Introduction to Malware Binary Triage (IMBT) Course
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Key Takeaways
- Pony, also known as Fareit and Siplog, combines a credential stealer with a downloader that delivers additional malware payloads.
- Leaked source code and a point-and-click Pony Builder let non-developers compile customized variants, fueling its widespread, recurring use.
- Pony harvests stored credentials from browsers, FTP, email, and SSH clients, then brute-forces local Windows accounts using a built-in dictionary.
- After exfiltrating credentials, Pony downloads second-stage payloads like the ZeuS banking trojan, then self-deletes to reduce forensic traces.
- Picus Platform simulates Pony attacks so security teams can validate their security controls against real-world threats.
Pony, also tracked as Fareit and Siplog, is one of the longest-lived credential-stealing families in the commodity malware ecosystem, which was first observed in 2011. It is best understood as two tools fused into one binary: a broad credential and information stealer, and a lightweight downloader (loader) that pulls additional payloads onto a freshly compromised host.
Article Link: What Is Pony Malware? Analysis of the Fareit Credential Stealer