TA505

Overview

TA505 is a cyber criminal group that has been active since at least 2014. TA505 is known for frequently changing malware, driving global trends in criminal malware distribution, and ransomware campaigns involving Clop.

Naming & attribution

TA505 is tracked under 4 names across the industry. It uses 34 documented ATT&CK techniques — more than 70% of the 174 groups tracked here. Activity attributed since at least 2014.

Distinctive techniques

Techniques this group uses that are rare across the other 173 tracked groups — these carry more signal than the near-universal ones.

• T1553.005 Mark-of-the-Web Bypass — used by 3 of 174 groups
• T1568.001 Fast Flux DNS — used by 3 of 174 groups

Closest groups by technique overlap

Computed from shared ATT&CK techniques. Overlap is not attribution — distinct actors converge on the same tradecraft — but a high share is a useful pivot.

• LazyScripter — 14 shared techniques (35% overlap)
• WIRTE — 15 shared techniques (33% overlap)
• Molerats — 12 shared techniques (32% overlap)
• Saint Bear Russia — 12 shared techniques (30% overlap)
• TA2541 — 14 shared techniques (29% overlap)
• Gorgon Group Pakistan — 11 shared techniques (28% overlap)

Targets

Education · Finance · Healthcare · Hospitality · Retail

Regions

Australia · Canada · Czech Republic · Germany · Hungary · India · Japan · Romania · Serbia · Singapore · South Korea · Spain · Thailand · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States

Capabilities

• Custom malware/implant development — ATT&CK: 11 attributed custom malware families

TTPs — 34 techniques across 9 tactics

Tools & malware (16)

AdFind · Clop · Azorult · FlawedAmmyy · Mimikatz · Dridex · TrickBot · Get2 · FlawedGrace · Cobalt Strike · ServHelper · BloodHound · Amadey · SDBbot · Net · PowerSploit

Reporting (3)

• How Microsoft names threat actors — Microsoft
• TA505: A Brief History of Their Time — Terefos, A
• TA505 Continues to Infect Networks With SDBbot RAT — Frydrych, M