Ransom.Win64.MOUNTLOCKER.J

 Analysis by: Jeffrey Francis Bonaobra

 ALIASES:

UDS:Trojan-Ransom.Win32.MountLocker.aq (KASPERSKY)

 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 drops files as ransom note. It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

535,599 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

03 Oct 2022

Payload:

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:

  • {Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name}.log → contains logs and system information
  • %User Temp%\{random characters}.bat → used to delete itself

(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(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It adds the following processes:

  • "%User Temp%\{random characters}.bat" "{Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name}"

(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(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

Other System Modifications

This Ransomware adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
.dagoned\shell\Open\
command
(Default) = explorer.exe README_TO_DECRYPT.html → displays the ransom note when an encrypted file is opened

Process Termination

This Ransomware terminates the following services if found on the affected system:

  • SQL
  • database
  • msexchange

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

  • msftesql.exe
  • sqlbrowser.exe
  • sqlwriter.exe
  • oracle.exe
  • ocssd.exe
  • dbsnmp.exe
  • synctime.exe
  • agntsvc.exe
  • isqlplussvc.exe
  • xfssvccon.exe
  • sqlservr.exe
  • encsvc.exe
  • ocautoupds.exe
  • mydesktopservice.exe
  • firefoxconfig.exe
  • tbirdconfig.exe
  • mydesktopqos.exe
  • ocomm.exe
  • mysqld.exe
  • sqlagent.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
  • sqlservr.exe
  • thebat.exe
  • steam.exe
  • thebat64.exe
  • thunderbird.exe
  • visio.exe
  • winword.exe
  • wordpad.exe
  • QBW32.exe
  • QBW64.exe
  • ipython.exe
  • wpython.exe
  • python.exe
  • dumpcap.exe
  • procmon.exe
  • procmon64.exe
  • procexp.exe
  • procexp64.exe

Information Theft

This Ransomware gathers the following data:

  • Core count
  • Total memory size
  • Windows version
  • Windows architecture
  • Computer name
  • User name
  • Flag to indicate if executed as administrator
  • Join status information

Other Details

This Ransomware does the following:

  • It propagates in the network via LDAP domain query in Active Directories and drops copies of itself as:
    • \C$\ProgramData\{Malware File Name}.exe
  • It propagates to the following file paths if found for higher privilege execution:
    • \ADMIN$
    • \IPC$
  • It installs the following services in its propagation routine if the /NETWORK argument provided is s:
    • Update{random characters}

It accepts the following parameters:

  • /LOGIN= → specify network username for propagation
  • /PASSWORD= → specify network password for propagation
  • /CONSOLE → display log activities through console
  • /NODEL → disable self-deletion
  • /NOKILL → disable service and process termination
  • /NOLOG → disable file logging
  • /SHAREALL → encrypt all shared resources
  • /NETWORK → encrypt all shared resources
    • -w → launches the executable on remote host via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
    • -s → launches the executable on remote host via service
  • /PARAMS= → specify command line parameters for launching on other machines
  • /TARGET= → specify a path to a file or a directory to encrypt
  • /FAST= → specify buffer size for fast encryption
  • /MIN= → specify minimum file size to encrypt
  • /MAX= → specify maximum file size to encrypt
  • /FULLPD → enable encryption in Program Files, Program Files (x86), ProgramData, and SQL
  • /MARKER= → specify an infection marker file name to drop in each encrypted drive
  • /NOLOCK= → specify drives to avoid encrypting
    • -L → Local
    • -N → Network
    • -S → Network shared resources

Ransomware Routine

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

  • \autorun.inf
  • \boot.ini
  • \bootfont.bin
  • \bootsect.bak
  • \bootmgr
  • \bootmgr.efi
  • \bootmgfw.efi
  • \iconcache.db
  • \desktop.ini
  • \ntldr
  • \ntuser.dat
  • \ntuser.dat.log
  • \ntuser.ini
  • \thumbs.db

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

  • :\Windows\
  • :\System Volume Information\
  • :\$RECYCLE.BIN\
  • :\SYSTEM.SAV
  • :\WINNT
  • :\$WINDOWS.~BT\
  • :\Windows.old\
  • :\PerfLog\
  • :\PerfLogs\
  • :\Program Files\
  • :\Program Files (x86)\
  • :\Boot
  • :\ProgramData\Microsoft\
  • :\ProgramData\Packages\
  • :\EFI
  • \WindowsApps\
  • \Microsoft\Windows\
  • \Local\Packages\
  • \Windows Defender
  • \microsoft shared\
  • \Google\Chrome\
  • \Mozilla Firefox\
  • \Mozilla\Firefox\
  • \Internet Explorer\
  • \MicrosoftEdge\
  • \Tor Browser\
  • \AppData\Local\Temp\
  • \AppData
  • \All Users
  • \Boot
  • \Google
  • \Mozilla
  • Program Files
  • Program Files (x86)
  • ProgramData
  • SQL

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

  • .dagoned

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

  • {Encrypted directory}\README_TO_DECRYPT.html

It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions:

  • exe
  • dll
  • sys
  • msi
  • mui
  • inf
  • cat
  • bat
  • cmd
  • ps1
  • vbs
  • ttf
  • fon
  • lnk
  • .386

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

17.964.04

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

28 Nov 2022

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

17.965.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

29 Nov 2022

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF062

Step 2

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 3

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 4

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Disable this malware service

[ Learn More ]
    • Update{Random characters}

Step 6

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\Classes\.dagoned\shell\Open\command
    • (Default) = explorer.exe README_TO_DECRYPT.html

Step 7

Search and delete this file

[ 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.
  • {Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name}.log
  • %User Temp%\{random characters}.bat
  • \C$\ProgramData\{Malware File Name}.exe
  • {Encrypted directory}\README_TO_DECRYPT.html

Step 8

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as Ransom.Win64.MOUNTLOCKER.J. 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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