Ransom.Win32.PHOBOS.THGOEAI

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.

It drops files as ransom note.

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 copies of itself into the affected system:

• %AppDataLocal%\{Malware File Name}.exe

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It adds the following processes:

• netsh advfirewall set currentprofile state off
• netsh firewall set opmode mode=disable
• "%System%\mshta.exe" "{Drive letter}\info.hta" -> Executes dropped ransom note
• "%System%\mshta.exe" "%Desktop%\info.hta" -> Executes dropped ransom note
• "%System%\mshta.exe" "%Public%\desktop\info.hta" -> Executes dropped ransom note

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %Public% is the folder that serves as a repository of files or folders common to all users, which is usually C:\Users\Public in Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• Global\<>{Volume Serial Number}

Autostart Technique

This Ransomware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{Malware File Name} = "%AppDataLocal%\{malware file name}.exe"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{Malware File Name} = "%AppDataLocal%\{malware file name}.exe"

It enables its automatic execution at every system startup by dropping the following copies of itself into the Windows Common Startup folder:

• %Common Startup%\{Malware File Name}.exe
• %User Startup%\{Malware File Name}.exe

(Note: %Common Startup% is the startup folder for all users, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %User Startup% is the current user's Startup folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows NT, C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows 2003(32-bit), XP and 2000(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit), 10(64-bit).)

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\International\CpMRU

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\International\CpMRU
Enable = 1

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\International\CpMRU
Size = 10

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\International\CpMRU
InitHits = 100

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\International\CpMRU
Factor = 20

Process Termination

This Ransomware terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

• msftesql.exe
• sqlagent.exe
• sqlbrowser.exe
• sqlservr.exe
• sqlwriter.exe
• oracle.exe
• ocssd.exe
• dbsnmp.exe
• synctime.exe
• agntsvc.exe
• mydesktopqos.exe
• isqlplussvc.exe
• xfssvccon.exe
• mydesktopservice.exe
• ocautoupds.exe
• agntsvc.exe
• agntsvc.exe
• agntsvc.exe
• encsvc.exe
• firefoxconfig.exe
• tbirdconfig.exe
• ocomm.exe
• mysqld.exe
• mysqld-nt.exe
• mysqld-opt.exe
• dbeng50.exe
• sqbcoreservice.exe
• excel.exe
• infopath.exe
• msaccess.exe
• mspub.exe
• onenote.exe
• outlook.exe
• powerpnt.exe
• steam.exe
• thebat.exe
• thebat64.exe
• thunderbird.exe
• visio.exe
• winword.exe
• wordpad.exe

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

• "info.hta" displays the following:
  

Ransomware Routine

This Ransomware avoids encrypting files with the following strings in their file name:

• io.sys
• boot.ini
• bootfont.bin
• ntldr
• ntdetect.com
• info.hta
• info.txt
• {Malware Filename.exe}

It avoids encrypting files with the following strings in their file path:

• Users
• {Username}
• {Computer Name}
• AppData
• Roaming
• Microsoft
• Windows
• Library

It appends the following extension to the file name of the encrypted files:

• {File Name}.{File Extension}.id[ID-Volume Serial Number].[burnofin@{BLOCKED}l.com].adage

It drops the following file(s) as ransom note:

• {Drive Letter}\info.hta
• %Desktop%\info.hta
• %Public%\Desktop\info.txt
• %Public%\Desktop\info.hta
• %Desktop%\info.txt
• {Drive Letter}\info.txt

(Note: %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %Public% is the folder that serves as a repository of files or folders common to all users, which is usually C:\Users\Public in Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

It leaves text files that serve as ransom notes containing the following text: