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RANSOM_PSCRYPT.A

July 08, 2017
 Analysis by: Byron Jon Gelera
 ALIASES:

Ransom:Win32/Ergop.B (Microsoft); Ransom.CryptXXX (Symantec)

 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:

Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet

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:

228,864 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

22 Jun 2017

Payload:

Displays graphics/image, 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 drops the following component file(s):

  • %User Temp%\qfjgmfgmkj.tmp
  • %User Temp%\hjkhkHUhhjp.bat ← used to delete itself, deleted afterwards

(Note: %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Ransomware Routine

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

  • .pscrypt
  • Paxynok.html

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

  • windows
  • Microsoft
  • Microsoft Help
  • Windows App Certification Kit
  • Windows Defender
  • ESET
  • COMODO
  • Windows NT
  • Windows Kits
  • Windows Mail
  • Windows Media Player
  • Windows Multimedia Platform
  • Windows Phone Kits
  • Windows Phone Silverlight Kits
  • Windows Photo Viewer
  • Windows Portable Devices
  • Windows Sidebar
  • WindowsPowerShell
  • Temp
  • NVIDIA Corporation
  • Microsoft.NET
  • Internet Explorer
  • Kaspersky Lab
  • McAfee
  • Avira
  • spytech software
  • sysconfig
  • Avast
  • Dr.Web
  • Symantec
  • Symantec_Client_Security
  • system volume information
  • AVG
  • Microsoft Shared
  • Common Files
  • Outlook Express
  • Movie Maker
  • Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Opera
  • YandexBrowser
  • ntldr
  • wsus
  • Wsus
  • ProgramData

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

  • .pscrypt

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

  • {Path of encrypted files}\Paxynok.html
  • The ransom note contains the following:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

13.486.08

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

22 Jun 2017

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

13.487.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

23 Jun 2017

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

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 3

Identify and terminate files detected as RANSOM_PSCRYPT.A

[ Learn More ]
  1. Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
  2. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

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.  
  • %User Temp%\qfjgmfgmkj.tmp
  • %User Temp%\hjkhkHUhhjp.bat
  • {Path of encrypted files}\Paxynok.html

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as RANSOM_PSCRYPT.A. 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 6

Restore encrypted files from backup.


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