Stormous-Linked Python Script Uses Long-Line Obfuscation and Image File Execution Options Reconnaissance

  • June 26, 2026
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Zero‑Dwell Threat Intelligence Report

A narrative, executive‑ready view into the malware’s behavior, exposure, and reliable defenses.
Generated: 2026-06-26 06:23:21 UTC

Executive Overview — What We’re Dealing With

This specimen has persisted long enough to matter. Human experts classified it as Malware, and the telemetry confirms a capable, evasive Trojan with real impact potential.

File
_drag_worm1.py
Type
Python script, Unicode text, UTF-8 text executable, with very long lines (8001u)
SHA‑1
1b4b4e910bfd31f5f3f2f3a269bf2c994978b78a
MD5
—
First Seen
—
Last Analysis
—
Dwell Time
unknown

Extended Dwell Time Impact

For unknown, the dwell time for this case could not be accurately determined from available data.

Comparative Context

Industry studies report a median dwell time closer to 21–24 days. The dwell time for this case could not be accurately determined.

Timeline

Time (UTC) Event Elapsed
2025-03-06 05:16:56 UTC First VirusTotal submission —
2026-06-25 09:18:21 UTC Latest analysis snapshot 476 days, 4 hours, 1 minutes
2026-06-26 06:23:21 UTC Report generation time 477 days, 1 hours, 6 minutes

Why It Matters

Every additional day of dwell time is not just an abstract number — it is attacker opportunity. Each day equates to more time for lateral movement, stealth persistence, and intelligence gathering.

Global Detection Posture — Who Caught It, Who Missed It

VirusTotal engines: 61. Detected as malicious: 25. Missed: 36. Coverage: 41.0%.

Detected Vendors

  • Xcitium
  • +24 additional vendors (names not provided)

List includes Xcitium plus an additional 18 vendors per the provided summary.

Missed Vendors

  • Acronis
  • AhnLab-V3
  • Avast
  • AVG
  • Avira
  • Bkav
  • CAT-QuickHeal
  • ClamAV
  • CMC
  • CrowdStrike
  • Cynet
  • DrWeb
  • F-Secure
  • Fortinet
  • google_safebrowsing
  • Gridinsoft
  • huorong
  • Jiangmin
  • K7AntiVirus
  • K7GW
  • Kingsoft
  • Malwarebytes
  • MaxSecure
  • NANO-Antivirus
  • Panda
  • Sangfor
  • SentinelOne
  • SUPERAntiSpyware
  • TACHYON
  • VBA32
  • VirIT
  • ViRobot
  • Xcitium
  • Yandex
  • Zillya
  • Zoner

Why it matters: if any endpoint relies solely on a missed engine, this malware can operate with zero alerts. Prevention‑first controls close that gap regardless of signature lag.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

  • T1574.002 – Tries to load missing DLLs
  • T1082 – Reads software policies
  • T1082 – Queries the volume information (name, serial number etc) of a device
  • T1560 – Public key (encryption) found

Persistence & Policy — Registry and Services

Registry and service telemetry points to policy awareness and environment reconnaissance rather than noisy persistence. Below is a compact view of the most relevant keys and handles; expand to see the full lists where available.

Registry Opened

47

Registry Set

0

Services Started

0

Services Opened

0

Registry Opened (Top 25)

Key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\GRE_Initialize
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Wow64\x86
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography\Configuration
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Wow64\x86\xtajit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\LanguageOverlay\OverlayPackages\en-US
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Python
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.9
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Ole\FeatureDevelopmentProperties
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.9\InstallPath
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\py.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.11\PythonPath
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Python\PyLauncher
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{F1B32785-6FBA-4FCF-9D55-7B8E7F157091}\PropertyBag
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\3.11\PythonPath
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\python.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.11
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\OLE\Tracing
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\KnownFolders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\MUI\UILanguages\en-US
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\CustomLocale
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Segment Heap
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\KnownFolderSettings
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\OLE
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Display
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppModel\Lookaside\Packages
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Ole
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Python
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{F1B32785-6FBA-4FCF-9D55-7B8E7F157091}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.11\InstallPath
Show all (47 total)

Registry Set (Top 25)

Services Started (Top 15)

Services Opened (Top 15)

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