Ransom.MSIL.BLUEAGLE.THOAAHAI


 ALIASES:

Trojan:Win32/Dynamer!rfn (Microsoft), Trojan.Win32.Encoder.fjnvit (NANO-Antivirus), MSIL/TrojanDropper.Agent.DFY (ESET-NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Ransomware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Propagates via removable drives

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 encrypts files found in specific folders.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

730,865 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Payload:

Encrypts files, Displays message/message boxes, Terminates processes

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 and executes the following files:

  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\svcran.exe ← perfoms the encryption routine

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware changes the desktop wallpaper by modifying the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper = %Application Data%\Back.jpg

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

Propagation

This Ransomware drops the following copy(ies) of itself in all removable drives:

  • {Removable Drive}:\{8 random number}.exe

It sets the attributes of the following items to Hidden to trick the user into clicking the .LNK files:

  • {Removable Drive}:\{8 random number}.exe
  • {Removable Drive}:\{folders}

It creates shortcut files (.LNK) disguised as folders or files located on the affected drives pointing to the malware copy.

Process Termination

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

  • explorer.exe
  • Microsoft.Exchange
  • MSExchange
  • sqlserver.exe
  • sqlwriter.exe
  • mysqld.exe

Dropping Routine

This Ransomware drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\TockenOffice.blueeagle -> key used in encryption
  • %Application Data%\Back.jpg ← set us wallpaper
  • %User Temp%\svran.exe
  • %User Temp%\svran-Thread.exe
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\svran-Thread.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

Other Details

This Ransomware displays the following message boxes:


Ransomware Routine

This Ransomware encrypts files found in the following folders:

  • {All drives}

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

  • .MaxSteSaherBlueEagle
  • TockenOffice.blueeagle

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

  • .MaxSteSaherBlueEagle

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

14.758.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

18 Jan 2019

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

14.759.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

19 Jan 2019

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.MSIL.BLUEAGLE.THOAAHAI

[ 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

Reset your Desktop properties

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Set system to display all hidden files and folders

[ Learn More ]

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.
  • %User Temp%\svran.exe
  • %User Temp%\svran-Thread.exe
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\svcran.exe
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\svran-Thread.exe
  • {Infected Removable Drive}:\{8 random number}.exe
  • {Infected Removable Drive}\{Original Foldername}.lnk
  • %Application Data%\Back.jpg

Step 7

  1. Open a command prompt.
    • For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 users, click Start>Run. In the Search box, type CMD then press Enter.
    • For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 users, click Start, type CMD in the Search input field then press Enter.
    • For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen, click Command Prompt.
  2. In the CMD console, type the following:

    ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A ] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [+I | -I] [drive:][path][file name] [/S [/D] [/L]]

    Where:
    + Sets an attribute.
    - Clears an attribute
    R Read-only file attribute
    A Archive file attribute
    S System file attribute
    H Hidden file attribute
    I Not content indexed file attribute
    [drive:][path][filename]
    Specifies a file or files for attrib to process
    /S Processes matching files in the current folder and all subfolders.
    /D Processes folders
    /L Work on the attributes of the Symbolic Link versus the target of the Symbolic Link
    Example:
    To unhide all files and folders (including subfolders) in drive D:
    ATTRIB –H D:\* /S /D
  3. Repeat Step 3 for folders and files in other drives or folders.

Step 8

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.MSIL.BLUEAGLE.THOAAHAI. 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 9

Restore encrypted files from backup.


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