обращения: 03.11.2023).

2. Hinchliffe A. PKPLUG: Chinese Cyber Espionage Group attacking Southeast Asia [Электрон. ресурс]. -2019. - URL: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/pkplug_chinese_cyber_espionage_group_attacking_asia (дата обращения: 03.10.2023)

3. Sinclair G. Making cobalt strike harder for threat actors to abuse | google cloud blog [Электронный ресурс]. - 2022. - URL: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/making-cobalt-strike-harder-for-threat-actors-to-abuse (дата обращения: 18.11.2023).

4. CFCS. Investigation report: SolarWinds: State-sponsored global software supply chain attack [Электрон. ресурс]. - 2021 - URL: https://www.cfcs.dk/globalassets/cfcs/dokumenter/rapporter/en/CFCS-solarwinds-report-EN.pdf (дата обращения: 10.04.2023).

5. Fortra. Cobalt Strike User Guide [Электрон ресурс]. - 2023 - URL: https://hstechdocs.helpsystems.com/manuals/cobaltstrike/current/userguide/content/topics/welcome_main.htm (дата обращения: 10.09.2023).

6. Dark, M., Epstein, R.A., Morales, L., Countermine, T.A., & Ali, M.Y. (2006). A Framework for Information Security Ethics Education. Center for Research and Education in Information Assurance and Security.

7. Hasan R. и др. Artificial intelligence based model for incident response // 2011 International Conference on Information Management, Innovation Management and Industrial Engineering. - 2011. - С. 91–93.

8. Kruse W.G., Heiser J.G. Computer forensics: Incident response essentials. - Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2008. - c. 416


Review

For citations:


Shaikhanova A.K., Kadyrov D.S. A Deep Dive into Cobalt Strike Tool. Bulletin of Shakarim University. Technical Sciences. 2023;1(4(12)):46-52. https://doi.org/10.53360/2788-7995-2023-4(12)-7

Views: 189


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2788-7995 (Print)
ISSN 3006-0524 (Online)
X