[alphv_blackcat] ExMatter not compiling

[arty-hlr]

Hi,

Can you please provide the exact commands you used to build ExMatter? This is very unclear, you also mention ILRepack even though ILMerge is used. I also needed to specifically install netfx-4.5.2-devpack which is not mentioned.

Running:

cmake .
cmake --build .

fails during ilmerge with the following error:

MSBuild version 17.14.23+b0019275e for .NET Framework

  Determining projects to restore...
  All projects are up-to-date for restore.
  1>Checking Build System
  ExMatter -> C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\Debug\ExMatter.exe
  [CMAKE] Building ILMerge
    Determining projects to restore...
    All projects are up-to-date for restore.
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\9.0.305\Microsoft.CSharp.CurrentVersion.targets(130,9): warning MSB3884: Could not find rule set file "Sdl7.0.ruleset". [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilme
rge-src\System.Compiler\System.Compiler.csproj] [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
    System.Compiler -> C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\System.Compiler\bin\Debug\System.Compiler.dll
    ILMerge -> C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\bin\Debug\net452\ILMerge.exe
    Running IL merging on System.Compiler and ILMerge.exe
C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\ILMerge.csproj(46,5): error MSB3073: The command "ILMerge.exe /ndebug "/log:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat
\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge/obj\Debug\net452\ilmerge.log" "/delaysign" "/keyfile:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\..\Common\InterimKey.snk" "/target
platform:v4,%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0" /t:exe /out:final/ILMerge.exe ILMerge.exe System.Compiler.dll" exited with code 1. [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\R
esources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]

  Build FAILED.

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\9.0.305\Microsoft.CSharp.CurrentVersion.targets(130,9): warning MSB3884: Could not find rule set file "Sdl7.0.ruleset". [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilme
rge-src\System.Compiler\System.Compiler.csproj] [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\ILMerge.csproj(46,5): error MSB3073: The command "ILMerge.exe /ndebug "/log:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat
\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge/obj\Debug\net452\ilmerge.log" "/delaysign" "/keyfile:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\..\Common\InterimKey.snk" "/target
platform:v4,%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0" /t:exe /out:final/ILMerge.exe ILMerge.exe System.Compiler.dll" exited with code 1. [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\R
esources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
      1 Warning(s)
      1 Error(s)

  Time Elapsed 00:00:01.45
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: The command "setlocal [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Re
sources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: cd C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter [C:
\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: C: [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\Ex
Matter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: "C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe" -E echo "[CMAKE] Building ILMerge" [C:\Users
\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: dotnet build C:/Users/administrator/ael/ManagedServices/alphv_blackcat/Resources/Ex
Matter/_deps/ilmerge-src/ILMerge/ILMerge.csproj [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: "C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe" -E echo "[CMAKE] Merging ExMatter" [C:\Users
\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\
ilmerge-src\ILMerge\bin\Debug\net452\ILMerge.exe C:/Users/administrator/ael/ManagedServices/alphv_blackcat/Resources/ExMatter/ExMatter/Debug/ExMatter.exe /t:exe /out:C:/Users/administrator/ael/ManagedServices/alphv_blackcat/Resources/Ex
Matter/ExMatter/Debug/ExMatter.exe C:/Users/administrator/ael/ManagedServices/alphv_blackcat/Resources/ExMatter/ExMatter/Debug/Renci.SshNet.dll [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMat
ter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: "C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe" -E echo "[CMAKE] Confusing ExMatter" [C:\Use
rs\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\
confuser-src\Confuser.CLI.exe C:/Users/administrator/ael/ManagedServices/alphv_blackcat/Resources/ExMatter/ExMatter/ExmatterDebug.crproj [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csp
roj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: :cmEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatte
r\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: endlocal & call :cmErrorLevel %errorlevel% & goto :cmDone [C:\Users\administrator\a
el\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: :cmErrorLevel [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\
ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: exit /b %1 [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExM
atter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: :cmDone [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatt
er\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto :VCEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv
_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: :VCEnd [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatte
r\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(6041,5): error MSB3073: " exited with code 1. [C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Re
sources\ExMatter\ExMatter\ExMatter.csproj]
  aes-tool -> C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\aes-tool\Debug\aes-tool.exe
  [CMAKE] Moving aes-tool to /bin/

Looking at the ilmerge log file:

=============================================
Timestamp (UTC): 10/23/2025 12:12:04 PM
ILMerge version 3.0.0.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2004-2006. All rights reserved.
ILMerge /ndebug /log:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge/obj\Debug\net452\ilmerge.log /delaysign /keyfile:C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\ILMerge\..\Common\InterimKey.snk /targetplatform:v4,C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0 /t:exe /out:final/ILMerge.exe ILMerge.exe System.Compiler.dll
Set platform to 'v4', using directory 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0' for mscorlib.dll
An exception occurred during merging:
Unable to cast object of type 'System.Compiler.Class' to type 'System.Compiler.DelegateNode'.
   at System.Compiler.SystemTypes.Initialize(Boolean doNotLockFile, Boolean getDebugInfo, PostAssemblyLoadProcessor postAssemblyLoad) in C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\System.Compiler\SystemTypes.cs:line 1920
   at System.Compiler.TargetPlatform.ResetCci(String platformAssembliesLocation, Version targetVersion, Boolean doNotLockFile, Boolean getDebugInfo, PostAssemblyLoadProcessor postAssemblyLoad) in C:\Users\administrator\ael\ManagedServices\alphv_blackcat\Resources\ExMatter\_deps\ilmerge-src\System.Compiler\SystemTypes.cs:line 654
   at ILMerging.ILMerge.Merge()
   at ILMerging.ILMerge.Main(String[] args)

it seems that something is wrong with ILMerge itself...

Can you help figuring out how this was built for the scenario?

Thanks in advance!