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Ransom.Win64.QUANTUMLOCKER.YXBJU

April 04, 2022
 Analysis by: Mc Justine De Guzman
 ALIASES:

Win64:RansomX-gen [Ransom] (Avast), Gen:Variant.Ser.Razy.15162 (Bitdefender)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Ransomware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware


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. It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

75,264 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

22 Oct 2021

Payload:

Drops files, Displays message/message boxes, Encrypts files, Steals information, 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 the following files:

  • {Malware Path}\{Malware Name}.exe.log (Contains logs and system information)
  • %User Temp%\{Random numbers}.bat (Used to delete itself)

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

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
.quantum\shell\Open\
command
(Default) = explorer.exe {Ransom note}

Process Termination

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

  • SQL
  • database
  • msexchange

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

  • msftesql.exe
  • sqlagent.exe
  • sqlbrowser.exe
  • sqlwriter.exe
  • oracle.exe
  • ocssd.exe
  • dbsnmp.exe
  • synctime.exe
  • agntsvc.exe
  • isqlplussvc.exe
  • xfssvccon.exe
  • sqlservr.exe
  • encsvc.exe
  • ocautoupds.exe
  • mydesktopservice.exe
  • firefoxconfig.exe
  • tbirdconfig.exe
  • mydesktopqos.exe
  • ocomm.exe
  • mysqld.exe
  • mysqld-nt.exe
  • mysqld-opt.exe
  • dbeng50.exe
  • sqbcoreservice.exe
  • excel.exe
  • infopath.exe
  • msaccess.exe
  • mspub.exe
  • onenote.exe
  • outlook.exe
  • powerpnt.exe
  • sqlservr.exe
  • thebat.exe
  • steam.exe
  • thebat64.exe
  • thunderbird.exe
  • visio.exe
  • winword.exe
  • wordpad.exe
  • QBW32.exe
  • QBW64.exe
  • ipython.exe
  • wpython.exe
  • python.exe
  • dumpcap.exe
  • procmon.exe
  • procmon64.exe
  • procexp.exe
  • procexp64.exe

Information Theft

This Ransomware accepts the following parameters:

  • /LOGIN= - Specify network username for propagation
  • /PASSWORD= - Specify network password for propagation
  • /CONSOLE - Log activities through console
    • Displays the following console:
  • /NODEL - Disable self-deletion
  • /NOKILL - Disable service and process killing
  • /NOLOG - Disable file logging
  • /SHAREALL - Encrypt all shared resources
  • /NETWORK - Specify network type
  • /PARAMS - Specify command line parameters for launching on other machines
  • /TARGET= - Specify path to a file or a directory to be encrypted specifically
  • /FAST - Specify buffer size for fast encryption
  • /MIN= - Specify minimum file size to encrypt
  • /MAX= - Specify maximum file size to encrypt
  • /FULLPD - Enable encryption in Program Files, Program Files (x86), ProgramData, and SQL
  • /MARKER= - Specify marker file name to drop in each encrypted drive
  • /NOLOCK= - Specify paths to avoid in encryption

It gathers the following data:

  • Core count
  • Total memory size
  • Operating system information (e.g. version, architecture)
  • Computer name
  • User name
  • Flag to indicate if executed as administrator
  • Domain and group into which the machine is included

Ransomware Routine

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

  • bootmgr
  • README_TO_DECRYPT.html
  • :\Windows\
  • :\System Volume Information\
  • :\$RECYCLE.BIN\
  • :\SYSTEM.SAV
  • :\WINNT
  • :\$WINDOWS.~BT\
  • :\Windows.old\
  • :\PerfLog\
  • :\Boot
  • :\ProgramData\Microsoft\
  • :\ProgramData\Packages\
  • $\Windows\
  • $\System Volume Information\
  • $\$RECYCLE.BIN\
  • $\SYSTEM.SAV
  • $\WINNT
  • $\$WINDOWS.~BT\
  • $\Windows.old\
  • $\PerfLog\
  • $\Boot
  • $\ProgramData\Microsoft\
  • $\ProgramData\Packages\
  • \WindowsApps\
  • \Microsoft\Windows\
  • \Local\Packages\
  • \Windows Defender
  • \microsoft shared\
  • \Google\Chrome\
  • \Mozilla Firefox\
  • \Mozilla\Firefox\
  • \Internet Explorer\
  • \MicrosoftEdge\
  • \Tor Browser\
  • \AppData\Local\Temp\
  • Program Files
  • Program Files (x86)
  • ProgramData
  • SQL

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

  • .quantum

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

  • {Encrypted directory}\README_TO_DECRYPT.html

It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:

  • exe
  • dll
  • sys
  • msi
  • mui
  • inf
  • cat
  • bat
  • cmd
  • ps1
  • vbs
  • ttf
  • fon
  • lnk

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

17.434.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

11 Mar 2022

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

17.435.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

12 Mar 2022

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.XXPE50FFF050

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

Identify and terminate files detected as Ransom.Win64.QUANTUMLOCKER.YXBJU

[ 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 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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.quantum\shell\Open\command
    • (Default) = explorer.exe {Ransom note}

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.
  • {Malware Path}\{Malware Name}.exe.log (Contains logs and system information)
  • %User Temp%\{Random numbers}.bat (Used to delete itself)

Step 7

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.Win64.QUANTUMLOCKER.YXBJU. 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 8

Restore encrypted files from backup.


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