RANSOM_HIDDENTEARSMILY.A
Ransom.HiddenTear(Malwarebytes)
Windows
![](/vinfo/imgFiles/legend.jpg)
Threat Type: Ransomware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: No
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
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 encrypts files with specific file extensions. It encrypts files found in specific folders.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
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\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Desktop%\HTDecryptor.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Startup\HTDecryptor.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Start Menu\HTDecryptor.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Desktop\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Program Files%\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Documents\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Pictures\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Music\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Videos\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\message.exe - ransom note
- %All Users Profile%\Startup\message.exe - ransom note
(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.. %All Users Profile% is the All Users folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\ProgramData 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.. %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.. %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.)
It drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\HTCryptor.exe
(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.)
Autostart Technique
This Ransomware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Crypt = %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\HTCryptor.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Message = %All Users Profile%\Startup\message.exe
Other Details
This Ransomware does the following:
- It disables the firewall by executing the following command/s:
- cmd.exe "netsh firewall set opmode disable"
Ransomware Routine
This Ransomware encrypts files with the following extensions:
- .3dm
- .3ds
- .3g2
- .3gp
- .7z
- .accdb
- .ai
- .aif
- .asf
- .asp
- .aspx
- .avi
- .bak
- .bin
- .bmp
- .c
- .cbr
- .cer
- .cfm
- .class
- .cpp
- .crdownload
- .cs
- .csr
- .css
- .csv
- .cue
- .dat
- .db
- .dbf
- .dds
- .deb
- .dmg
- .doc
- .docx
- .dtd
- .dwg
- .dxf
- .eps
- .fla
- .flv
- .ged
- .gif
- .gz
- .h
- .htm
- .html
- .ics
- .iff
- .indd
- .iso
- .java
- .jpg
- .js
- .jsp
- .key
- .keychain
- .log
- .lua
- .m
- .m3u
- .m4a
- .m4v
- .max
- .mdb
- .mdf
- .mid
- .mov
- .mp3
- .mp4
- .mpa
- .mpg
- .msg
- .msi
- .obj
- .odt
- .pages
- .part
- .pct
- .pdb
- .php
- .pkg
- .pl
- .png
- .pps
- .ppt
- .pptx
- .ps
- .psd
- .py
- .rar
- .rm
- .rpm
- .rss
- .rtf
- .sdf
- .sh
- .sitx
- .sln
- .sql
- .srt
- .svg
- .swf
- .swift
- .tar
- .tar.gz
- .tax2014
- .tax2015
- .tex
- .tga
- .thm
- .tif
- .tiff
- .tmp
- .toast
- .torrent
- .txt
- .vb
- .vcd
- .vcf
- .vcxproj
- .vob
- .wav
- .wma
- .wmv
- .wpd
- .wps
- .xcodeproj
- .xhtml
- .xlr
- .xls
- .xlsx
- .xml
- .yuv
- .zip
- .zipx
It encrypts files found in the following folders:
- %User Profile%\Pictures
- %User Profile%\Recent
- %User Profile%\Music
- %User Profile%\Videos
- %User Profile%\Documents
- %User Profile%\Favorites
- %All Users Profile%\Documents
- %All Users Profile%\Pictures
- %All Users Profile%\Music
- %All Users Profile%\Videos
- %All Users Profile%\Desktop
(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.. %All Users Profile% is the All Users folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\ProgramData 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.)
It renames encrypted files using the following names:
- {original filename and extension}.locked
NOTES:
It displays the following as its ransom note:
SOLUTION
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 4
Delete this registry value
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
- Crypt = %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\HTCryptor.exe
- Crypt = %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\HTCryptor.exe
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- Message = %All Users Profile%\Startup\message.exe
- Message = %All Users Profile%\Startup\message.exe
Step 5
Search and delete this file
- %All Users Profile%\Startup\HTDecryptor.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Start Menu\HTDecryptor.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Desktop\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Program Files%\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Documents\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Pictures\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Music\HTDecryptor.exe
- %User Profile%\Videos\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\message.exe
- %All Users Profile%\Startup\message.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Startup\HTDecryptor.exe
- %Desktop%\HTDecryptor.exe
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as RANSOM_HIDDENTEARSMILY.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.
Step 7
Restore encrypted files from backup.
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