Analysis by: Jeffrey Francis Bonaobra
ALIASES:

VHO:Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Hive.gen (KASPERSKY)

 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: 746,496 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 02 Nov 2022
Payload: Encrypts files, Disables services, Drops 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 drops the following files:

  • {Drive Letter}:\{8 random characters}.key
  • {Encrypted Directory}\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt
  • {Drive Letter}:\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt

It adds the following processes:

  • "%System%\vssadmin.exe" delete shadows /all /quiet
  • "%System%\notepad.exe" %System Root%\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt
  • "%System%\wbem\WMIC.exe" shadowcopy delete
  • "%System%\wbadmin.exe" delete systemstatebackup
  • "%System%\wbadmin.exe" delete catalog-quiet
  • "%System%\bcdedit.exe" /set {default} recoveryenabled No
  • "%System%\bcdedit.exe" /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
  • "%System%\wbadmin.exe" delete systemstatebackup -keepVersions:3

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

Process Termination

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

  • MsMpSvc
  • kavsvc
  • DrWebCom
  • AntiVirService
  • ZhuDongFangYu
  • VMM
  • Vmwp
  • sql
  • sap
  • oracle
  • mepocs
  • memtas
  • veeam
  • backup
  • sql
  • vss
  • msexchange
  • mysql
  • sophos
  • Exchange
  • PDVFSService
  • BackupExec
  • GxBlr
  • GxVss
  • GxClMgrS
  • GxCVD
  • GxCIMgr
  • GXMMM
  • GxVssHWProv
  • GxFWD
  • SAP
  • QBCFMonitorService
  • QBDBMgrN
  • QBIDPService
  • AcronisAgent
  • Veeam
  • MVArmor
  • VSNAPVSS
  • AcrSch2Svc
  • WinDefend

It 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
  • *sql*
  • bedbh
  • vxmon
  • benetns
  • bengien
  • pvlsvr
  • beserver
  • raw_agent_svc
  • vsnapvss
  • CagService
  • QBIDPService
  • QBDBMgrN
  • QBCFMonitorService
  • SAP
  • TeamViewer_Service
  • TeamViewer
  • tv_w32
  • tv_x64
  • CVMountd
  • cvd
  • cvfwd
  • CVODS
  • saphostexec
  • saposcol
  • sapstartsrv
  • avagent
  • avscc
  • DellSystemDetect
  • EnterpriseClient
  • Veeam

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

  • It avoids encrypting files with file size below 4000 bytes.
  • It encrypts files found in the following drive types:
    • Fixed drive
    • Removable drive
    • Network drive

It accepts the following parameters:

  • -u {login}:{password}

Ransomware Routine

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

  • bootmgr
  • autorun.inf
  • thumbs.db
  • ntuser.dat

It avoids encrypting files found in the following folders:

  • Windows
  • Program Files
  • Program Files (x86)
  • Boot
  • PerfLogs
  • $Recycle.Bin
  • System Volume Information
  • Trend Micro

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

  • {8 random characters}_{11 random characters}
  • {8 random characters}-{11 random characters}
    • If extensions are the following:
      • .sql
      • .txt
      • .rtf
      • .xml
      • .pdf
      • .xls
      • .xlsx
      • .doc
      • .docx
      • .vmdk

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

  • {Encrypted Folder}\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt
  • {Drive Letter}:\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt

It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:

  • .exe
  • .dll
  • .sys
  • .msi
  • .lnk
  • .ini
  • .url

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 17.930.07
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 11 Nov 2022
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 17.931.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 12 Nov 2022

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.XXPE50FFF062

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

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.
  • {Drive Letter}:\{8 random characters}.key
  • {Drive Letter}:\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt
  • {Encrypted Folder}\HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.Win64.HIVE.E. 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 6

Restore encrypted files from backup.


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