Arrival Details
This Ransomware 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 Ransomware drops the following files:
- %Program Data%\{4 random characters}.tmp
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}\{random}.tmp → deleted afterwards
It adds the following processes:
- %Program Data%\{4 random characters}.tmp
It creates the following folders:
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}
(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)
Other System Modifications
This Ransomware adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:
HKEY_LOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
Ck8GvVQ9E\DefaultIcon
(Default) = %ProgramData%Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
.Ck8GvVQ9E
(Default) = Ck8GvVQ9E
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
GlobalAssocChangedCounter = 0x00000027(39)
It adds the following registry keys as part of its installation routine:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
.Ck8GvVQ9E
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
Ck8GvVQ9E
HKEY_LOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
Ck8GvVQ9E\DefaultIcon
It changes the desktop wallpaper by modifying the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
WallPaper = %ProgramData%\Ck8GvVQ9E.bmp
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
WallpaperStyle = 10
It sets the system's desktop wallpaper to the following image:
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.bmp
Process Termination
This Ransomware terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:
- agntsvc
- dbeng50
- dbsnmp
- encsvc
- excel
- firefox
- infopath
- isqlplussvc
- msaccess
- mspub
- mydesktopqos
- mydesktopservice
- notepad
- ocautoupds
- ocomm
- ocssd
- onenote
- oracle
- outlook
- powerpnt
- sqbcoreservice
- sql
- steam
- synctime
- tbirdconfig
- thebat
- thunderbird
- visio
- winword
- wordpad
- xfssvccon
Other Details
This Ransomware does the following:
- If not executed with admin rights, it will attempt relaunch itself as admin by elevating its privileges via bypassing UAC.
- It encrypts fixed, removable, and network drives
- It deletes files in recycle bin folder for removable and fixed drives
- It uses WQL to delete shadow copies
- It terminates if the machine has the following system language:
- Arabic (Syria)
- Armenian
- Azeri (Cyrillic)
- Azeri (Latin)
- Belarusian
- Georgian
- Kazakh
- Kyrgyz (Cyrillic)
- Romanian (Moldova)
- Russian
- Russian (Moldova)
- Tajik
- Tatar
- Turkmen
- Ukrainian
- Uzbek (Cyrillic)
- Uzbek (Latin)
- It deletes services with the following strings:
- backup
- GxBlr
- GxCIMgr
- GxCVD
- GxFWD
- GxVss
- memtas
- mepocs
- msexchange
- sophos
- sql
- svc$
- veeam
- vss
- It deletes the following services:
- WdBoot
- WdFilter
- WdNisDrv
- WdNisSvc
- WinDefend
- wscsvc
- sppsvc
- Sense
- SecurityHealthService
- Change the icon of encrypted file with %ProgramData%\Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
(Note: %ProgramData% is a version of the Program Files folder where any user on a multi-user computer can make changes to programs. This contains application data for all users. This is usually C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit), or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows Server 2003(32-bit), 2000(32-bit) and XP.)
Ransomware Routine
This Ransomware avoids encrypting files with the following strings in their file name:
- autorun.inf
- boot.ini
- bootfont.bin
- bootsect.bak
- d3d9caps.dat
- desktop.ini
- GDIPFONTCACHEV1.DAT
- iconcache.db
- ntldr
- ntuser.dat
- ntuser.dat.log
- ntuser.ini
- thumbs.db
It avoids encrypting files found in the following folders:
- $recycle.bin
- $windows.~bt
- $windows.~ws
- all users
- boot
- config.msi
- default
- intel
- microsoft
- msocache
- perflogs
- program files
- program files (x86)
- programdata
- public
- system volume information
- tor browser
- windows
- windows.old
- x64dbg
It renames encrypted files using the following names:
- {Random Characters}.Ck8GvVQ9E
It drops the following file(s) as ransom note:
- {Encrypted Directory}\Ck8GvVQ9E.README.txt
It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:
- 386
- .adv
- .ani
- .bat
- .bin
- .cab
- .cmd
- .com
- .cpl
- .cur
- .deskthemepack
- .diagcab
- .diagcfg
- .diagpkg
- .dll
- .drv
- .exe
- .hlp
- .hta
- .icl
- .icns
- .ico
- .ics
- .idx
- .key
- .ldf
- .lnk
- .lock
- .mod
- .mpa
- .msc
- .msi
- .msp
- .msstyles
- .msu
- .nls
- .nomedia
- .ocx
- .pdb
- .prf
- .ps1
- .rom
- .rtp
- .scr
- .search-ms
- .shs
- .spl
- .sys
- .theme
- .themepack
- .wpx
Step 1
Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.
Step 2
Delete this registry key
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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. Before you could do this, you must restart in Safe Mode. For instructions on how to do this, you may refer to this page If the preceding step requires you to restart in safe mode, you may proceed to edit the system registry.
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Ck8GvVQ9E\
To delete the registry key this malware/grayware/spyware created:
- Restart your computer in Safe Mode. For instructions on how to do this, you may refer to this page. If the preceding step requires you to restart in safe mode, you may proceed to #2.
- Open Registry Editor. To do this:
» For Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2) users, click the Start button, type regedit in the Search input field then press Enter.
» For Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and Server 2012 users, right-click on the lower left corner of the screen, click Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter. - In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Classes> - Still in the left panel, locate and delete the key:
.Ck8GvVQ9E - Again Still in the left panel, locate and delete the key:
Ck8GvVQ9E - In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Classes>Ck8GvVQ9E> - Still in the left panel, locate and delete the key:
DefaultIcon - Close Registry Editor.
Step 3
Delete this registry value
[ Learn More ]
[ back ]
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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.Ck8GvVQ9E
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Ck8GvVQ9E\DefaultIcon
- (Default) = %ProgramData%Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
- Explorer GlobalAssocChangedCounter = 0x00000027(39)
To delete the registry value this malware/grayware created:
- Open Registry Editor.
» For Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (R2) users, click the Start button, type regedit in the Search input field then press Enter.
» For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 (R2) users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen, click Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter. - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Classes>.Ck8GvVQ9E - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
(Default) = Ck8GvVQ9E - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Classes>Ck8GvVQ9E>DefaultIcon - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
(Default) = %ProgramData%Ck8GvVQ9E.ico - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersio - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
Explorer GlobalAssocChangedCounter = 0x00000027(39) - Close Registry Editor.
Step 4
Search and delete this file
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There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the
Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
- %Program Data%\{4 random characters}.tmp
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.bmp
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}\{random}.tmp
To manually delete a malware/grayware file from an affected system:
•For Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 (R2), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 (R2):
- Open a Windows Explorer window.
- For Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2) users, click Start>Computer.
- For Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and Server 2012 (R2) users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen,then click File Explorer.
- In the Search Computer/This PC input box, type:
- %Program Data%\{4 random characters}.tmp
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.bmp
- %Program Data%\Ck8GvVQ9E.ico
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}\{random}.tmp
- Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
*Note: Read the following Microsoft page if these steps do not work on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (R2).
Step 5
Search and delete these folders
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Please make sure you check the
Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}
To delete malware/grayware/spyware folders:
For Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 (R2), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 (R2):
- Open a Windows Explorer window.
- For Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2) users, click Start>Computer.
- For Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and Server 2012 (R2) users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen,then click File Explorer.
- In the Search Computer/This PC input box, type:
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}
- Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to permanently delete the folder.
- Repeat steps 2-3 for the remaining folders:
- %System Root%\{8 random characters}
*Note: Read the following Microsoft page if these steps do not work on Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2).
Step 6
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.PS1.LOCKBIT.AA. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:
Step 7
Restore encrypted files from backup.
Step 8
Reset your Desktop properties
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To restore your wallpaper:
- Click Start>Settings>Control Panel.
- Double-click the Display option and click the Background tab.
- Click the Browse button to select your preferred wallpaper or select an image from the Windows built-in wallpapers.
- Choose OK to apply the changes.
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