SmokeLoader History

This report provides a technical analysis of SmokeLoader version 2014, covering its modular multi-stage architecture (stager, main module, plugins), aPLib-based stager behavior including APC injection into svchost.exe, persistence options, bot ID generation, anti-analysis checks, the custom XOR-based encrypted C2 format and decryption routine, a simple anti-patching CRC32 check, and the plaintext/encrypted network protocol and supported C2 commands used for updates, data exfiltration, and plugin control.