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RANSOM_GHOST.THAAAIAH

December 10, 2018
 Analysis by: Henry Alarcon Jr.
 ALIASES:

Trojan:Win32/Occamy.C (Microsoft), MSIL/Filecoder.QK (ESET-NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Ransomware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • 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 encrypts files found in specific folders.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

651,264 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Payload:

Encrypts files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Modifies system registry, Terminates processes, Displays message/message boxes

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):

  • %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.exe ← manage service created
  • %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.exe.config ← application configuration
  • %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.pdb ← application database
  • %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.vshost.exe ← create event logs
  • %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostHammer.dll
  • %System Root%\Do_Not_Delete_codeId.txt ← contains victim Code ID
  • %System Root%\GhostForm.exe ← file encryptor
  • %System Root%\GhostFile.dll ← module that search files to be encrypted
  • %System Root%\GhostHammer.dll ← obfuscated module that provides algorithm of the encryption

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

It drops and executes the following files:

  • %Application Data%\Ghost\Ghost.bat

(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.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\Ghost

(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.)

Autostart Technique

This Ransomware starts the following services:

  • Service Name: GhostService
  • Display Name: Ghost
  • Image Path: %Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.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.)

Process Termination

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

  • MSSQLSERVER

Other Details

This Ransomware encrypts files with the following extensions:

  • .bat
  • .dot
  • .doc
  • .wbk
  • .docx
  • .pst
  • .docm
  • .dotm
  • .xls
  • .xlt
  • .xlsx
  • .xlm
  • .xlsm
  • .ppt
  • .ldf
  • .pps
  • .pptx
  • .accdb
  • .accde
  • .pub
  • .xps
  • .pdf
  • .mp3
  • .mp4
  • .wav
  • .wma
  • .mpa
  • .7z
  • .rar
  • .zip
  • .iso
  • .tar.gz
  • .csv
  • .mdb
  • .sql
  • .xml
  • .db
  • .dbf
  • .jar
  • .ai
  • .bmp
  • .mdf
  • .gif
  • .ico
  • .jpg
  • .png
  • .jpeg
  • .tif
  • .tiff
  • .svg
  • .js
  • .html
  • .php
  • .css
  • .cs
  • .class
  • .vb
  • .bak
  • .ink
  • .avi

It does the following:

  • It encrypts files in the following folders:
    • C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft SQL Server\\
    • C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft SQL Server\\
      • encrypt files with specific extensions:
        • .mdf
  • Displays the following when executed:


  • After encrypting the files, it displays the following:
  • It executes the following commands to register its component as a service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup:
    • SC CREATE "GhostService" password= "FromHell" DisplayName= "Ghost" start= "auto" binPath= "%Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.exe"

It performs DNS requests to the following sites:

  • www.{BLOCKED}f231.com

Ransomware Routine

This Ransomware encrypts files found in the following folders:

  • %Desktop%
  • %User Profile%\Documents
  • %User Profile%\Pictures
  • %User Profile%\Music
  • %User Profile%\Videos

(Note: %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

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

  • {encrypted file}.{file extension}.Ghost

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

14.636.02

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

19 Nov 2018

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

14.637.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

20 Nov 2018

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

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

Disable this malware service

[ Learn More ]
  •  
    • Service Name: GhostService
    • Display Name: Ghost
    • Image Path: "%Application Data%\Ghost\GhostService.exe"

Step 5

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %Application Data%\Ghost\

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.

  • %System Root%\Do_Not_Delete_codeId.txt
  • %System Root%\GhostForm.exe
  • %System Root%\GhostFile.dll
  • %System Root%\GhostHammer.dll

Step 7

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as RANSOM_GHOST.THAAAIAH. 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.


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