Author: CyberDudeBivash
Powered by: CyberDudeBivash Brand | cyberdudebivash.com
Related:cyberbivash.blogspot.com

 Daily Threat Intel by CyberDudeBivash
Zero-days, exploit breakdowns, IOCs, detection rules & mitigation playbooks.

Follow on LinkedInApps & Security Tools

CyberDudeBivash ThreatWire · Intelligence for Global Linux Admin

Official ecosystem of CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd · Threat Intel · Security Services

Visit our ecosystem:

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

CyberDudeBivash

Pvt Ltd · Linux Malware Defense Lab

Threat Hunting · 2025 · Linux Malware · PCPcat · Persistence

Automated Threat Hunting: Detecting and Removing the “PCPcat” Persistence Layer. (The CISO’s Linux Hardening Mandate)

The “PCPcat” malware is a highly resilient Linux-based agent used by APTs for long-term espionage and data exfiltration. It hides using systemd service masquerading and cron-job obfuscation. This is the definitive CyberDudeBivash directive for sanitizing your Linux fleet using our proprietary automation script.By CyberDudeBivash · Founder, CyberDudeBivash Pvt LtdExecutive Brief · 35-minute read

Explore Linux Security ToolkitsBook a Server Forensic Audit

Copyright © 2025 CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved. High-stakes automation code provided for ethical research and server hardening. We utilize verified affiliate partners to support our global threat-wire operations.

TL;DR – PCPcat Linux Neutralization

• The Threat: PCPcat (and its variants) establishes persistence via Systemd units disguised as performance monitoring tools (e.g., pcp-log-collector.service).
• The Kill-Chain: It utilizes hidden LD_PRELOAD hooks and encrypted binary blobs in /dev/shm/ to evade standard file scanners.
• The Detection: Look for anomalous outbound connections to untrusted Bulletproof IPs on non-standard ports.
• The Fix: Execute the CyberDudeBivash Hunting Script provided below to perform an atomic wipe of the infection.

Partner Picks · Recommended by CyberDudeBivash

1. Alibaba Cloud – Enterprise VPC Isolation

Segment your Linux servers into strict VPCs to block the C2 traffic used by PCPcat agents.Explore VPC Hardening →

2. Kaspersky – EDR for Linux Servers

Deploy behavioral monitoring to catch PCPcat memory injection TTPs that standard scripts miss.Get Kaspersky Linux Guard →

The “CyberDudeBivash” PCPcat Hunting Script (v1.2)

Run this script as root on any suspect Linux machine (Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL). This tool scans for known persistence hooks and clears malicious binaries from temporary memory.

#!/bin/bash

Official CyberDudeBivash ThreatWire Hunt Script
Target: PCPcat Persistence & Binary Blobs
100% Brand Ownership: CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd
echo "--- CYBERDUDEBIVASH LINUX HUNT PROTOCOL ACTIVE ---"

1. Scan for Malicious Systemd Persistence
MALICIOUS_SERVICES=("pcp-log-collector" "systemd-mon" "network-check-utility") for service in "${MALICIOUS_SERVICES[@]}"; do if systemctl list-unit-files | grep -q "$service"; then echo "[!] ALERT: Found Malicious Service: $service" systemctl stop "$service" systemctl disable "$service" rm -f "/etc/systemd/system/$service.service" systemctl daemon-reload echo "[+] CLEANED: $service removed." fi done

2. Check for Memory-Only Executables in /dev/shm
echo "[*] Auditing /dev/shm for hidden binary blobs..." find /dev/shm -type f -executable -exec echo "[!] Detected executable in SHM: {}" ; -exec rm -f {} ;

3. Audit Cron Jobs for Obfuscated Shells
echo "[] Scanning system cron for reverse-shell patterns..." grep -rE "nc|bash -i|/dev/tcp" /etc/cron /var/spool/cron/crontabs/ | while read -r line; do echo "[!!] SUSPICIOUS CRON FOUND: $line" done

4. Flush Malicious Network Listeners
echo "[*] Killing anomalous network agents..." netstat -tulpn | grep -E "pcp|unknown" | awk '{print $7}' | cut -d'/' -f1 | while read -r pid; do if [ ! -z "$pid" ]; then echo "[!] Killing PCPcat related process ID: $pid" kill -9 "$pid" fi done

echo "--- HUNT COMPLETE: Run CyberDudeBivash SessionShield for Network Analysis ---" 

Phase 1: Why “PCPcat” Bypasses standard EDR

Traditional endpoint security relies on file-hash checking. PCPcat exploits the Fileless Execution TTP by writing its payload directly into /dev/shm/ (shared memory). Since /dev/shm/ is a tmpfs (RAM-based) file system, standard disk-based anti-virus scanners often ignore it.

The CyberDudeBivash Mandate: You must treat your system memory as a volatile attack surface. Any script or binary running from /tmp or /dev/shm without an explicit exclusion is Hostile.

CyberDudeBivash Ecosystem · Zero-Trust Remote Access

Malware like PCPcat often enters via compromised SSH sessions. Secure your admin tunnels with enterprise-grade encryption.Deploy TurboVPN for Enterprise Linux Management →

Phase 2: Post-Removal Hardening Steps

Removing the malware is only the first step. To prevent reinfection, follow the CyberDudeBivash 3-Point Hardening Plan:

• 1. Remount Shared Memory: Edit /etc/fstab and remount /dev/shm and /tmp with the noexec flag. This prevents scripts from executing in memory.
• 2. Audit SSH Authorized Keys: PCPcat often drops a backdoor SSH key in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. Wipe any keys you do not recognize immediately.
• 3. Enable FIDO2 Auth: Passwords are useless against PCPcat’s keylogging module. Mandate hardware keys for all SSH logins.

Expert FAQ: Linux Threat Hunting

Q: Can PCPcat survive a server reboot?

A: Yes. Because it installs a Systemd Unit and a Cron job, it will re-download its payload into RAM upon every boot. You must remove the persistence configuration files (as shown in our script) to kill it permanently.

Q: How do I know if my server is infected?

A: Check for a process named pcp-collector or sys-mon consuming high CPU or making outbound connections to foreign IP addresses on port 443 or 53 (DNS Tunneling).

Partner with CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd

Managing a large Linux fleet requires more than just scripts; it requires 24/7 Threat Intelligence. If your organization has been hit by a persistent breach, reach out to CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd for an elite Incident Response engagement.

Contact CyberDudeBivash Pvt Ltd →Explore Security Solutions →

CyberDudeBivash Ecosystem: cyberdudebivash.com · cyberbivash.blogspot.com · cryptobivash.code.blog

#CyberDudeBivash #ThreatWire #LinuxSecurity #ThreatHunting #PCPcat #MalwareRemoval #ServerHardening #DevSecOps #CISO #CybersecurityScript