Smoke Loader Sample Detected: file

This article was originally published on ThreatChain — decentralized threat intelligence.

Your security tools might have missed this one. Smoke Loader is actively targeting networks right now — here's what you need to know before it hits yours.

A new Smoke Loader sample was identified by threat intelligence feeds on 2026-04-14 09:34:55. This post breaks down what we know about the specific sample, how to recognize related activity on your network, and what to do if you or your organization might be affected.

The Sample at a Glance

What Smoke Loader Does

Smoke Loader is a long-running loader/downloader that delivers second-stage payloads, typically stealers or ransomware. It is modular, heavily obfuscated, and known for adapting to new defensive measures.

Seeing this family on your network — or finding a file matching this hash — is a red flag. Smoke Loader samples are typically distributed through phishing emails, malvertising, fake software downloads, or cracked installers. Once executed, the malware usually establishes persistence on the host, harvests credentials and sensitive data, and establishes an outbound channel to command-and-control infrastructure operated by the attackers.

Detection Landscape

Multiple security vendors have weighed in on this specific sample:

• ANY.RUN: [{'malware_family': None, 'verdict': 'Malicious activity', 'file_name': '_54731e0a4e0abdfa8b535103880e8db2c1e85643c5b8ed59d7f1c724382afd0a.exe', 'date': '2026-04-14 09:37:47', 'analysis_url': 'https://app.any.run/tasks/7fef21fc-6e93-4a8e-84c2-00b6fc11716b', 'tags': ['golang']}]
• YOROI_YOMI: Legit File
• vxCube: malware2
• Intezer: unknown
• Spamhaus_HBL: [{'detection': 'suspicious', 'link': 'https://www.spamhaus.org/hbl/'}]
• UnpacMe: [{'sha256_hash': '54731e0a4e0abdfa8b535103880e8db2c1e85643c5b8ed59d7f1c724382afd0a', 'md5_hash': '972560f13b51bfd638ff97a770711a04', 'sha1_hash': '95aa946e5b19aba557bef6b8139a004f02c41116', 'detections': [], 'link': 'https://www.unpac.me/results/adb69ed7-2bbe-4e66-b57c-e1534874176d/'}]
• FileScan-IO: SUSPICIOUS
• Kaspersky: Malware

Indicators of Compromise

If you're hunting for this sample or related Smoke Loader activity, here are the concrete indicators to feed into your SIEM, EDR, or host-based searches:

• SHA-256 hash: 54731e0a4e0abdfa8b535103880e8db2c1e85643c5b8ed59d7f1c724382afd0a
• Filename pattern: file
• File type: exe
• Behavioral tags: dropped-by-GCleaner, exe, F, MIX8.file, signed, Smoke Loader
• YARA rules matched: command_and_control, CP_Script_Inject_Detector, DebuggerException__SetConsoleCtrl, DetectGoMethodSignatures, GoBinTest

How to Check If You're Affected

1. Search your endpoint logs for the SHA-256 54731e0a4e0abdfa8b535103880e8db2c1e85643c5b8ed59d7f1c724382afd0a. Most EDR platforms support historical hash searches across all monitored hosts.
2. Check for the filename file in recently downloaded files, email attachments, and installer bundles.
3. Look for outbound connections to uncommon TLDs or newly registered domains — Smoke Loader typically beacons to command-and-control infrastructure shortly after execution.
4. Review scheduled tasks and registry run keys — this family commonly establishes persistence through standard Windows autorun locations.
5. Run an updated AV or EDR scan across potentially affected hosts. Because this sample is already in public threat intel feeds, current signatures should flag it.

What to Do If You Find It

If you find evidence of this sample or related activity on your systems:

1. Isolate the affected host from the network immediately to prevent lateral movement.
2. Capture memory and disk images before rebooting. Reboots destroy critical forensic evidence, especially in RAM.
3. Rotate credentials that may have been exposed — browser-saved passwords, VPN credentials, SSH keys, and any service accounts used on the affected host. Smoke Loader frequently targets these.
4. Check for secondary payloads. Smoke Loader is often a stepping stone for additional malware including ransomware or banking trojans.
5. Report the incident to your security team. For larger organizations, consider notifying your regional CERT.

Free Threat Lookups

You can verify any suspicious hash against the ThreatChain database for free — no signup, no API key required. Paste any MD5, SHA-1, or SHA-256 at threatchain.io/lookup and get results across multiple intel sources in seconds.

For cross-referencing this specific sample, you can also look it up directly on MalwareBazaar where the original submission and vendor analysis is recorded.