RANSOM_CRADLE.A

April 28, 2017
 Analysis by: Ryan Paolo Maglaque
 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:

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 deletes itself after execution.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

91,648 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

11 Apr 2017

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs, 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 the following files:

  • %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\_HOW_TO_UNLOCK_FILES_.html ← Ransom Note
  • %Desktop%\_HOW_TO_UNLOCK_FILES_.html ← Ransom Note
  • %Desktop%\_CRADLE_ID.txt
  • %User Profile%\_CRADLE_ID.txt

(Note: %Start Menu% is the Start Menu folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.. %Desktop% is the desktop folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Desktop in Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop in Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.. %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 and 7.)

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{Random Values}

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{Random Value}
{Current number of files encrypted} = {File path of the encrypted file}

Other Details

This Ransomware encrypts files with the following extensions:

  • .3dm
  • .3ds
  • .3fr
  • .3g2
  • .3gp
  • .3pr
  • .7z
  • .ab4
  • .accdb
  • .accde
  • .accdr
  • .accdt
  • .ach
  • .acr
  • .act
  • .adb
  • .ads
  • .agdl
  • .ai
  • .ait
  • .al
  • .apj
  • .arw
  • .asf
  • .asm
  • .asp
  • .asx
  • .avi
  • .awg
  • .back
  • .backup
  • .backupdb
  • .bak
  • .bank
  • .bay
  • .bdb
  • .bgt
  • .bik
  • .bkp
  • .blend
  • .bpw
  • .bz2
  • .c
  • .cdf
  • .cdr
  • .cdr3
  • .cdr4
  • .cdr5
  • .cdr6
  • .cdrw
  • .cdx
  • .ce1
  • .ce2
  • .cer
  • .cfp
  • .cgm
  • .cib
  • .class
  • .cls
  • .cmt
  • .cpi
  • .cpp
  • .cr2
  • .craw
  • .crt
  • .crw
  • .cs
  • .csh
  • .csl
  • .csv
  • .dac
  • .dat
  • .db
  • .db-journal
  • .db3
  • .dbf
  • .dc2
  • .dcr
  • .dcs
  • .ddd
  • .ddoc
  • .ddrw
  • .dds
  • .der
  • .des
  • .design
  • .dgc
  • .djvu
  • .dng
  • .doc
  • .docm
  • .docx
  • .dot
  • .dotm
  • .dotx
  • .drf
  • .drw
  • .dtd
  • .dwg
  • .dxb
  • .dxf
  • .dxg
  • .eml
  • .eps
  • .erbsql
  • .erf
  • .exf
  • .fdb
  • .ffd
  • .fff
  • .fh
  • .fhd
  • .fla
  • .flac
  • .flv
  • .fpx
  • .fxg
  • .gray
  • .grey
  • .gry
  • .gz
  • .h
  • .hbk
  • .hpp
  • .ibank
  • .ibd
  • .ibz
  • .idx
  • .iif
  • .iiq
  • .incpas
  • .indd
  • .java
  • .jpe
  • .jpeg
  • .jpg
  • .kc2
  • .kdbx
  • .kdc
  • .key
  • .kpdx
  • .lst
  • .lua
  • .m
  • .m4v
  • .max
  • .mdb
  • .mdc
  • .mdf
  • .mef
  • .mfw
  • .mmw
  • .moneywell
  • .mos
  • .mov
  • .mp3
  • .mp4
  • .mpg
  • .mrw
  • .msg
  • .myd
  • .nd
  • .ndd
  • .nef
  • .nk2
  • .nop
  • .nrw
  • .ns2
  • .ns3
  • .ns4
  • .nsd
  • .nsf
  • .nsg
  • .nsh
  • .nwb
  • .nx2
  • .nx1
  • .nyf
  • .oab
  • .obj
  • .odb
  • .odc
  • .odf
  • .odg
  • .odm
  • .odp
  • .ods
  • .odt
  • .oil
  • .orf
  • .ost
  • .otg
  • .oth
  • .otp
  • .ots
  • .ott
  • .p12
  • .p7b
  • .p7c
  • .pab
  • .pages
  • .pas
  • .pat
  • .pcd
  • .pct
  • .pdb
  • .pdd
  • .pdf
  • .pef
  • .pem
  • .pfx
  • .php
  • .pl
  • .plc
  • .png
  • .pot
  • .potm
  • .potx
  • .ppam
  • .pps
  • .ppsm
  • .ppsx
  • .ppt
  • .pptm
  • .pptx
  • .prf
  • .ps
  • .psafe3
  • .psd
  • .pspimage
  • .pst
  • .ptx
  • .py
  • .qba
  • .qbb
  • .qbm
  • .qbr
  • .qbw
  • .qbx
  • .qby
  • .r3d
  • .raf
  • .rar
  • .rat
  • .raw
  • .rdb
  • .rm
  • .rtf
  • .rw2
  • .rwl
  • .rwz
  • .s3db
  • .sas7bdat
  • .say
  • .sd0
  • .sda
  • .sdf
  • .sldm
  • .sldx
  • .sql
  • .sqlite
  • .sqlite3
  • .sqlitedb
  • .sr2
  • .srf
  • .srt
  • .srw
  • .st4
  • .st5
  • .st6
  • .st7
  • .st8
  • .stc
  • .std
  • .sti
  • .stw
  • .stx
  • .svg
  • .swf
  • .sxc
  • .sxd
  • .sxg
  • .sxi
  • .sxm
  • .sxw
  • .tar
  • .tex
  • .tga
  • .thm
  • .tlg
  • .txt
  • .vob
  • .wallet
  • .wav
  • .wb2
  • .wmv
  • .wpd
  • .wps
  • .x11
  • .x3f
  • .xis
  • .xla
  • .xlam
  • .xlk
  • .xlm
  • .xlr
  • .xls
  • .xlsb
  • .xlsm
  • .xlsx
  • .xlt
  • .xltm
  • .xltx
  • .xlw
  • .ycbcra
  • .yuv
  • .z
  • .zip

It renames encrypted files using the following names:

  • {Original Malware Name and Extension}.cradle

It does the following:

  • Opens the link "https://{BLOCKED}gszhqlxz4n.onion.link/upload" in the browser

It deletes itself after execution.

NOTES:

This ransomware displays the following ransom note:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

13.350.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

19 Apr 2017

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

13.351.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

20 Apr 2017

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

Delete this registry key

[ 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.

  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{Random Values}

Step 4

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.  
  • %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\_HOW_TO_UNLOCK_FILES_.html
  • %Desktop%\_HOW_TO_UNLOCK_FILES_.html
  • %Desktop%\_CRADLE_ID.txt
  • %User Profile%\_CRADLE_ID.txt

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as RANSOM_CRADLE.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 this Knowledge Base page for more information.


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