{
  "family": "cidox",
  "sample_count": 1,
  "category": "trojan",
  "description": "<h3>Executive Summary</h3>\nCidox (also heavily associated with the Rovnix family) is a highly sophisticated Bootkit and Trojan framework. Emerging in the early 2010s, Cidox was engineered for ultimate persistence and stealth, utilizing advanced kernel-level rootkit techniques to survive operating system reinstalls and bypass nearly all traditional security software. It was primarily utilized as an initial access and persistence mechanism to silently deploy highly lucrative banking trojans.\n\n<h3>Infection Vector and Technical Capabilities</h3>\nCidox was primarily distributed via drive-by downloads from exploit kits (like Blackhole or Nuclear) or embedded within pirated software (torrents and \"warez\" sites).\n\nIts execution represents the pinnacle of complex, low-level malware engineering:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bootkit Persistence (MBR/VBR Infection):</strong> Unlike standard malware that hides in the registry, Cidox targets the fundamental boot process of the hard drive. It overwrites the Master Boot Record (MBR) or the Volume Boot Record (VBR). This guarantees that the malicious code executes *before* the Windows kernel or any antivirus software even loads into memory.</li>\n<li><strong>Kernel-Mode Rootkit:</strong> Once the OS boots, the bootkit injects a malicious driver into the Windows kernel space (Ring 0). This rootkit intercepts system calls (API hooking), allowing Cidox to completely hide its files, registry keys, and active network connections from the user and security software.</li>\n<li><strong>Payload Delivery (Banking Fraud):</strong> With absolute stealth achieved, the Cidox framework silently downloads and executes its primary payload—usually a sophisticated banking trojan designed to perform web injection and steal financial credentials.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Threat Assessment</h3>\nThe detection of a Cidox infection is a critical security failure. The presence of a bootkit indicates that the attacker has achieved absolute, unmitigated control over the endpoint. The malware operates below the visibility of the operating system, making standard forensic analysis incredibly difficult.\n\n<h3>Incident Response and Remediation</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ineffectiveness of Standard AV:</strong> Traditional antivirus scans running within the infected OS cannot be trusted, as the kernel-mode rootkit will actively lie to the AV scanner about the state of the hard drive.</li>\n<li><strong>Offline Eradication (Bare-Metal):</strong> The only reliable method to eradicate Cidox is a complete bare-metal wipe. The hard drive must be completely reformatted (including wiping the MBR/GPT partition tables) using offline media, and the operating system must be reinstalled from a known-secure image.</li>\n<li><strong>Secure Boot (Prevention):</strong> The rise of UEFI and Microsoft's \"Secure Boot\" feature (which cryptographically verifies the bootloader before execution) has largely rendered MBR/VBR bootkits like Cidox obsolete on modern hardware. Ensure Secure Boot is strictly enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings for all corporate endpoints.</li>\n</ul>",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Rootkit.Cidox",
    "Trojan.Rovnix",
    "Bootkit.Win32.Cidox"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "insufficient_information",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1542.003",
    "T1014",
    "T1055"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-01T17:29:35Z",
  "type": "Rootkit / Bootkit",
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}