Analysis by: Henry Alarcon Jr.
 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, 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 connects to certain websites to send and receive information. It takes advantage of certain vulnerabilities. It deletes itself after execution.

It drops files as ransom note.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 142,336 bytes
File Type: EXE
File Compression: UPX
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 11 Mar 2019
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Terminates processes, Steals information, Encrypts files, Exploits vulnerabilities, 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 files:

  • %User Temp%\bxmeoengtf.bmp
  • {Encrypted Folder}\{Random}-MANUAL.txt

(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, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

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

  • BitHuender

Other System Modifications

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper = "%User Temp%\bxmeoengtf.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:

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

Information Theft

This Ransomware gathers the following data:

  • Username
  • Computer Name
  • Network Information
  • System Language
  • Machine Keyboard Layout
  • OS Version and Platform
  • AV Products Installed
  • Processor Information
  • IP Address
  • Drives Information (Nerwork or Local)
  • Ransom ID
  • GandCrab Internal Info:
    • id
    • sub_id
    • version
    • action

Other Details

This Ransomware connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://{URL}/{string1}/{string2}/{string3}.{string4}
  • Where URL is equal to the following:
    • www.{BLOCKED}orp.link
    • www.{BLOCKED}rsport.biz
    • www.{BLOCKED}nau.biz
    • www.{BLOCKED}iinfissi.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}ck.biz
    • www.{BLOCKED}ay.biz
    • www.{BLOCKED}m.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}ellness.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}eisshorn.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}od.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}ckhoteldavos.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}ere-locarno.com
    • www.{BLOCKED}t
  • Where string1 is equal to the following:
    • wp-content
    • statis
    • content
    • includes
    • data
    • uploads
    • news
  • Where string2 is equal to the following:
    • images
    • pictures
    • image
    • graphic
    • assets
    • pics
    • imgs
    • tmp
  • Where string3 is equal to the combination of the following:
    • im
    • de
    • ka
    • ke
    • am
    • es
    • so
    • fu
    • se
    • da
    • he
    • ru
    • me
    • mo
    • th
    • zu
  • Where string4 is equal to the following:
    • jpg
    • png
    • gif
    • bmp

It does the following:

  • Avoids encrypting files with the following extensions:
    • ani
    • cab
    • cpl
    • cur
    • diagcab
    • diagpkg
    • dll
    • drv
    • lock
    • hlp
    • ldf
    • icl
    • icns
    • ico
    • ics
    • lnk
    • key
    • idx
    • mod
    • mpa
    • msc
    • msp
    • msstyles
    • msu
    • nomedia
    • ocx
    • prf
    • rom
    • rtp
    • scr
    • shs
    • spl
    • sys
    • theme
    • themepack
    • exe
    • bat
    • cmd
    • gandcrab
    • KRAB
    • CRAB
    • zerophage_i_like_your_pictures
    • {Generated random characters appended on encrypted file names}
  • delete shadow copies
  • It checks for the presence of the following antivirus and security applications:
    • smc.exe
    • AVP.EXE
    • ekrn.exe
    • avgnt.exe
    • ashDisp.exe
    • NortonAntiBot.exe
    • Mcshield.exe
    • avengine.exe
    • cmdagent.exe
    • persfw.exe
    • pccpfw.exe
    • fsguiexe.exe
    • cfp.exe
    • msmpeng.exe
  • It encrypts files in all available drives and shared folders

It takes advantage of the following vulnerabilities:

It deletes itself after execution.

Ransomware Routine

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

  • desktop.ini
  • autorun.inf
  • ntuser.dat
  • iconcache.db
  • bootsect.bak
  • boot.ini
  • ntuser.dat.log
  • thumbs.db
  • ntldr
  • NTDETECT.COM
  • Bootfont.bin
  • -MANUAL.txt

It avoids encrypting files found in the following folders:

  • %Application Data%
  • %All Users Profile%
  • %User Profile%
  • %ProgramFiles%
  • %System Root%
  • \{Computer Name}
  • %Public%

(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.. %All Users Profile% is the common user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\ProgramData 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.. %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.. %Public% is the folder that serves as a repository of files or folders common to all users, which is usually C:\Users\Public in Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

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

  • .{Random}

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

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 14.864.03
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 11 Mar 2019
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 14.865.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 12 Mar 2019

Step 1

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 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

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.
  • %User Temp%\bxmeoengtf.bmp
  • {Encrypted Folder}\{Random}-MANUAL.txt

Step 5

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as Ransom.Win32.GANDCRAB.TIOIBOBR. 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 6

Restore encrypted files from backup.

Step 7

Reset your Desktop properties

[ Learn More ]

Step 8

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.Win32.GANDCRAB.TIOIBOBR. 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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