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MITRE ATT&CK® Malware

S0348: Cardinal RAT

Cardinal RAT is a potentially low volume remote access trojan (RAT) observed since December 2015. Cardinal RAT is notable for its unique utilization of uncompiled C# source code and the Microsoft Windows built-in csc.exe compiler.[1]

EnterpriseS0348MalwareObject v1.2Modified
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Glexia's Take · Automated analysis

Security context for executives and security teams

Automation confidenceMedium

S0348: Cardinal RAT describes [Cardinal RAT](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0348) is a potentially low volume remote access trojan (RAT) observed since December 2015. [Cardinal RAT](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0348) is notable for its unique utilization of uncompiled C# source code and the Microsoft Windows built-in csc.exe compiler.(Citation: PaloAlto CardinalRat Apr 2017)

Executive priority

S0348: Cardinal RAT 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 S0348: Cardinal RAT 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 S0348: Cardinal RAT 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

Cardinal RAT

Cardinal RAT is a potentially low volume remote access trojan (RAT) observed since December 2015. Cardinal RAT is notable for its unique utilization of uncompiled C# source code and the Microsoft Windows built-in csc.exe compiler.[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.

22 rows
DomainIDNameRelationship / procedure
EnterpriseT1059.003Windows Command ShellSub-technique

Cardinal RAT can execute commands.[1]

EnterpriseT1105Ingress Tool Transfer

Cardinal RAT can download and execute additional payloads.[1]

EnterpriseT1083File and Directory Discovery

Cardinal RAT checks its current working directory upon execution and also contains watchdog functionality that ensures its executable is located in the correct path (else it will rewrite the payload).[1]

EnterpriseT1033System Owner/User Discovery

Cardinal RAT can collect the username from a victim machine.[1]

EnterpriseT1056.001KeyloggingSub-technique

Cardinal RAT can log keystrokes.[1]

EnterpriseT1573.001Symmetric CryptographySub-technique

Cardinal RAT uses a secret key with a series of XOR and addition operations to encrypt C2 traffic.[1]

EnterpriseT1204.002Malicious FileSub-technique

Cardinal RAT lures victims into executing malicious macros embedded within Microsoft Excel documents.[1]

EnterpriseT1560.002Archive via LibrarySub-technique

Cardinal RAT applies compression to C2 traffic using the ZLIB library.[1]

EnterpriseT1012Query Registry

Cardinal RAT contains watchdog functionality that periodically ensures HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Load is set to point to its executable.[1]

EnterpriseT1027.004Compile After DeliverySub-technique

Cardinal RAT and its watchdog component are compiled and executed after being delivered to victims as embedded, uncompiled source code.[1]

EnterpriseT1090Proxy

Cardinal RAT can act as a reverse proxy.[1]

EnterpriseT1055Process Injection

Cardinal RAT injects into a newly spawned process created from a native Windows executable.[1]

EnterpriseT1070.004File DeletionSub-technique

Cardinal RAT can uninstall itself, including deleting its executable.[1]

EnterpriseT1140Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

Cardinal RAT decodes many of its artifacts and is decrypted (AES-128) after being downloaded.[1]

EnterpriseT1082System Information Discovery

Cardinal RAT can collect the hostname, Microsoft Windows version, and processor architecture from a victim machine.[1]

EnterpriseT1008Fallback Channels

Cardinal RAT can communicate over multiple C2 host and port combinations.[1]

EnterpriseT1071.001Web ProtocolsSub-technique

Cardinal RAT is downloaded using HTTP over port 443.[1]

EnterpriseT1112Modify Registry

Cardinal RAT sets HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Load to point to its executable.[1]

EnterpriseT1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup FolderSub-technique

Cardinal RAT establishes Persistence by setting the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Load Registry key to point to its executable.[1]

EnterpriseT1057Process Discovery

Cardinal RAT contains watchdog functionality that ensures its process is always running, else spawns a new instance.[1]

EnterpriseT1113Screen Capture

Cardinal RAT can capture screenshots.[1]

EnterpriseT1027.013Encrypted/Encoded FileSub-technique

Cardinal RAT encodes many of its artifacts and is encrypted (AES-128) when downloaded.[1]

Relationship explorer

All related ATT&CK context

uses · TechniqueT1059.003: Windows Command ShellEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1105: Ingress Tool TransferEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1083: File and Directory DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1033: System Owner/User DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1056.001: KeyloggingEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1573.001: Symmetric CryptographyEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1204.002: Malicious FileEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1560.002: Archive via LibraryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1012: Query RegistryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1027.004: Compile After DeliveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1090: ProxyEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1055: Process InjectionEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1070.004: File DeletionEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1140: Deobfuscate/Decode Files or InformationEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1082: System Information DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1008: Fallback ChannelsEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1071.001: Web ProtocolsEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1112: Modify RegistryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1547.001: Registry Run Keys / Startup FolderEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1057: Process DiscoveryEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1113: Screen CaptureEnterpriseuses · TechniqueT1027.013: Encrypted/Encoded FileEnterprise
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
1.2
Created
Modified
Raw hash
2d4584079f0bb473...
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(3)
ReleaseBundle importedObject versionModifiedStatusRaw hash
20.01.2Older bundle2d4584079f0b…
19.21.2Current bundle2d4584079f0b…
19.11.2Older bundle2d4584079f0b…
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]
    PaloAlto CardinalRat Apr 2017

    Grunzweig, J.. (2017, April 20). Cardinal RAT Active for Over Two Years. Retrieved December 8, 2018.

    Open source URL
  2. [2]
    Cardinal RAT

    (Citation: PaloAlto CardinalRat Apr 2017)

  3. [3]
    mitre-attackS0348
    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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