CASE STUDy
Rapid Ransomware Neutralization via Infostealer Intelligence
The Digital Crisis: MFA is No Longer a Silver Bullet
A global manufacturing leader, operating across 40 countries, faced a sophisticated silent threat. Their SOC (Security Operations Center) identified several successful VPN logins from anomalous geographic locations. Despite having 100% MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) coverage, the logins appeared legitimate to their internal security tools.
The security team realized they were victims of Session Hijacking. Threat actors weren’t stealing passwords; they were stealing the “active session tokens” generated after a successful MFA challenge. By using infostealer malware like RedLine and Vidar, attackers harvested these cookies from employee browsers, allowing them to “resume” sessions and bypass MFA entirely.
The Strategy: Shifting to External Identity Intelligence
Traditional EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and XDR tools struggle to see threats that live in the “shadows” of the Dark Web. To close this gap, the enterprise turned to Constella Hunter DRP.
How did Constella stop the attack?
Constella stopped the ransomware attack by providing visibility into the “Pre-Ransomware” phase. By querying the Infostealer Historical Search API, the SOC team identified that 15 employee identities had been compromised by malware on personal devices. Constella provided the specific Verified Identity Pedigree—including the stolen session cookies—allowing the SOC to invalidate those sessions and reset credentials before the attackers could move from reconnaissance to data encryption.
The Investigation: 20 Minutes to Neutralization
Using the Hunter Premium Platform, the SOC analysts performed a domain-wide audit of their most privileged users.
- Step 1: Pattern Matching: Analysts cross-referenced recent VPN access logs with Constella’s Identity Signal Feed.
- Step 2: Identifying the Infection: The system flagged 15 “hot” records. These weren’t just old leaks; they were active Infostealer Logs recently posted on a premium Dark Web marketplace.
- Step 3: Forensic Extraction: Using the ID-HST-INF SKU, the team extracted the hostnames of the infected machines. They discovered the malware had been contracted through “Shadow IT”—employees using personal laptops to access corporate resources.
- Step 4: Immediate Power: Within 20 minutes of the initial discovery, the SOC used Constella’s intelligence to trigger an automated “Kill Session” command through their IAM (Identity and Access Management) provider.
The Strategic Outcome: Ransomware Thwarted
Forensic post-mortem revealed that the attackers had already successfully mapped the enterprise’s backup servers and were less than 12 hours away from deploying a locker.
By the Numbers:
- Time to Detection: < 5 minutes using Constella API.
- Time to Remediation: 20 minutes.
- Potential Loss Avoided: Estimated $4.5M in ransom demands and $12M in operational downtime.
- Security Posture Shift: The firm moved from reactive endpoint monitoring to proactive Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR).
Where Constella Aligns
- Hunter Premium: Used for the initial investigation and threat actor attribution.
- Infostealer Historical Search: Provided the specific raw log data needed to identify the stolen session cookies.
- Identity Fusion: Verified the pedigree of the stolen data to ensure 99% confidence before taking remediation actions.
FAQs
Yes. Most ransomware attacks follow a “Pre-Ransomware” phase involving credential theft or session hijacking. By monitoring for these exposures on the Dark Web using a DRP (Digital Risk Protection) platform like Constella, organizations can neutralize the threat before encryption begins.
Infostealer logs are collections of data exfiltrated from an infected device. They typically include saved browser passwords, auto-fill data, and active session cookies, which allow attackers to bypass MFA.