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CISO Briefing: A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Simulate a Real-World Data Corruption Attack with the “MAD-CAT Meow” Tool. — by CyberDudeBivash

By CyberDudeBivash · 01 Nov 2025 · cyberdudebivash.com · Intel on cyberbivash.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: ThreatWire cryptobivash.code.blog

RANSOMWARE SIMULATION • DATA CORRUPTION • MTTR • INCIDENT RESPONSE

Situation: The **NotPetya** playbook is back. Attackers are moving past simple *file encryption* (ransomware) to **Disk Wiping/Data Corruption** (a WIPEWARE attack). Your **Business Continuity (BCP)** plan must be tested against *total data loss*, not just *file recovery*. The goal of this tool is to stress-test your **MTTR (Mean Time to Recover)**.

This is a decision-grade CISO brief. The **”MAD-CAT Meow”** tool is a hypothetical, but necessary, **Adversary Simulation** utility. We provide the *exact* steps to safely deploy this tool in a sandbox environment to stress-test your **backup immutability** and your **Incident Response (IR)** team’s ability to recover from a **wipeware** attack. This is the ultimate **ransomware defense** audit.

TL;DR — You must test your backups against *destruction*, not just *encryption*.

The Threat: **Wipeware / Data Corruption.** Attacks like NotPetya or Shamoon are designed to *destroy* data, not just encrypt it.
The Tool (Hypothetical): **MAD-CAT Meow.** A cross-platform tool that simulates disk-wiping (overwriting file contents with random data) to test *true data recovery*.
**The Goal:** Stress-test your **MTTR**. Most companies fail the “24-hour recovery” test.
**The Audit Failure:** Your sysadmin’s biggest failure is trusting backups are “immutable.” You *must* verify this.
THE ACTION: 1) SIMULATE. Run this exercise *safely* in an isolated VDI/VPC. 2) MANDATE Immutable Backups (Object-Lock). 3) **VERIFY** your recovery speed with our Free 30-Minute Ransomware Readiness Assessment.

TTP Factbox: Data Corruption / Wipeware Simulation

TTP	Component	Goal	Detection Focus	Our Defense
Data Destruction (T1488)	NTFS/ext4 Filesystem	Destruction (Wipeware)	High-volume Write/Read I/O	MDR / Immutable Backups
Impact (T1498)	Network/DNS/MFT	Shutdown (DoS)	Anomalous DNS/DHCP Changes	Incident Response

Critical Data DestructionWipeware SimulationBusiness Continuity (BCP) TestContents

Phase 1: The “Wipeware” Threat (Why Encryption is Obsolete)

The **NotPetya** and **Shamoon** attacks proved that the most devastating cyber events are not about money—they are about **destruction**.

Your existing Ransomware Defense is focused on *file encryption* (which is *reversible* if you have the key). The new threat is **Wipeware** (Data Destruction), which is designed to be *irreversible*.

Encryption vs. Destruction

**Ransomware:** Encrypts files. Requires a key to decrypt. **Goal: Extortion.**
**Wipeware:** Overwrites the Master Boot Record (MBR), files, or filesystems with junk data. **Goal: Destruction, Geopolitical Damage, Operational Shutdown.**

If you get hit by Wipeware, your only recourse is **BCP (Business Continuity Plan)** and your **backups**. But how quickly can you recover? This is the central question of our simulation.

Phase 2: The MAD-CAT Meow Simulation (Step-by-Step Guide)

The “MAD-CAT Meow” tool is designed to mimic the core TTPs of destructive malware like NotPetya in a safe, controlled environment. **This exercise MUST be run in an isolated test environment (VPC/VDI) only.**

Step 1: Setup the Target (The “Sacrifice”)

**Isolate Network:** Deploy a *single* Windows or Linux server (your “victim”) in an **Alibaba Cloud VPC** that is *blocked* from all production networks.
**Deploy Defense:** Install your **EDR (Kaspersky)** and **File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)** (e.g., Wazuh/Tripwire).
**Establish Baseline:** Create 100,000 dummy files in `C:\Data\Prod\` and take a full backup.

Step 2: Execute MAD-CAT (The Corruption)

The tool’s execution mimics the final stage of a breach: the attacker is already `SYSTEM` and runs the destruction script.

# --- Simulate the Wipeware TTP (Windows/Powershell) ---
# Goal: Overwrite 100,000 files in C:\Data\ with random junk.
# This bypasses simple "rename" detection rules.
$data = New-Object byte[] 1MB
(New-Object Random).NextBytes($data)
Get-ChildItem C:\Data\Prod\ -Recurse -Filter "*.txt" | ForEach-Object {
    Set-Content -Path $_.FullName -Value $data -Encoding Byte
}

Step 3: The Recovery Test (The MTTR Mandate)

The simulation is over. Now, the **real test** begins. This is where 99% of organizations fail.

Mandate: MTTR < 4 Hours. Your business must be fully operational in less than one business day.
**The Test:** Time the recovery. Start the stopwatch. Can your team:
1. **Detect the breach?** (Did your EDR/FIM fire an alert for the high-volume disk I/O, or did it only log it?)
2. **Isolate the Host?** (Can you quarantine the host in less than 5 minutes?)
3. **Find the Cleanest Backup?** (Is your backup *immutable* and free of corruption?)
4. **Restore the Host?** (How long does a full, bare-metal restore take?)

If your MTTR is measured in *days*, you have an IR (Incident Response) failure. You must close this gap with a 24/7 human-led MDR team (like ours) and a documented, tested IR plan.

Hunting Playbook (What Your EDR Must See)

Your EDR *must* be hunting for the *behavioral precursor* to data destruction.

**Hunt TTP 1 (The #1 IOC): “High Volume File Write (Anomalous Process).”** This is your P1 alert. Look for *any* process that is *not* a backup tool (`rsync`, `veeam.exe`) writing to a *high* number of files (e.g., > 1,000 files in 60 seconds).# EDR / SIEM Hunt Query (Pseudocode) SELECT process_name, COUNT(file_write_events) AS write_count FROM process_events WHERE (process_name NOT IN (‘veeam.exe’, ‘rsync’, ‘backup.exe’)) GROUP BY process_name HAVING write_count > 1000 AND TIMESPAN(1m)
**Hunt TTP 2 (VSS Delete):** Look for `vssadmin.exe delete shadows` (the precursor to most ransomware/wipeware attacks).
**Hunt TTP 3 (File Renaming):** Look for processes performing a high volume of file *renames* (a known ransomware TTP).

Mitigation: The CISO’s Immutable Backup Strategy

This is a Business Continuity failure. The fix is Immutability.

**1. MANDATE IMMUTABILITY (The #1 Fix):** Your backups *must* be **immutable** (write-once, read-many). This means using **Cloud Object Lock** (on AWS S3, Alibaba Cloud OSS, or Azure Blob Storage). This *physically* prevents any process (even `root` or `SYSTEM`) from deleting or modifying the backup data for a set retention period.
**2. SEGMENT YOUR BACKUP SERVER:** Your *backup server* should be in a “Firewall Jail” (VPC/VLAN) and *only* allowed to talk to the backup *target*. It should *never* be able to talk to your Domain Controller.
**3. HARDEN YOUR EDR:** You *must* tune your EDR to *auto-alert* and *auto-isolate* (Active Response) any host that fires the “Hunt TTP 1” alert.

Audit Validation (Blue-Team)

Run this *today*. This is your ultimate BCP Audit.

# 1. Audit Immutability (The *Real* Test)
# Try to delete your own backup snapshot:
aws s3 rm s3://[your-bucket-name]/backup_file.zip
# 
# EXPECTED RESULT: "Access Denied" (If Object Lock is working)

# 2. Audit Your EDR
# Run the "Lab Setup" corruption test.
# Did your EDR *isolate* the host *automatically*? If not, your MTTR is too slow.

Is Your MTTR Too Slow for Wipeware?
Your recovery time is your biggest weakness. CyberDudeBivash is the leader in Ransomware Defense. We are offering a Free 30-Minute Ransomware Readiness Assessment to show you the *exact* gaps in your “Backup Immutability” and “Data Destruction” defenses.

Book Your FREE 30-Min Assessment Now →

Recommended by CyberDudeBivash (Partner Links)

You need a layered defense. Here’s our vetted stack for this specific threat.

Kaspersky EDR
This is your *sensor*. It’s the #1 tool for providing the behavioral telemetry (disk I/O, high-volume file writes) that your *human* MDR team needs to hunt.Edureka — BCP/DR Training
Train your team *now* on Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery and how to achieve a *4-hour MTTR*.Alibaba Cloud (OSS Object Lock)
The *best* way to implement Immutable Backups. Object Lock guarantees no one (not even an attacker with root) can delete your backups.

AliExpress (Hardware Keys)
*Mandate* this for all Domain Admins. Stops the *initial phish* that leads to the ransom.TurboVPN
Secures your admin access. Your RDP/SSH access for *your admins* should be locked down.Rewardful
Run a bug bounty program. Pay white-hats to find flaws *before* APTs do.

CyberDudeBivash Services & Apps

We don’t just report on these threats. We hunt them. We are the experts in **Wipeware Simulation** and **Disaster Recovery**.

Managed Detection & Response (MDR): This is the *solution*. Our 24/7 SOC team becomes your Threat Hunters, watching your EDR logs for the high-volume disk I/O and *VSS deletion* TTPs.
Adversary Simulation (Red Team): This is the *proof*. We will *simulate* this exact Wipeware TTP to prove your backups are *truly* immutable and to *measure your MTTR*.
Emergency Incident Response (IR): You found this TTP? Call us. Our 24/7 team will hunt the attacker and eradicate them.
PhishRadar AI — Stops the phishing attacks that *initiate* the breach.
SessionShield — Protects your *admin sessions* from the *credential theft* that happens after this breach.

Book Your FREE 30-Min Assessment Book a Wipeware Simulation (Red Team)Subscribe to ThreatWire

FAQ

Q: What is “Wipeware”?
A: Wipeware (like NotPetya or Shamoon) is malware designed for **data destruction**, not encryption. It overwrites files or the Master Boot Record (MBR) with junk data, making the original data unrecoverable without backups. The goal is *destruction*, not *extortion*.

Q: What is “Immutable Backup”?
A: An immutable backup is a copy of your data that *cannot* be deleted or modified for a set retention period, even by an attacker who gains `root` or `SYSTEM` access. This is done via **Cloud Object Lock** (WORM: Write Once, Read Many). This is the *only* true defense against Wipeware.

Q: What is the “MAD-CAT Meow” tool?
A: It’s a hypothetical simulation tool used to safely mimic the *behavior* of destructive malware (high I/O, file corruption) in a *sandboxed* environment. The goal is to stress-test your **BCP/DR plan** and measure your **MTTR (Mean Time to Recover)**.

Q: What’s the #1 action to take *today*?
A: AUDIT IMMUTABILITY. Your entire BCP depends on it. You must verify that your backup snapshots are *not* vulnerable to deletion. Your *second* action is to **Book our Free 30-Minute Ransomware Readiness Assessment** so we can help you implement **Object Lock**.

Timeline & Credits

The Wipeware TTP (T1488) is a consistent threat, often linked to geopolitical attacks (NotPetya). This simulation framework is derived from the **CyberDudeBivash** Incident Response and Red Team methodology.
Credit: This analysis is based on active Incident Response engagements by the CyberDudeBivash threat hunting team.

References

Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from partner links at no extra cost to you. These are tools we use and trust. Opinions are independent.

CyberDudeBivash — Global Cybersecurity Apps, Services & Threat Intelligence.

cyberdudebivash.com · cyberbivash.blogspot.com · cryptobivash.code.blog

#Wipeware #NotPetya #DataDestruction #RansomwareSimulation #Immutability #BCP #CyberDudeBivash #IncidentResponse #MDR #ThreatHunting #CISO

Cyberdudebivash

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Simulate a Real-World Data Corruption Attack with the “MAD-CAT Meow” Tool.

CISO Briefing: A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Simulate a Real-World Data Corruption Attack with the “MAD-CAT Meow” Tool. — by CyberDudeBivash

Phase 1: The “Wipeware” Threat (Why Encryption is Obsolete)

Encryption vs. Destruction

Phase 2: The MAD-CAT Meow Simulation (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Setup the Target (The “Sacrifice”)

Step 2: Execute MAD-CAT (The Corruption)

Step 3: The Recovery Test (The MTTR Mandate)

Hunting Playbook (What Your EDR Must See)

Mitigation: The CISO’s Immutable Backup Strategy

Audit Validation (Blue-Team)

Recommended by CyberDudeBivash (Partner Links)

CyberDudeBivash Services & Apps

FAQ

Timeline & Credits

References

Leave a comment Cancel reply

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Simulate a Real-World Data Corruption Attack with the “MAD-CAT Meow” Tool.

CISO Briefing: A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Simulate a Real-World Data Corruption Attack with the “MAD-CAT Meow” Tool. — by CyberDudeBivash

Phase 1: The “Wipeware” Threat (Why Encryption is Obsolete)

Encryption vs. Destruction

Phase 2: The MAD-CAT Meow Simulation (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Setup the Target (The “Sacrifice”)

Step 2: Execute MAD-CAT (The Corruption)

Step 3: The Recovery Test (The MTTR Mandate)

Hunting Playbook (What Your EDR Must See)

Mitigation: The CISO’s Immutable Backup Strategy

Audit Validation (Blue-Team)

Recommended by CyberDudeBivash (Partner Links)

CyberDudeBivash Services & Apps

FAQ

Timeline & Credits

References

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