⚠️ Overview

DarkTequila is a sophisticated banking trojan first discovered in 2013 by Kaspersky researchers, targeting financial institutions and online banking users primarily in Latin America, with a heavy focus on Mexico. It is classified as an information stealer and credential harvester, operated by a Spanish-speaking cybercriminal group often tracked as TA210 or the DarkTequila gang, using a malware-as-a-service model.

🔧 Technical Capabilities

DarkTequila propagates via spear-phishing emails with malicious attachments and drive-by download attacks, often exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated software such as Java and Adobe Reader (e.g., CVE-2010-0886, CVE-2013-3893). Once executed, it injects malicious code into legitimate browser processes using Windows API hooking and process hollowing (MITRE ATT&CK T1055), enabling it to steal login credentials, session cookies, and one-time passwords sent via SMS or banking tokens. The malware extensively uses Domain Name System (DNS) over HTTPS for command-and-control (C2) communication (T1572), making traditional DNS-based detection harder, and employs strong encryption (e.g., custom XOR with RC4) to obfuscate its payloads. Persistence is achieved through registry run keys (HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun) and scheduled tasks, while evasion techniques include virtualization detection (T1497) and disabling security tools by terminating processes like antivirus scanners. DarkTequila can also capture keystrokes, take screenshots, and download additional modules for email theft and digital certificate stealing from local stores.

📜 History & Notable Incidents

First identified in late 2013, DarkTequila was responsible for a sustained campaign between 2013 and 2017 that compromised over 1 million users, primarily in Mexico, as reported by Kaspersky in a 2018 intelligence report. Notable incidents include the theft of financial credentials from major Mexican banks (e.g., Banorte, BBVA Bancomer) and the exfiltration of private digital certificates used for online banking authentication. In 2018, a joint operation between law enforcement and security researchers led to the takedown of several C2 servers, but the group continued operations with updated variants.

🔍 Detection Indicators

Known file hashes include SHA-256 values such as 7a9f1c8b... (exact hashes vary by variant); behavioral signatures include attempts to read browser memory, hook SendMessage and SSL_read functions, and create mutexes like "DarkTequilaMutex". Network indicators include connections to C2 domains using DNSSEC-alike patterns, User-Agent strings like "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/5.0)", and outbound TCP traffic on port 443 with non-standard TLS handshakes.

☠️ Risk & Impact

DarkTequila causes severe financial damage by directly stealing online banking credentials, session tokens, and SMS-based OTPs, enabling fraudulent transactions and account takeovers. The malware also exfiltrates digital certificates, allowing attackers to bypass two-factor authentication. Affected sectors include retail banking, e-commerce, and government financial services, with estimated losses in the tens of millions of dollars across Latin America, particularly Mexico and Chile.

🛡️ Mitigation

Mitigation includes keeping software updated (especially Java and Adobe Reader), deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions with behavioral rules for process injection, and blocking known DarkTequila C2 domains using threat intelligence feeds (e.g., Kaspersky TI, AlienVault OTX). Additionally, organizations should enforce strict DNS over HTTPS monitoring and implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized executables.

ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the malware listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.