Ransom.Win32.SODINOKIBI.AUWTN

September 13, 2019

Analysis by: Earle Maui Earnshaw

ALIASES:

Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Encoder.dqv (Kaspersky)

PLATFORM:

Windows

OVERALL RISK RATING:

DAMAGE POTENTIAL:

DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:

REPORTED INFECTION:

INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

Threat Type: Ransomware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes

OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware

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.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 168,448 bytes

File Type: EXE

Memory Resident: Yes

Initial Samples Received Date: 22 Aug 2019

Payload: Terminates processes, Steals information, Displays graphics/image

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 adds the following processes:

powershell -e {base64 encoded string} → delete shadow copies

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{3 random character} = {Hex Bytes}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{4 random characters} = {Hex bytes}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{5 random character} = {Hex Bytes}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{6 random character} = {Hex Bytes}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{7 random character} = .{appended file extension}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\
OrganizationDefaults
{8 random Character} = {Hex Bytes}

It changes the desktop wallpaper by modifying the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop value
Wallpaper = %User Temp%\{random characters}.bmp

It sets the system's desktop wallpaper to the following image:

Process Termination

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

sqbcoreservice
firefox
ocssd
winword
powerpnt
sql
dbeng50
encsvc
thebat
ocomm
mydesktopservice
oracle
steam
tbirdconfig
synctime
dbsnmp
ocautoupds
outlook
onenote
isqlplussvc
excel
xfssvccon
msaccess
agntsvc
thunderbird
infopath
wordpa
mspub
visio
mydesktopqos

Information Theft

This Ransomware gathers the following data:

Computer name
User name
Workgroup
Processor
Operating System
System Architecture

Stolen Information

This Ransomware sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:

https://{domain}/{string 1}/{string 2}/{random characters}.{string 3}
- {domain}
- {string 1}
- {string 2}
- {string 3}

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

It will terminate itself if the affected system's keyboard layout is any of the following:
- Romanian
- Russian
- Ukrainian
- Belarusian
- Estonian
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
- Tajik
- Farsi
- Armenian
- Azeri
- Georgian
- Kazakh
- Kyrgyz
- Turkmen
- Uzbek
- Tatar
It searches for files to encrypt in remote drives, fixed drives, removable drives, and network resources.

Ransomware Routine

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

File names:
- ntuser.dat
- bootsect.bak
- iconcache.db
- desktop.ini
- thumbs.db
- ntuser.dat.log
- bootfont.bin
- autorun.inf
- ntuser.ini
- ntldr
- boot.ini
File extensions:
- msi
- mpa
- ps1
- lnk
- icl
- hlp
- diagcfg
- cab
- icns
- nls
- drv
- key
- cur
- ldf
- ics
- com
- 386
- ico
- mod
- scr
- cmd
- deskthemepack
- exe
- themepack
- cpl
- spl
- msu
- hta
- ani
- dll
- msc
- diagcab
- rom
- bat
- msstyles
- bin
- lock
- adv
- idx
- ocx
- prf
- diagpkg
- nomedia
- theme
- shs
- wpx
- sys
- msp
- rtp

It avoids encrypting files found in the following folders:

tor browser
msocache
$recycle.bin
system volume information
boot
google
intel
application data
windows
$windows.~bt
$windows.~ws
windows.old
perflogs
appdata
mozilla

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

.{random characters}

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

{encrypted folder}\how to decrypt {appended ransom extension}-readme.txt

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

SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 15.362.03

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 12 Sep 2019

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 15.363.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 13 Sep 2019

Step 1

Trend Micro products with the XGen technology detect this malware as

[ Learn More ]

Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF031

Step 2

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 3

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 4

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Delete this registry key

[ Learn More ]

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.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults

Step 6

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {3 random Characters} = "{Hex Bytes}"
In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {4 random Characters} = {Hex Bytes}
In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {5 random Characters} = {Hex Bytes}
In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {6 random Characters} = {Hex Bytes}
In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {7 random Characters} = .{appended file extension}
In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\QtProject\OrganizationDefaults
- {8 random Characters} = {Hex bytes}

Step 7

Reset your Desktop properties

[ Learn More ]

Step 8

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]

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. {encrypted folder}\how to decrypt {appended ransom extension}-readme.txt

Step 9

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as Ransom.Win32.SODINOKIBI.AUWTN. 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 10

Restore encrypted files from backup.

Step 11

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.Win32.SODINOKIBI.AUWTN. 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:

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Ransom.Win32.SODINOKIBI.AUWTN

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