Analysis by: Mc Justine De Guzman
 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Ransomware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • 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. It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 296,712 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 11 Jul 2020
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Displays graphics/image, Downloads files, Modifies system registry, Steals information, Encrypts files

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.exe -e {base-64 encoded command} → used to delete shadow copies

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

  • Global\60B05D51-E22A-BE51-AFDA-3BD4B9FEEE06

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
yfZ = "{hex values}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
BTXx = "{hex values}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
m8Xvd = "{hex values}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
tVV6V1 = "{hex values}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
V2g8eL9 = ".{appended extension}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Facebook_Assistant
o3XMH4XS = "{hex values}"

Process Termination

This Ransomware terminates the following services if found on the affected system:

  • AcronisAgent
  • AcrSch2Svc
  • ARSM
  • backup
  • BackupExecAgentAccelerator
  • BackupExecAgentBrowser
  • BackupExecDiveciMediaService
  • BackupExecJobEngine
  • BackupExecManagementService
  • BackupExecRPCService
  • BackupExecVSSProvider
  • bedbg
  • CAARCUpdateSvc
  • CASAD2DWebSvc
  • memtas
  • mepocs
  • MSExchange
  • MSExchange$
  • MSSQL
  • MSSQL$
  • MVArmor
  • MVarmor64
  • PDVFSService
  • sophos
  • sql
  • stc_raw_agent
  • svc$
  • veeam
  • VeeamDeploymentService
  • VeeamNFSSvc
  • VeeamTransportSvc
  • VSNAPVSS
  • vss
  • WSBExchange

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

  • agntsvc
  • bedbh
  • benetns
  • bengien
  • beserver
  • CagService
  • dbeng50
  • dbsnmp
  • DellSystemDetect
  • encsvc
  • EnterpriseClient
  • excel
  • firefox
  • infopath
  • isqlplussvc
  • msaccess
  • mspub
  • mydesktopqos
  • mydesktopservice
  • ocautoupds
  • ocomm
  • ocssd
  • onenote
  • oracle
  • outlook
  • powerpnt
  • pvlsvr
  • raw_agent_svc
  • sqbcoreservice
  • sql
  • steam
  • synctime
  • tbirdconfig
  • thebat
  • thunderbird
  • VeeamDeploymentS
  • VeeamNFSSvc
  • VeeamTransportSv
  • visio
  • vsnapvss
  • vxmon
  • winword
  • wordpad
  • xfssvccon

Information Theft

This Ransomware gathers the following data:

  • User Name
  • Computer Name
  • Workgroup
  • Systems Architecture
  • Operating System
  • Processor Information

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

  • It checks for the computer language and terminates if it is any of the following:
      • Russian
      • Ukrainian
      • Belarusian
      • Tajik
      • Armenian
      • Azeri-Latin
      • Georgian
      • Kazahk
      • Kyrgyz - Cyrillic
      • Slovenian
      • Uzbek - Latin
      • Tatar
      • Romanian - Moldova
      • Russian - Moldova
      • Azeri - Cyrillic
      • Uzbek - Cyrillic
      • Syriac
      • Arabic - Syria
    • It searches for files to encrypt in remote drives, fixed drives, removable drives, and network resources.
    • It wipes the contents of the following folder:
      • archive backup
      • archive
      • back
      • backup
      • backups
      • bckp
    • It changes the desktop background after encryption

    Ransomware Routine

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

    • ntuser.ini
    • desktop.ini
    • boot.ini
    • thumbs.db
    • ntldr
    • bootfont.bin
    • autorun.inf
    • iconcache.db
    • bootsect.bak
    • ntuser.dat
    • ntuser.dat.log

    It avoids encrypting files found in the following folders:

    • intel
    • google
    • mozilla
    • perflogs
    • windows.old
    • $windows.~ws
    • boot
    • programdata
    • $windows.~bt
    • msocache
    • system volume information
    • appdata
    • application data
    • $recycle.bin
    • tor browser
    • program files
    • program files (x86)

    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 Directory}\{appended extension}-readme.txt

    It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:

    • .icl
    • .drv
    • .deskthemepack
    • .ico
    • .hta
    • .adv
    • .bin
    • .com
    • .bat
    • .scr
    • .wpx
    • .diagcfg
    • .mod
    • .idx
    • .diagpkg
    • .mpa
    • .rom
    • .ics
    • .msp
    • .theme
    • .ocx
    • .themepack
    • .prf
    • .key
    • .icns
    • .386
    • .cmd
    • .lock
    • .dll
    • .ani
    • .rtp
    • .msstyles
    • .shs
    • .sys
    • .ldf
    • .cpl
    • .msi
    • .msu
    • .cab
    • .spl
    • .lnk
    • .diagcab
    • .ps1
    • .nomedia
    • .cur
    • .nls
    • .hlp
    • .msc
    • .exe

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 15.984.03
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 11 Jul 2020
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 15.985.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 12 Jul 2020

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

    • Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF036

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.

  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • yfZ = "{hex values}"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • BTXx = "{hex values}
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • m8Xvd = "{hex values}
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • tVV6V1 = "{hex values}
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • o3XMH4XS = "{hex values}
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Facebook_Assistant
    • V2g8eL9 = "{appended extension}

Step 6

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}\{appended extension}-readme.txt

Step 7

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as Ransom.Win32.SODINOKIBI.AUWUJDEI. 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 8

Restore encrypted files from backup.

Step 9

Reset your Desktop properties

[ Learn More ]


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