RANSOM_CERBER.RED

This Trojan 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 deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

Arrival Details

This Trojan 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 Trojan drops the following files:

• %Desktop%\_README_{random name}_.hta - ransom note
• %User Temp%\{random name}.bmp - background image
• %User Temp%\_README_{random name}_.hta - ransom note
• {folders containing encrypted files}\_README_{random name}_.hta - ransom note

(Note: %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 Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.)

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper = %User Temp%\{random filename}.bmp

Process Termination

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

• agntsvc.exeagntsvc.exe
• agntsvc.exeencsvc.exe
• agntsvc.exeisqlplussvc.exe
• dbeng50.exe
• dbsnmp.exe
• firefoxconfig.exe
• msftesql.exe
• mydesktopqos.exe
• mydesktopservice.exe
• mysqld-nt.exe
• mysqld-opt.exe
• mysqld.exe
• ocautoupds.exe
• ocomm.exe
• ocssd.exe
• oracle.exe
• sqbcoreservice.exe
• sqlagent.exe
• sqlbrowser.exe
• sqlservr.exe
• sqlwriter.exe
• synctime.exe
• tbirdconfig.exe
• xfssvccon.exe

Other Details

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

• http://zutzt67dcxr6mxcn.{BLOCKED}n.top

It encrypts files with the following extensions:

• .123
• .1cd
• .3dm
• .3ds
• .3fr
• .3g2
• .3gp
• .3pr
• .602
• .7z
• .7zip
• .aac
• .ab4
• .abd
• .acc
• .accdb
• .accde
• .accdr
• .accdt
• .ach
• .acr
• .act
• .adb
• .adp
• .ads
• .aes
• .agdl
• .ai
• .aiff
• .ait
• .al
• .aoi
• .apj
• .apk
• .arc
• .arw
• .ascx
• .asf
• .asm
• .asp
• .aspx
• .asset
• .asx
• .atb
• .avi
• .awg
• .back
• .backup
• .backupdb
• .bak
• .bank
• .bat
• .bay
• .bdb
• .bgt
• .bik
• .bin
• .bkp
• .blend
• .bmp
• .bpw
• .brd
• .bsa
• .bz2
• .c
• .cash
• .cdb
• .cdf
• .cdr
• .cdr3
• .cdr4
• .cdr5
• .cdr6
• .cdrw
• .cdx
• .ce1
• .ce2
• .cer
• .cfg
• .cfn
• .cgm
• .cib
• .class
• .cls
• .cmd
• .cmt
• .config
• .contact
• .cpi
• .cpp
• .cr2
• .craw
• .crt
• .crw
• .cry
• .cs
• .csh
• .csl
• .csr
• .css
• .csv
• .d3dbsp
• .dac
• .das
• .dat
• .db
• .db3
• .db_journal
• .dbf
• .dbx
• .dc2
• .dch
• .dcr
• .dcs
• .ddd
• .ddoc
• .ddrw
• .dds
• .def
• .der
• .des
• .design
• .dgc
• .dgn
• .dif
• .dip
• .dit
• .djv
• .djvu
• .dng
• .doc
• .docb
• .docm
• .docx
• .dot
• .dotm
• .dotx
• .drf
• .drw
• .dtd
• .dwg
• .dxb
• .dxf
• .dxg
• .edb
• .eml
• .eps
• .erbsql
• .erf
• .exf
• .fdb
• .ffd
• .fff
• .fh
• .fhd
• .fla
• .flac
• .flb
• .flf
• .flv
• .forge
• .fpx
• .frm
• .fxg
• .gbr
• .gho
• .gif
• .gpg
• .gray
• .grey
• .groups
• .gry
• .gz
• .h
• .hbk
• .hdd
• .hpp
• .html
• .hwp
• .ibank
• .ibd
• .ibz
• .idx
• .iif
• .iiq
• .incpas
• .indd
• .info
• .info_
• .iwi
• .jar
• .java
• .jnt
• .jpe
• .jpeg
• .jpg
• .js
• .json
• .k2p
• .kc2
• .kdbx
• .kdc
• .key
• .kpdx
• .kwm
• .laccdb
• .lay
• .lay6
• .lbf
• .lck
• .ldf
• .lit
• .litemod
• .litesql
• .lock
• .ltx
• .lua
• .m
• .m2ts
• .m3u
• .m4a
• .m4p
• .m4u
• .m4v
• .ma
• .mab
• .mapimail
• .max
• .mbx
• .md
• .mdb
• .mdc
• .mdf
• .mef
• .mfw
• .mid
• .mkv
• .mlb
• .mml
• .mmw
• .mny
• .money
• .moneywell
• .mos
• .mov
• .mp3
• .mp4
• .mpeg
• .mpg
• .mrw
• .ms11
• .msf
• .msg
• .mts
• .myd
• .myi
• .nd
• .ndd
• .ndf
• .nef
• .nk2
• .nop
• .nrw
• .ns2
• .ns3
• .ns4
• .nsd
• .nsf
• .nsg
• .nsh
• .nvram
• .nwb
• .nx2
• .nxl
• .nyf
• .oab
• .obj
• .odb
• .odc
• .odf
• .odg
• .odm
• .odp
• .ods
• .odt
• .ogg
• .oil
• .omg
• .one
• .onenotec2
• .orf
• .ost
• .otg
• .oth
• .otp
• .ots
• .ott
• .p12
• .p7b
• .p7c
• .pab
• .pages
• .paq
• .pas
• .pat
• .pbf
• .pcd
• .pct
• .pdb
• .pdd
• .pdf
• .pef
• .pem
• .pfx
• .php
• .pif
• .pl
• .plc
• .plus_muhd
• .pm
• .pm!
• .pmi
• .pmj
• .pml
• .pmm
• .pmo
• .pmr
• .pnc
• .pnd
• .png
• .pnx
• .pot
• .potm
• .potx
• .ppam
• .pps
• .ppsm
• .ppsx
• .ppt
• .pptm
• .pptx
• .prf
• .private
• .ps
• .psafe3
• .psd
• .pspimage
• .pst
• .ptx
• .pub
• .pwm
• .py
• .qba
• .qbb
• .qbm
• .qbr
• .qbw
• .qbx
• .qby
• .qcow
• .qcow2
• .qed
• .qtb
• .r3d
• .raf
• .rar
• .rat
• .raw
• .rb
• .rdb
• .re4
• .rm
• .rtf
• .rvt
• .rw2
• .rwl
• .rwz
• .s3db
• .safe
• .sas7bdat
• .sav
• .save
• .say
• .sch
• .sd0
• .sda
• .sdb
• .sdf
• .secret
• .sh
• .sldm
• .sldx
• .slk
• .slm
• .sql
• .sqlite
• .sqlite-shm
• .sqlite-wal
• .sqlite3
• .sqlitedb
• .sr2
• .srb
• .srf
• .srs
• .srt
• .srw
• .st4
• .st5
• .st6
• .st7
• .st8
• .stc
• .std
• .sti
• .stl
• .stm
• .stw
• .stx
• .svg
• .swf
• .sxc
• .sxd
• .sxg
• .sxi
• .sxm
• .sxw
• .tar
• .tax
• .tbb
• .tbk
• .tbn
• .tex
• .tga
• .tgz
• .thm
• .tif
• .tiff
• .tlg
• .tlx
• .txt
• .uop
• .uot
• .upk
• .usr
• .vb
• .vbox
• .vbs
• .vdi
• .vhd
• .vhdx
• .vmdk
• .vmsd
• .vmx
• .vmxf
• .vob
• .vpd
• .vsd
• .wab
• .wad
• .wallet
• .war
• .wav
• .wb2
• .wk1
• .wks
• .wma
• .wmf
• .wmv
• .wpd
• .wps
• .x11
• .x3f
• .xis
• .xla
• .xlam
• .xlc
• .xlk
• .xlm
• .xlr
• .xls
• .xlsb
• .xlsm
• .xlsx
• .xlt
• .xltm
• .xltx
• .xml
• .xps
• .xxx
• .ycbcra
• .xlw
• .yuv
• .zip

It renames encrypted files using the following names:

• {10 Random Characters}.{4 Random}

It does the following:

• It terminates itself if found running in any of the following countries:
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Georgia
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Moldova
  • Russia
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tajikistan
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan
• It avoids encrypting the following files:
  • bootsect.bak
  • iconcache.db
  • ntuser.dat
  • thumbs.db
• It avoids encrypting files in the following paths:
  • :\\$getcurrent\\
  • :\\$recycle.bin\\
  • :\\$windows.~bt\\
  • :\\$windows.~ws\\
  • :\\boot\\
  • :\\documents and settings\\all users\\
  • :\\documents and settings\\default user\\
  • :\\documents and settings\\localservice\\
  • :\\documents and settings\\networkservice\\
  • :\\intel\\
  • :\\msocache\\
  • :\\perflogs\\
  • :\\program files\\
  • :\\program files (x86)\\
  • :\\programdata\\
  • :\\recovery\\
  • :\\recycled\\
  • :\\recycler\\
  • :\\system volume information\\
  • :\\temp\\
  • :\\users\\all users\\
  • :\\windows\\
  • :\\windows.old\\
  • :\\windows\\
  • :\\winnt\\
  • \\appdata\\local\\
  • \\appdata\\locallow\\
  • \\appdata\\roaming\\
  • \\local settings\\
  • \\public\\music\\sample music\\
  • \\public\\pictures\\sample pictures\\
  • \\public\\videos\\sample videos\\
  • \\tor browser\\
• It avoids encrypting files in the following file extensions:
  • .bat
  • .cmd
  • .com
  • .cpl
  • .dll
  • .exe
  • .hta
  • .msc
  • .msi
  • .msp
  • .pif
  • .scf
  • .scr
  • .sys

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself

NOTES:

This ransomware changes the wallpaper with the following image:

It also drops and opens the ransom notes after encrypting the files:

Accessing the URL on the webpage will let you select a language:

It also makes sure that no automation is accessing their servers by adding captcha in their payment system:

The web displays that your files are encrypted and how much time left to decrypt your files: