Historically linked to ransomware affiliates (such as those deploying Ryuk or Conti ) who use it for lateral movement and command-and-control (C2) communication [4, 6]. Typical Behavior
The file is a compressed archive frequently associated with malware distribution , specifically related to the deployment of SystemBC , a remote access trojan (RAT) and SOCKS5 proxy [1, 2]. It is commonly used by cybercriminals to establish encrypted tunnels and hide malicious traffic within a compromised network [2, 3]. Technical Summary File Type: 7-Zip Compressed Archive (.7z) [1].
If possible, submit the file to a secure sandbox or platform like VirusTotal to confirm the specific variant and extract Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) [1]. socksonly.7z
Conduct a full forensic sweep to identify the initial entry point, as the presence of this file usually indicates an active, ongoing intrusion [4, 6].
Often dropped into directories like C:\ProgramData\ or %TEMP% after an initial breach (via phishing or RDP exploits) [2, 5]. Historically linked to ransomware affiliates (such as those
It communicates with hardcoded IP addresses or domains using a custom binary protocol to receive instructions from the attacker [3, 6]. Security Recommendations
The extracted malware often creates a scheduled task or a new Windows service to ensure it runs automatically upon system startup [1, 5]. Technical Summary File Type: 7-Zip Compressed Archive (
Typically contains a Windows executable (e.g., socks.exe or service.exe ) that functions as the SystemBC malware [2, 5].