RANSOM_HIDDENTEARCERBER.A
a variant of MSIL/Filecoder.AK (ESET); Ransom.HiddenTear (AVG); Trojan.Filecoder (Malwarebytes);
Windows
Threat Type: Trojan
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: No
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware
This Trojan arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
It connects to certain websites to send and receive information. It gathers information and reports it to its servers.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
98816 bytes
EXE
Yes
07 Nov 2016
Renames Files, Encrypts Files, Terminates processes, Drops files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information
Arrival Details
This Trojan arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
Installation
This Trojan drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:
- %Application Data\{original file name and file extension}
It drops the following files:
- %Desktop%\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html {ransom note}
- %Application Data%\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html {ransom note}
- {folders where it is able to encrypt files}\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html {ransom note}
(Note: %Desktop% is the desktop folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Desktop in Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop in Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.. %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)
Autostart Technique
This Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Traxxio = "%Application Data\{original file name and file extension}"
Other System Modifications
This Trojan adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\
FEATURE_LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN
iexplore.exe = "0"
Process Termination
This Trojan terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:
- CryptoMonitor
Other Details
This Trojan connects to the following website to send and receive information:
- http://{BLOCKED}t.pw/ransom/landing/gate.php?hwid=
It encrypts files with the following extensions:
- .jpg
- .JPEG
- .JPG
- .jpeg
- .raw
- .tif
- .gif
- .png
- .bmp
- .3dm
- .max
- .accdb
- .db
- .dbf
- .mdb
- .pdb
- .sql
- .sav
- .spv
- .grle
- .mlx
- .sv5
- .game
- .slot
- .dwg
- .dxf
- .c
- .cpp
- .cs
- .h
- .php
- .asp
- .rb
- .java
- .jar
- .class
- .aaf
- .aep
- .aepx
- .plb
- .prel
- .prproj
- .aet
- .ppj
- .psd
- .indd
- .indl
- .indt
- .indb
- .inx
- .idml
- .pmd
- .xqx
- .xqx
- .ai
- .eps
- .ps
- .svg
- .swf
- .fla
- .as3
- .as
- .txt
- .doc
- .dot
- .docx
- .docm
- .dotx
- .dotm
- .docb
- .rtf
- .wpd
- .wps
- .msg
- .xls
- .xlt
- .xlm
- .xlsx
- .xlsm
- .xltx
- .xltm
- .xlsb
- .xla
- .xlam
- .xll
- .xlw
- .ppt
- .pot
- .pps
- .pptx
- .pptm
- .potx
- .potm
- .ppam
- .ppsx
- .ppsm
- .sldx
- .sldm
- .wav
- .mp3
- .aif
- .iff
- .m3u
- .m4u
- .mid
- .mpa
- .wma
- .ra
- .avi
- .mov
- .mp4
- .3gp
- .mpeg
- .3g2
- .asf
- .asx
- .flv
- .mpg
- .wmv
- .vob
- .m3u8
- .csv
- .efx
- .sdf
- .vcf
- .xml
- .ses
- .dat
- .RAW
- .TIF
- .GIF
- .PNG
- .BMP
- .3DM
- .MAX
- .ACCDB
- .DB
- .DBF
- .MDB
- .PDB
- .SQL
- .SAV
- .SPV
- .GRLE
- .MLX
- .SV5
- .GAME
- .SLOT
- .DWG
- .DXF
- .C
- .CPP
- .CS
- .H
- .PHP
- .ASP
- .RB
- .JAVA
- .JAR
- .CLASS
- .AAF
- .AEP
- .AEPX
- .PLB
- .PREL
- .PRPROJ
- .AET
- .PPJ
- .PSD
- .INDD
- .INDL
- .INDT
- .INDB
- .INX
- .IDML
- .PMD
- .XQX
- .XQX
- .AI
- .EPS
- .PS
- .SVG
- .SWF
- .FLA
- .AS3
- .AS
- .TXT
- .DOC
- .DOT
- .DOCX
- .DOCM
- .DOTX
- .DOTM
- .DOCB
- .RTF
- .WPD
- .WPS
- .MSG
- .XLS
- .XLT
- .XLM
- .XLSX
- .XLSM
- .XLTX
- .XLTM
- .XLSB
- .XLA
- .XLAM
- .XLL
- .XLW
- .PPT
- .POT
- .PPS
- .PPTX
- .PPTM
- .POTX
- .POTM
- .PPAM
- .PPSX
- .PPSM
- .SLDX
- .SLDM
- .WAV
- .MP3
- .AIF
- .IFF
- .M3U
- .M4U
- .MID
- .MPA
- .WMA
- .RA
- .AVI
- .MOV
- .MP4
- .3GP
- .MPEG
- .3G2
- .ASF
- .ASX
- .FLV
- .MPG
- .WMV
- .VOB
- .M3U8
- .CSV
- .EFX
- .SDF
- .VCF
- .XML
- .SES
It renames encrypted files using the following names:
- {original file name and file extension}.cerber
It does the following:
- It avoids encrypting files on the directories that contain the following strings
- Windows
- Program Files
- Program Files (x86)
- games
- packages
- AppData
- Application Data
- cache
- temp
- PerfLogs
- Windows
It gathers the following information and reports it to its servers:
- volume serial number
NOTES:
This ransomware shows the following ransom note:
SOLUTION
9.800
12.886.03
08 Nov 2016
12.887.00
09 Nov 2016
Step 1
Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.
Step 2
Note that not all files, folders, and registry keys and entries are installed on your computer during this malware's/spyware's/grayware's execution. This may be due to incomplete installation or other operating system conditions. If you do not find the same files/folders/registry information, please proceed to the next step.
Step 3
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 4
Delete this registry value
Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- Traxxio = "%Application Data\{original file name and file extension}"
- Traxxio = "%Application Data\{original file name and file extension}"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN
- iexplore.exe = "0"
- iexplore.exe = "0"
Step 5
Search and delete this file
- %Desktop%\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html
- %Application Data%\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html
- {folders where it is able to encrypt files}\HOW_TO_RESTORE_YOUR_DATA.html
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as RANSOM_HIDDENTEARCERBER.A. If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check this Knowledge Base page for more information.
Step 7
Restore encrypted files from backup.
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