Executive Summary

• SGI sensors detected network activity originating from IP address 58.49.59.8 in Wuhan, China.
• The observed activity is associated with a file hash flagged on VirusTotal, though currently undetected by most AV vendors.
• The potential objective of this activity is currently unknown, but initial reconnaissance or probing is possible.
• The business risk is assessed as low, but further investigation is recommended to rule out malicious intent.

Organizations should proactively monitor for related network activity and implement recommended hardening measures to mitigate potential risks.

Observed Activity (SGI Sensors)

On November 1, 2025, SGI sensors detected TCP network activity originating from IP address 58.49.59.8, located in Wuhan, China. The originating ASN is AS4134, belonging to CHINANET-BACKBONE. A file hash was associated with this activity and observed on VirusTotal. The absence of a specific port number and payload in our data suggests a preliminary reconnaissance attempt rather than a direct exploit.

Malware/Technique Overview

The detected malware family is identified as ‘standalone-framework.js’. While the specific capabilities are not fully known, JavaScript-based frameworks can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Information gathering via browser-based scripts.
• Delivery of malicious payloads.
• Client-side exploitation.

Given the limited information, the initial access vector is unknown, but could involve compromised websites, phishing emails, or malicious advertisements. Typical targets for such frameworks include web browsers and potentially the underlying operating systems.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping:

• T1595 – Active Scanning
• T1059.007 – Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript

VirusTotal Snapshot

VirusTotal analysis shows:

• Malicious detections: 0
• Undetected: 62
• Harmless: 0

While no vendors flagged the sample as malicious, the high number of ‘undetected’ results and associated aliases (e.g. names resembling properties files, script files, and domain names) warrant caution. The file is described as ‘Text’ with a size of 1 byte.

• VirusTotal Sample

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

It is recommended to monitor these IoCs for at least 30 days.

Detection & Hunting

Splunk SPL:

index=* src_ip=58.49.59.0/24 OR hash="01ba4719c80b6fe911b091a7c05124b64eeece964e09c058ef8f9805daca546b" 
| table _time, src_ip, dest_ip, user, file_hash

This query searches for network connections originating from the specified IP range or file hashes matching the provided SHA256. Validate that detected connections are not from known/approved sources.

Containment, Eradication & Recovery

1. Isolation: Isolate any affected systems from the network to prevent further spread.
2. Blocking: Block the identified IP address (58.49.59.8) at the firewall level.
3. Scanning: Perform a full system scan using updated anti-malware software on potentially affected systems.
4. Credential Resets: Reset passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised.

Inform IT and leadership of the incident and planned remediation steps. Preserve logs and network traffic data for potential forensic investigation.

Hardening & Preventive Controls

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce MFA for all user accounts (NIST CSF PR.AC-1, CIS Control 6).
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Tuning: Ensure EDR solutions are properly configured and tuned to detect suspicious activity (NIST CSF DE.CM-8, CIS Control 10).
• Network Segmentation: Implement network segmentation to limit the blast radius of potential compromises (NIST CSF PR.AC-4, CIS Control 14).
• Least Privilege: Enforce the principle of least privilege to limit user access to only necessary resources (NIST CSF PR.AC-3, CIS Control 5).
• Patch Management: Maintain timely patch SLAs for all systems (NIST CSF PR.PT-1, CIS Control 7).

Business Impact & Risk Outlook

The potential business impact is currently low. However, if the reconnaissance activity escalates, it could lead to data breaches, system compromise, or disruption of services. The legal and reputational risks associated with a successful attack could be significant.

We anticipate an increase in reconnaissance activity targeting vulnerable systems in the coming months. Organizations should proactively strengthen their security posture to mitigate these risks.

Appendix

Assumptions & Data Gaps:

• Missing: Sensor name, specific port number, full payload data.
• Assumption: The observed activity is isolated and not part of a larger campaign.

References:

• VirusTotal Sample

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