Modified by: Patrick Angelo Roderno
ALIASES:

Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Agent.avav (KASPERSKY); Trojan.Ransom.LooCipher.A (BITDEFENDER); a variant of Win32/Filecoder.NWG trojan (NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Ransomware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • 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 encrypts files with specific file extensions. It drops files as ransom note.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 5,637,632 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 19 Jun 2019
Payload: Displays windows, Displays message/message boxes, Displays graphics/image, Connects to URLs/IPs

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.

Other System Modifications

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper = %Desktop%\@LooCipher_wallpaper.bmp

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

Other Details

This Ransomware connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:

  • api.ipify.org

It connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://hcwyo5rfapkytajg.{BLOCKED}n.pet
  • http://hcwyo5rfapkytajg.{BLOCKED}n.sh
  • http://hcwyo5rfapkytajg.{BLOCKED}b.xyz
  • http://hcwyo5rfapkytajg.{BLOCKED}t.to
  • http://hcwyo5rfapkytajg.{BLOCKED}n.ws

It displays the following message boxes:


It does the following:

  • Instead of deleting the target file, the ransomware empties it and creates an encrypted version of the target file

Ransomware Routine

This Ransomware encrypts files with the following extensions:

  • .3dm
  • .3ds
  • .3fr
  • .3g2
  • .3ga
  • .3gp
  • .a2c
  • .aa3
  • .aac
  • .accdb
  • .aepx
  • .ai
  • .aif
  • .amr
  • .ape
  • .apnx
  • .ari
  • .arw
  • .asf
  • .asp
  • .aspx
  • .asx
  • .av
  • .avi
  • .azw
  • .azw1
  • .azw3
  • .azw4
  • .bak
  • .bay
  • .bin
  • .bmp
  • .camproj
  • .ccd
  • .cdi
  • .cdr
  • .cer
  • .cgi
  • .class
  • .cmf
  • .cnf
  • .conf
  • .config
  • .cr2
  • .crt
  • .crw
  • .crwl
  • .csv
  • .cue
  • .dash
  • .dat
  • .dbf
  • .dcr
  • .dds
  • .der
  • .disc
  • .dmg
  • .dng
  • .doc
  • .docm
  • .docx
  • .dvd
  • .dwg
  • .dxf
  • .dxg
  • .eip
  • .emf
  • .eml
  • .eps
  • .epub
  • .erf
  • .fff
  • .flv
  • .gfx
  • .gif
  • .gzip
  • .htm
  • .html
  • .iiq
  • .indd
  • .iso
  • .jar
  • .java
  • .jfif
  • .jge
  • .jpe
  • .jpeg
  • .jpg
  • .jsp
  • .k25
  • .kdc
  • .key
  • .lit
  • .m3u
  • .m4a
  • .m4v
  • .max
  • .mdb
  • .mdf
  • .mdk
  • .mef
  • .mkv
  • .mobi
  • .mov
  • .movie
  • .mp1
  • .mp2
  • .mp3
  • .mp4
  • .mp4v
  • .mpa
  • .mpe
  • .mpeg
  • .mpg
  • .mpv2
  • .mrw
  • .msg
  • .mts
  • .nef
  • .nrg
  • .nri
  • .nrw
  • .number
  • .obj
  • .odb
  • .odm
  • .odp
  • .ods
  • .odt
  • .ogg
  • .orf
  • .p12
  • .p7b
  • .p7c
  • .pages
  • .pdd
  • .pdf
  • .pef
  • .pem
  • .pfx
  • .php
  • .png
  • .ppt
  • .pptm
  • .pptx
  • .prf
  • .psd
  • .pspimage
  • .pst
  • .ptx
  • .py
  • .r3d
  • .raf
  • .ram
  • .rar
  • .raw
  • .rf
  • .rpf
  • .rtf
  • .rw2
  • .rwl
  • .sage
  • .sql
  • .sqllite
  • .sr2
  • .srf
  • .srt
  • .srw
  • .svg
  • .swf
  • .tga
  • .tiff
  • .toast
  • .vbs
  • .vcd
  • .vlc
  • .vob
  • .wb2
  • .wma
  • .wmv
  • .wpd
  • .wps
  • .x3f
  • .xlk
  • .xls
  • .xlsb
  • .xlsm
  • .xlsx
  • .xml
  • .xps
  • .xsl
  • .yuv
  • .zip

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

  • Program Files (x86)
  • Program Files
  • Windows

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

  • .lcphr

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

  • %Desktop%\@Please_Read_Me.txt

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

It leaves text files that serve as ransom notes containing the following text:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 15.186.02
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 20 Jun 2019
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 15.187.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 21 Jun 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

Identify and terminate files detected as Ransom.Win32.LOOCIPHER.THFBOAIA

[ 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 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.  
  • %Desktop%\@LooCipher_wallpaper.bmp
  • %Desktop%\@Please_Read_Me.txt
  • %Desktop%\c2056.ini

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Ransom.Win32.LOOCIPHER.THFBOAIA. 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 6

Restore encrypted files from backup.

Step 7

Reset your Desktop properties

[ Learn More ]


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