Ransom.Win32.MAZE.AC

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 generates a beeping sound.

It drops files as ransom note. It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions.

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:

• %All Users Profile%\memes.tmp

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

It adds the following processes:

• wmic shadowcopy delete

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• Global\{random characters} -> string is generated from system information

Other System Modifications

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper = %User Temp%\111.bmp

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

Process Termination

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

• ida.exe
• ida64.exe
• x32dbg.exe
• x64dbg.exe
• python.exe
• fiddler.exe
• dumpcap.exe
• procmon.exe
• procexp.exe
• procmon64.exe
• procexp64.exe

Information Theft

This Ransomware gathers the following data:

• User Name
• Computer Name
• Process Integrity Level
• Installed AVs
• OS Name
• Machine Role
• Number of Drives
• Shared Folders
• User Language
• System Language
• System Uptime

Stolen Information

This Ransomware sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:

• http://{IP}/{Strings}/{Random String}.{Extensions} where
  • IP:
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.4
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.11
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.25
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.26
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.31
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.32
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.37
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.38
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.77
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.114.79
  • Strings:
    • news
    • login
    • register
    • logout
    • edit
    • content
    • private
    • messages
    • account
    • view
    • webauth
    • webaccess
    • archive
    • forum
    • post
    • signin
    • signout
    • update
    • support
    • ticket
    • task
    • tracker
    • analytics
    • check
    • checkout
    • payout
    • withdrawal
    • sepa
    • create
    • transfer
    • wire
  • Extensions :
    • .php
    • .asp
    • .aspx
    • .cgi
    • .jsp
    • .jspx
    • .action
    • .html
    • .phtml
    • .shtml

Other Details

This Ransomware generates a beeping sound.

It does the following:

• It detects the role of the machine infected and displays the appropriate string in the wallpaper:
  • standalone server
  • server in corporate network
  • workstation in corporate network
  • home computer
  • primary domain controller
  • backup server
  • very valuable for you
• It uses Windows Text-to-Speech functionality to play the following message:
  • {Username}! Alert! {Username}! Alert! Dear {Username}, your files have been encrypted by Maze Ransomware! Attention! You need to buy decryptor in order to restore the files.

It does not proceed to its malicious routine if it detects that it is being debugged.

Ransomware Routine

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

• DECRYPT-FILES.txt
• autorun.inf
• boot.ini
• desktop.ini
• ntuser.dat
• iconcache.db
• bootsect.bak
• ntuser.dat.log
• thumbs.db
• Bootfont.bin

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

• \ProgramFiles
• :\Windows
• \Games\
• \Tor Browser\
• \ProgramData\
• \cache2\entries\
• \Low\Content.IE5\
• \User Data\Default\Cache\
• \All Users
• \IETldCache\
• \Local Settings\
• \AppData\Local
• AhnLab
• {GUID}

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

• .{random characters}

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

• {Encrypted directory}\DECRYPT-FILES.txt
  

It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:

• .lnk
• .exe
• .sys
• .dll