Analysis by: Janus Agcaoili

ALIASES:

Ransom:Win32/Tescrypt!rfn (Microsoft), Mal/Ransom-EO (Sophos), Trojan/Win32.Teslacrypt.Gen (AhnLab-V3)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet

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 does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

It modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information. It deletes itself after execution. It gathers information and reports it to its servers.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 311,296 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 05 Apr 2016
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Displays message/message boxes, Encrypts files, Steals information

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 copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

  • %Application Data%\wsmprovhost.exe

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

Autostart Technique

This Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
FIX2-{random string} = "%System%\cmd.exe /c start "" "%Application Data%\wsmprovhost.exe""

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Axronics

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
EnabledLinkConnections = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Axronics
new_dataq = "{encrypted data}"

Propagation

This Trojan does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This Trojan does not have any backdoor routine.

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This Trojan modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

Dropping Routine

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • %User Profile%\Documents\storage_data
  • %User Profile%\Documents\+recover+file.txt
  • %Desktop%\{RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Htm
  • %Desktop%\{RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Txt
  • %Desktop%\{RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Png

(Note: %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.. %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.)

Other Details

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

  • http://{BLOCKED}d.com/binfile.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}inogames.org/binfile.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}rg-share.com/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/includes/js/jquery-ui/themes/smoothness/images/binfile.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}flooring.com/wp-content/themese/sketch/binfile.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}sundaytv.com/wp-content/themese/sketch/binfile.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}esact.com/wp-content/themese/sketch/binfile.php

It encrypts files with the following extensions:

  • .pif
  • .com
  • .bat
  • .cmd
  • .lnkimage
  • .vfolder
  • .zip
  • .dvr-ms
  • .wvx
  • .wmx
  • .wmv
  • .wm
  • .mpv2
  • .mpg
  • .mpeg
  • .mpe
  • .mpa
  • .mp2v
  • .mp2
  • .m1v
  • .IVF
  • .asx
  • .asf
  • .avi
  • .wax
  • .snd
  • .rmi
  • .m3u
  • .au
  • .aiff
  • .aifc
  • .aif
  • .midi
  • .mid
  • .wma
  • .wav
  • .mp3
  • .wmf
  • .tiff
  • .tif
  • .rle
  • .png
  • .jpeg
  • .jpe
  • .jpg
  • .jfif
  • .gif
  • .emf
  • .dib
  • .wsh
  • .wsf
  • .wsc
  • .ws
  • .vsw
  • .vst
  • .vss
  • .vsmacros
  • .vbs
  • .vbe
  • .vb
  • .shs
  • .shb
  • .sct
  • .scr
  • .scf
  • .reg
  • .pst
  • .prg
  • .prf
  • .pl
  • .pif
  • .pcd
  • .ops
  • .mst
  • .msp
  • .mshxml
  • .msh
  • .msc
  • .mdz
  • .mdw
  • .mdt
  • .mde
  • .mdb
  • .mda
  • .mcf
  • .maw
  • .mav
  • .mau
  • .mat
  • .mas
  • .mar
  • .maq
  • .mam
  • .mag
  • .maf
  • .mad
  • .lnk
  • .ksh
  • .jse
  • .js
  • .its
  • .isp
  • .ins
  • .inf
  • .hlp
  • .grp
  • .gadget
  • .fxp
  • .exe
  • .csh
  • .crt
  • .cpl
  • .cmd
  • .chm
  • .cer
  • .bat
  • .bas
  • .app
  • .adp
  • .ade
  • .xbap
  • .xps
  • .pdf
  • .pot
  • .hta
  • .xlt
  • .pps
  • .xlw
  • .dot
  • .rtf
  • .ppt
  • .xls
  • .doc
  • .xml
  • .hta
  • .docx
  • .mrwref
  • .indd
  • .rofl
  • .mpqge
  • .vfs0
  • .mcmeta
  • .vpp_pc
  • .arch00
  • .itdb
  • .mddata
  • .sidd
  • .sidn
  • .pkpass
  • .ibank
  • .dazip
  • .blob
  • .layout
  • .menu
  • .ztmp
  • .syncdb
  • .mdbackup
  • .hkdb
  • .hplg
  • .hvpl
  • .icxs
  • .docm
  • .xlsx
  • .xlsm
  • .xlsb
  • .pptx
  • .pptm
  • .accdb
  • .jpeg
  • .desc
  • .litesql
  • wallet
  • .rgss3a
  • .forge
  • .asset
  • .litemod
  • .d3dbsp
  • .tiff
  • .txt
  • .bak

It sets the attributes of the following file(s) to Hidden and System:

  • {dropped copy of itself}

It does the following:

  • It deletes shadow copies by executing the following command:
    • %System%\wbem\WMIC.exe" shadowcopy delete /nointeractive
  • It terminates processes containing the following strings:
    • taskmg <- Task Manager
    • procex <- Process Explorer
    • regedi <- Regedit
    • msconfi <- MS Config
  • It avoids encrypting files with the following strings:
    • recove
  • It encrypts files in all fixed, removable, and network drives and shares
  • It drops {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Htm, {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Txt, {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Png to the folders where it tries to encrypt files
  • It avoids encrypting files from the following directories:
    • Windows
    • Program Files
  • It does not append extensions to files it encrypted

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

It deletes itself after execution.

It gathers the following information and reports it to its servers:

  • Infection status
  • Bitcoin address
  • Total size of encrypted files
  • Malware version
  • OS information
  • Installation ID

NOTES:

This ransomware displays the following:

It does not have rootkit capabilities.

It does not exploit any vulnerability.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 12.448.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 05 Apr 2016
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 12.449.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 06 Apr 2016

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

Identify and terminate files detected as RANSOM_CRYPTESLA.GL

[ 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

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.

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
    • Axronics

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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • FIX2-{random string} = "%System%\cmd.exe /c start "" "%Application Data%\wsmprovhost.exe""
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • EnabledLinkConnections = "1"

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.
  • storage_data
  • +recover+file.txt
  • {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Htm
  • {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Txt
  • {RecOveR}-{5 random characters}.Png

Step 7

Reset Internet security settings

[ Learn More ]

Step 8

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as RANSOM_CRYPTESLA.GL. 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 9

Restore encrypted files from backup.


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