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MITRE ATT&CK® Malware

S1089: SharpDisco

SharpDisco is a dropper developed in C# that has been used by MoustachedBouncer since at least 2020 to load malicious plugins.[1]

EnterpriseS1089MalwareObject v1.0 Modified
Glexia's Take

Analyst context for executives and security teams

Analyst confidence Medium

SharpDisco matters because it is a Windows C# dropper associated in ATT&CK with loading malicious plugins, not just a standalone malware name. For leaders, the practical risk is that a dropper can be an entry point for follow-on collection, discovery, persistence, command-and-control, tool transfer, and exfiltration behaviors. ATT&CK links it to MoustachedBouncer, a cyberespionage group described as targeting foreign embassies in Belarus, so relevance is highest for organizations with diplomatic, government, regional, or high-sensitivity operations connected to that threat context.

Executive priority

Treat this as a readiness and evidence question: can the organization prove it would see a suspicious Windows dropper progressing into scheduled-task persistence, command-shell execution, file and storage discovery, plugin/tool transfer, and exfiltration over an existing C2 channel? Because MITRE provides no official detection guidance for SharpDisco, leaders should prioritize validation of endpoint, network, and incident-response evidence rather than assuming named-malware coverage exists.

Technical view

SharpDisco is documented as Windows malware and a C# dropper used to load malicious plugins. ATT&CK relationships tie it to Windows Scheduled Task, Windows Command Shell, Native API, Hidden Window, discovery of files/directories, peripherals, and local storage, ingress tool transfer, file-transfer-protocol C2, local data collection, and exfiltration over C2. SOC and IR teams should validate behavior-based visibility across that chain, with special attention to Windows hosts where scheduled tasks, command execution, unusual file enumeration, plugin-like payload loading, and outbound transfer activity occur together.

Likely telemetry

  • Windows process creation and command-line telemetry, especially cmd.exe and child-process relationships
  • Windows scheduled task creation, modification, and execution events
  • Endpoint file-system telemetry for broad file, directory, local storage, and sensitive data access
  • Endpoint telemetry for C#/.NET execution patterns and suspicious loading of additional components or plugins
  • API-level or EDR telemetry related to process, memory, window, and execution behavior

Detection direction

  • Build detections around behavior combinations rather than the SharpDisco name alone, because ATT&CK supplies no official detection text.
  • Correlate scheduled-task activity with command-shell execution, hidden-window-style execution, new files or plugins, and outbound network transfer behavior.
  • Tune discovery detections for unusual or high-volume file, directory, drive, peripheral, or storage enumeration from non-administrative or unexpected processes.
  • Review outbound file-transfer and C2-like traffic in context of endpoint activity to distinguish legitimate administration from suspicious tool transfer or exfiltration over the same channel.
  • Prioritize Windows endpoint coverage; related ATT&CK techniques list multiple platforms, but this malware object is specified for Windows.

Mitigation priorities

  • First confirm Windows endpoint logging and EDR coverage for process execution, scheduled tasks, file access, and network connections.
  • Restrict and monitor scheduled task creation and command-shell use, especially where not required for business operations.
  • Limit unnecessary outbound file-transfer protocols and inspect egress paths used for command-and-control or data movement.
  • Apply least privilege and application control principles to reduce unauthorized droppers, plugins, and transferred tools from executing.
  • Prepare IR playbooks to collect scheduled-task data, process trees, dropped files, plugin artifacts, and network session evidence from suspected Windows hosts.
Analyst notes and limits

The decision value is in validating coverage across the behaviors SharpDisco is related to in ATT&CK: execution, persistence via scheduled tasks, discovery, collection, command-and-control, ingress tool transfer, and exfiltration. The group relationship to MoustachedBouncer provides useful prioritization context, particularly for diplomatic targets, but should not be treated as evidence of compromise in any specific environment.

MITRE provides no official detection guidance, no aliases, no ATT&CK tactics directly on the malware object, and only Windows as the malware platform. Several related techniques have broader platform lists, but platform claims for SharpDisco should remain Windows-focused. Local environment telemetry, baselines, and incident evidence are required to determine exposure or activity.

Official MITRE ATT&CK definition

SharpDisco

SharpDisco is a dropper developed in C# that has been used by MoustachedBouncer since at least 2020 to load malicious plugins.[1]

View the same entry on attack.mitre.org (MITRE-hosted reference; in-page links above use the Glexia ATT&CK library.)

Glexia analysis

How security teams should use this page

Treat this object as behavior context, not an attribution claim. Validate the related groups, software, data sources, and mitigations against official ATT&CK relationships and your own telemetry before making control-coverage decisions.

ATT&CK relationship table

Techniques used

This mirrors the MITRE pattern of making group, software, campaign, and technique relationships scannable. Relationship notes come from mirrored ATT&CK relationship text when available.

11 rows
Domain ID Name Relationship / procedure
Enterprise T1053.005 Scheduled Task Sub-technique

SharpDisco can create scheduled tasks to execute reverse shells that read and write data to and from specified SMB shares.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1564.003 Hidden Window Sub-technique

SharpDisco can hide windows using `ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden`.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1005 Data from Local System

SharpDisco has dropped a recent-files stealer plugin to `C:\Users\Public\WinSrcNT\It11.exe`.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

SharpDisco can load a plugin to exfiltrate stolen files to SMB shares also used in C2.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1071.002 File Transfer Protocols Sub-technique

SharpDisco has the ability to transfer data between SMB shares.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1680 Local Storage Discovery

SharpDisco can use a plugin to enumerate system drives.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Sub-technique

SharpDisco can use `cmd.exe` to execute plugins and to send command output to specified SMB shares.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1106 Native API

SharpDisco can leverage Native APIs through plugins including `GetLogicalDrives`.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1120 Peripheral Device Discovery

SharpDisco has dropped a plugin to monitor external drives to `C:\Users\Public\It3.exe`.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

SharpDisco has been used to download a Python interpreter to `C:\Users\Public\WinTN\WinTN.exe` as well as other plugins from external sources.CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Enterprise T1083 File and Directory Discovery

SharpDisco can identify recently opened files by using an LNK format parser to extract the original file path from LNK files found in either `%USERPROFILE%\Recent` (Windows XP) or `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent` (newer Windows versions) .CitationMoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

Associated objects

Groups, software, and campaigns

Relationship explorer

All related ATT&CK context

Change history

Object version and sync metadata

The fields below describe the current mirrored snapshot. When Glexia retains multiple ATT&CK source imports, you can open the table to compare the same object across releases (hashes and MITRE timestamps). For MITRE’s own release notes and roadmap, see ATT&CK resources — Updates .

ATT&CK release
19.1
Object version
1.0
Created
Modified
Raw hash
1a262e97cbc8a7e4...
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases (1)
Release Bundle imported Object version Modified Status Raw hash
19.1 1.0 Current bundle 1a262e97cbc8…
Raw source

Mirrored ATT&CK source object

The raw object is retained through the mirrored ATT&CK source bundle and object hash. The raw endpoint returns the exact object from the mirrored bundle when available.

Source references

External references and citations

MITRE external references are preserved separately from Glexia analysis so citations remain traceable to their original source records.

  1. [1]
    MoustachedBouncer ESET August 2023

    Faou, M. (2023, August 10). MoustachedBouncer: Espionage against foreign diplomats in Belarus. Retrieved September 25, 2023.

    Open source URL
  2. [2]
    mitre-attack S1089
    Open source URL
Source and licensing

Source: MITRE ATT&CK®. © 2026 The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation. MITRE ATT&CK and ATT&CK are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation. Glexia is not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE.