• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

Google fined $314M for misusing idle Android users' data

 | 

A flaw in Catwatchful spyware exposed logins of +62,000 users

 | 

China-linked group Houken hit French organizations using zero-days

 | 

Cybercriminals Target Brazil: 248,725 Exposed in CIEE One Data Breach

 | 

Europol shuts down Archetyp Market, longest-running dark web drug marketplace

 | 

Kelly Benefits data breach has impacted 550,000 people, and the situation continues to worsen as the investigation progresses

 | 

Cisco removed the backdoor account from its Unified Communications Manager

 | 

U.S. Sanctions Russia's Aeza Group for aiding crooks with bulletproof hosting

 | 

Qantas confirms customer data breach amid Scattered Spider attacks

 | 

CVE-2025-6554 is the fourth Chrome zero-day patched by Google in 2025

 | 

U.S. CISA adds TeleMessage TM SGNL flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

A sophisticated cyberattack hit the International Criminal Court

 | 

Esse Health data breach impacted 263,000 individuals

 | 

Europol dismantles €460M crypto scam targeting 5,000 victims worldwide

 | 

CISA and U.S. Agencies warn of ongoing Iranian cyber threats to critical infrastructure

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Citrix NetScaler flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Canada bans Hikvision over national security concerns

 | 

Denmark moves to protect personal identity from deepfakes with new copyright law

 | 

Ahold Delhaize data breach affected over 2.2 Million individuals

 | 

Facebook wants access to your camera roll for AI photo edits

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Malware
  • PUMAKIT, a sophisticated rootkit that uses advanced stealth mechanisms 

PUMAKIT, a sophisticated rootkit that uses advanced stealth mechanisms 

Pierluigi Paganini December 15, 2024

Researchers discovered PUMAKIT, a Linux rootkit capable of hiding files, escalating privileges, and evading system tools and detection.

Elastic Security Lab researchers discovered a new loadable kernel module (LKM) rootkit called PUMAKIT that supports advanced evasion mechanisms.

PUMAKIT features a multi-stage design including a dropper, memory-resident executables, and a rootkit. It leverages an LKM rootkit named “PUMA,” using ftrace hooks to modify core system functions.

The malware hooks 18 syscalls and several kernel functions using ftrace() to hide files, directories, and the rootkit itself, while evading debugging attempts.

Developers focused on stealthy deployment, the malware activates only under specific conditions, such as secure boot checks or kernel symbol availability, embedding ELF binaries within its dropper.

“PUMAKIT is a sophisticated piece of malware, initially uncovered during routine threat hunting on VirusTotal and named after developer-embedded strings found within its binary.” reads the report published by Elastic Security Lab. “Key functionalities of the kernel module include privilege escalation, hiding files and directories, concealing itself from system tools, anti-debugging measures, and establishing communication with command-and-control (C2) servers.”

PUMAKIT

The LKM rootkit uses the syscall table to manipulate system behavior and relies on kallsyms_lookup_name() for symbol resolution. Unlike rootkits that target kernel versions 5.7 and above, the rootkit component of PUMAKIT does not use kprobes, suggesting it is designed for older kernels.

“This choice is significant because, prior to kernel version 5.7, kallsyms_lookup_name() was exported and could be easily leveraged by modules, even those without proper licensing.” continues the report.

“In February 2020, kernel developers debated the unexporting of kallsyms_lookup_name() to prevent misuse by unauthorized or malicious modules. A common tactic involved adding a fake MODULE_LICENSE("GPL") declaration to circumvent licensing checks, allowing these modules to access non-exported kernel functions. The LKM rootkit demonstrates this behavior”

The rmdir_hook() function in PUMAKIT’s kernel module intercepts rmdir() syscalls to manipulate directory operations. The malware uses it for privilege escalation and to retrieve configuration details based on a structured input pattern. The hook processes commands and arguments embedded in the syscall, starting with “zarya,” followed by command and argument characters. This structured system enhances control and concealment.

Below is the list of commands processed by the hook:

CommandPurpose
zarya.c.0Retrieve the config
zarya.t.0Test the working
zarya.k.<pid>Hide a PID
zarya.v.0Get the running version

Elastic Security developed a YARA signature to detect PUMAKIT components, including the dropper (cron), rootkit loader (/memfd:wpn), LKM rootkit, and Kitsune shared object files.

“PUMAKIT is a complex and stealthy threat that uses advanced techniques like syscall hooking, memory-resident execution, and unique privilege escalation methods. Its multi-architectural design highlights the growing sophistication of malware targeting Linux systems,” concludes the report.

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, malware)


facebook linkedin twitter

Hacking hacking news information security news IT Information Security malware Pierluigi Paganini PUMAKIT rootkit Security Affairs Security News

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 04, 2025
Google fined $314M for misusing idle Android users' data
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 04, 2025
A flaw in Catwatchful spyware exposed logins of +62,000 users
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    Google fined $314M for misusing idle Android users' data

    Laws and regulations / July 04, 2025

    A flaw in Catwatchful spyware exposed logins of +62,000 users

    Malware / July 04, 2025

    China-linked group Houken hit French organizations using zero-days

    APT / July 03, 2025

    Cybercriminals Target Brazil: 248,725 Exposed in CIEE One Data Breach

    Data Breach / July 03, 2025

    Europol shuts down Archetyp Market, longest-running dark web drug marketplace

    Cyber Crime / July 03, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT