Ransom.MSIL.BALLISTIC.A

 Analysis by: Elton Rondero

 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

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 with specific file extensions. It drops files as ransom note.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

59,392 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

18 Apr 2020

Payload:

Displays message/message boxes, 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 and executes the following files:

  • {Malware path}\del.bat ? deletes all .exe and .bat file in the current directory (including itself and the malware file).

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry entries:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
EnableLUA = 1

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

  • it encrypts files found on all drives however it will only encrypt files from %System Root% in the following directories:
    • %User Profile%\Desktop
    • %User Profile%\Links
    • %User Profile%\Contacts
    • %User Profile%\Documents
    • %User Profile%\Downloads
    • %User Profile%\Pictures
    • %User Profile%\Music
    • %User Profile%\OneDrive
    • %User Profile%\Saved Games
    • %User Profile%\Favorites
    • %User Profile%\Searches
    • %User Profile%\Videos

(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

Ransomware Routine

This Ransomware encrypts files with the following extensions:

  • .gif
  • .groups
  • .hdd
  • .hpp
  • .log
  • .m2ts
  • .m4p
  • .mkv
  • .mpeg
  • .ndf
  • .nvram
  • .ogg
  • .ost
  • .pab
  • .pdb
  • .pif
  • .png
  • .qed
  • .qcow
  • .qcow2
  • .rvt
  • .st7
  • .stm
  • .vbox
  • .vdi
  • .vhd
  • .vhdx
  • .vmdk
  • .vmsd
  • .vmx
  • .vmxf
  • .3fr
  • .3pr
  • .ab4
  • .accde
  • .accdr
  • .accdt
  • .ach
  • .acr
  • .adb
  • .ads
  • .agdl
  • .ait
  • .apj
  • .asm
  • .awg
  • .back
  • .backup
  • .backupdb
  • .bay
  • .bdb
  • .bgt
  • .bik
  • .bpw
  • .cdr3
  • .cdr4
  • .cdr5
  • .cdr6
  • .cdrw
  • .ce1
  • .ce2
  • .cib
  • .craw
  • .crw
  • .csh
  • .csl
  • .db_journal
  • .dc2
  • .dcs
  • .ddoc
  • .ddrw
  • .der
  • .des
  • .dgc
  • .djvu
  • .dng
  • .drf
  • .dxg
  • .eml
  • .erbsql
  • .erf
  • .exf
  • .ffd
  • .fh
  • .fhd
  • .gray
  • .grey
  • .gry
  • .hbk
  • .ibd
  • .ibz
  • .iiq
  • .incpas
  • .jpe
  • .kc2
  • .kdbx
  • .kdc
  • .kpdx
  • .lua
  • .mdc
  • .mef
  • .mfw
  • .mmw
  • .mny
  • .mrw
  • .myd
  • .ndd
  • .nef
  • .nk2
  • .nop
  • .nrw
  • .ns2
  • .ns3
  • .ns4
  • .nwb
  • .nx2
  • .nxl
  • .nyf
  • .odb
  • .odf
  • .odg
  • .odm
  • .orf
  • .otg
  • .oth
  • .otp
  • .ots
  • .ott
  • .p12
  • .p7b
  • .p7c
  • .pdd
  • .pem
  • .plus_muhd
  • .plc
  • .pot
  • .pptx
  • .psafe3
  • .py
  • .qba
  • .qbr
  • .qbw
  • .qbx
  • .qby
  • .raf
  • .rat
  • .raw
  • .rdb
  • .rwl
  • .rwz
  • .s3db
  • .sd0
  • .sda
  • .sdf
  • .sqlite
  • .sqlite3
  • .sqlitedb
  • .sr2
  • .srf
  • .srw
  • .st5
  • .st8
  • .std
  • .sti
  • .stw
  • .stx
  • .sxd
  • .sxg
  • .sxi
  • .sxm
  • .tex
  • .wallet
  • .wb2
  • .wpd
  • .x11
  • .x3f
  • .xis
  • .ycbcra
  • .yuv
  • .contact
  • .dbx
  • .doc
  • .docx
  • .jnt
  • .jpg
  • .msg
  • .oab
  • .ods
  • .pdf
  • .pps
  • .ppsm
  • .ppt
  • .pptm
  • .prf
  • .pst
  • .rar
  • .rtf
  • .txt
  • .wab
  • .xls
  • .xlsx
  • .xml
  • .zip
  • .1cd
  • .3ds
  • .3g2
  • .3gp
  • .7z
  • .7zip
  • .accdb
  • .aoi
  • .asf
  • .asp
  • .aspx
  • .asx
  • .avi
  • .bak
  • .cer
  • .cfg
  • .class
  • .config
  • .css
  • .csv
  • .db
  • .dds
  • .dwg
  • .dxf
  • .flf
  • .flv
  • .html
  • .idx
  • .js
  • .key
  • .kwm
  • .laccdb
  • .ldf
  • .lit
  • .m3u
  • .mbx
  • .md
  • .exe
  • .mdf
  • .mid
  • .mlb
  • .mov
  • .mp3
  • .mp4
  • .mpg
  • .obj
  • .odt
  • .pages
  • .EXE
  • .php
  • .psd
  • .pwm
  • .rm
  • .safe
  • .sav
  • .save
  • .sql
  • .srt
  • .swf
  • .thm
  • .vob
  • .wav
  • .wma
  • .wmv
  • .xlsb,3dm
  • .aac
  • .ai
  • .arw
  • .c
  • .cdr
  • .cls
  • .cpi
  • .cpp
  • .cs
  • .db3
  • .docm
  • .dot
  • .dotm
  • .dotx
  • .drw
  • .dxb
  • .eps
  • .fla
  • .flac
  • .fxg
  • .java
  • .m
  • .m4v
  • .max
  • .mdb
  • .pcd
  • .pct
  • .pl
  • .potm
  • .potx
  • .ppam
  • .ppsm
  • .ppsx
  • .pptm
  • .ps
  • .r3d
  • .rw2
  • .sldm
  • .sldx
  • .svg
  • .tga
  • .wps
  • .xla
  • .xlam
  • .xlm
  • .xlr
  • .xlsm
  • .xlt
  • .xltm
  • .xltx
  • .xlw
  • .act
  • .adp
  • .al
  • .bkp
  • .blend
  • .cdf
  • .cdx
  • .cgm
  • .cr2
  • .crt
  • .dac
  • .dbf
  • .dcr
  • .ddd
  • .design
  • .dtd
  • .fdb
  • .fff
  • .fpx
  • .h
  • .iif
  • .indd
  • .jpeg
  • .mos
  • .nd
  • .nsd
  • .nsf
  • .nsg
  • .nsh
  • .odc
  • .odp
  • .oil
  • .pas
  • .pat
  • .pef
  • .pfx
  • .ptx
  • .qbb
  • .qbm
  • .sas7bdat
  • .say
  • .st4
  • .st6
  • .stc
  • .sxc
  • .sxw
  • .tlg
  • .wad
  • .xlk
  • .aiff
  • .bin
  • .bmp
  • .cmt
  • .dat
  • .dit
  • .edb
  • .flvv
  • .mid
  • .wma
  • .flv
  • .mkv
  • .mov
  • .avi
  • .asf
  • .mpeg
  • .vob
  • .mpg
  • .wmv
  • .fla
  • .swf
  • .wav
  • .qcow2
  • .vdi
  • .vmdk
  • .vmx
  • .gpg
  • .aes
  • .ARC
  • .PAQ
  • .tar
  • .bz2
  • .tbk
  • .bak
  • .tar
  • .tgz
  • .rar
  • .zip
  • .djv
  • .djvu
  • .svg
  • .bmp
  • .png
  • .gif
  • .raw
  • .cgm
  • .jpeg
  • .jpg
  • .tif
  • .tiff
  • .NEF
  • .psd
  • .cmd
  • .bat
  • .class
  • .jar
  • .java
  • .asp
  • .brd
  • .sch
  • .dch
  • .dip
  • .vbs
  • .asm
  • .pas
  • .cpp
  • .php
  • .ldf
  • .mdf
  • .ibd
  • .MYI
  • .MYD
  • .frm
  • .odb
  • .dbf
  • .mdb
  • .sql
  • .SQLITEDB
  • .SQLITE3
  • .asc
  • .lay6
  • .lay
  • .ms11
  • .sldm
  • .sldx
  • .ppsm
  • .ppsx
  • .ppam
  • .docb
  • .mml
  • .sxm
  • .otg
  • .odg
  • .uop
  • .potx
  • .potm
  • .pptx
  • .pptm
  • .std
  • .sxd
  • .pot
  • .pps
  • .sti
  • .sxi
  • .otp
  • .odp
  • .wks
  • .xltx
  • .xltm
  • .xlsx
  • .xlsm
  • .xlsb
  • .slk
  • .xlw
  • .xlt
  • .xlm
  • .xlc
  • .dif
  • .stc
  • .sxc
  • .ots
  • .ods
  • .hwp
  • .dotm
  • .dotx
  • .docm
  • .docx
  • .DOT
  • .max
  • .xml
  • .txt
  • .CSV
  • .uot
  • .RTF
  • .pdf
  • .XLS
  • .PPT
  • .stw
  • .sxw
  • .ott
  • .odt
  • .DOC
  • .pem
  • .csr
  • .crt
  • .keywallet
  • .dat

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

  • .SARS-CoV-2

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

  • {Encrypted Directory}\RECOVER MY ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT

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

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

15.812.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

18 Apr 2020

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

15.813.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

19 Apr 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.XXPE50FFF034

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 value

[ 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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • EnableLUA = 1

Step 6

Search and delete this file

[ 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 Directory}\RECOVER MY ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT

Step 7

Restore encrypted files from backup.

Step 8

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.MSIL.BALLISTIC.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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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