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MITRE ATT&CK® Malware

S0242: SynAck

SynAck is variant of Trojan ransomware targeting mainly English-speaking users since at least fall 2017. [1] [2]

EnterpriseS0242MalwareObject v1.3Modified
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Glexia's Take · Automated analysis

Security context for executives and security teams

Automation confidenceMedium

S0242: SynAck describes [SynAck](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0242) is variant of Trojan ransomware targeting mainly English-speaking users since at least fall 2017. (Citation: SecureList SynAck Doppelgänging May 2018) (Citation: Kaspersky Lab SynAck May 2018)

Executive priority

S0242: SynAck is an official MITRE ATT&CK software. Glexia treats it as defensive behavior context for prioritizing monitoring, control validation, and response planning without using the object by itself as an attribution claim.

Technical view

Security teams should validate S0242: SynAck by reviewing the official ATT&CK relationships, mapped tactics (the mapped ATT&CK tactic context), supported platforms (Windows), and available local telemetry before making detection or mitigation decisions.

Likely telemetry

  • Official ATT&CK relationships and object metadata
  • Network, endpoint, and security-tool telemetry

Detection direction

  • Validate whether S0242: SynAck appears in your detection coverage and tabletop scenarios.
  • Use the object to align executive risk language with SOC, incident response, and detection engineering work.
  • Do not treat ATT&CK relationship context as attribution without corroborating evidence.

Mitigation priorities

  • Map the object to existing controls and identify missing telemetry or response ownership.
  • Prioritize mitigations that reduce exposure on the listed platforms and tactics.
  • Review adjacent ATT&CK relationships before changing policy, detections, or reporting language.
Additional notes and limits

Baseline Glexia take generated from the official MITRE ATT&CK STIX object, source hash, tactics, platforms, and detection fields. It is safe to replace with a richer model-generated take for the same source hash later.

This baseline take is source-grounded and schema-validated, but it does not include environment-specific telemetry, incident evidence, or threat-intelligence corroboration.

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Official MITRE ATT&CK definition

SynAck

SynAck is variant of Trojan ransomware targeting mainly English-speaking users since at least fall 2017. [1] [2]

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.

14 rows
DomainIDNameRelationship / procedure
EnterpriseT1083File and Directory Discovery

SynAck checks its directory location in an attempt to avoid launching in a sandbox.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1112Modify Registry

SynAck can manipulate Registry keys.[1]

EnterpriseT1027Obfuscated Files or Information

SynAck payloads are obfuscated prior to compilation to inhibit analysis and/or reverse engineering.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1033System Owner/User Discovery

SynAck gathers user names from infected hosts.[1]

EnterpriseT1497.001System ChecksSub-technique

SynAck checks its directory location in an attempt to avoid launching in a sandbox.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1082System Information Discovery

SynAck gathers computer names, OS version info, and also checks installed keyboard layouts to estimate if it has been launched from a certain list of countries.[1]

EnterpriseT1055.013Process DoppelgängingSub-technique

SynAck abuses NTFS transactions to launch and conceal malicious processes.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1106Native API

SynAck parses the export tables of system DLLs to locate and call various Windows API functions.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1012Query Registry

SynAck enumerates Registry keys associated with event logs.[1]

EnterpriseT1486Data Encrypted for Impact

SynAck encrypts the victims machine followed by asking the victim to pay a ransom. [1]

EnterpriseT1007System Service Discovery

SynAck enumerates all running services.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1685.005Clear Windows Event LogsSub-technique

SynAck clears event logs.[1]

EnterpriseT1614.001System Language DiscoverySub-technique

SynAck lists all the keyboard layouts installed on the victim’s system using GetKeyboardLayoutList API and checks against a hardcoded language code list. If a match if found, SynAck sleeps for 300 seconds and then exits without encrypting files.[1]

EnterpriseT1057Process Discovery

SynAck enumerates all running processes.[1][2]

Relationship explorer

All related ATT&CK context

uses · TechniqueT1083: File and Directory DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1112: Modify RegistryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1027: Obfuscated Files or InformationEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1033: System Owner/User DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1497.001: System ChecksEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1082: System Information DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1055.013: Process DoppelgängingEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1106: Native APIEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1012: Query RegistryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1486: Data Encrypted for ImpactEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1007: System Service DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1685.005: Clear Windows Event LogsEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1614.001: System Language DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1057: Process DiscoveryEnterprise
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
19.2
Object version
1.3
Created
Modified
Raw hash
287a9c134a7dd7a2...
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(2)
ReleaseBundle importedObject versionModifiedStatusRaw hash
19.21.3Current bundle287a9c134a7d…
19.11.3Older bundle287a9c134a7d…
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.

Open mirrored raw JSONOpen MITRE-hosted copy
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]
    SecureList SynAck Doppelgänging May 2018

    Ivanov, A. et al. (2018, May 7). SynAck targeted ransomware uses the Doppelgänging technique. Retrieved May 22, 2018.

    Open source URL
  2. [2]
    Kaspersky Lab SynAck May 2018

    Bettencourt, J. (2018, May 7). Kaspersky Lab finds new variant of SynAck ransomware using sophisticated Doppelgänging technique. Retrieved May 24, 2018.

    Open source URL
  3. [3]
    SynAck

    (Citation: SecureList SynAck Doppelgänging May 2018) (Citation: Kaspersky Lab SynAck May 2018)

  4. [4]
    mitre-attackS0242
    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.

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