Thursday, November 14, 2024
HomeCyber Security NewsCryWiper Malware Masquerades as Ransomware & Purposely Destroys Data

CryWiper Malware Masquerades as Ransomware & Purposely Destroys Data

Published on

Malware protection

CryWiper, a previously unknown data wiper that masquerades as ransomware, has been recently discovered and is spreading around the internet. Furthermore, this ransomware completely destroys the data it infects instead of encrypting it. 

While during an attack against the Russian mayor’s offices and courts as reported by Russian media, this scenario was detected.

This fall, Kaspersky was the first company to discover CryWiper and they later reported the malware was used to attack a Russian organization in an attack carried out by the operators of the malware.

- Advertisement - SIEM as a Service

Technical Analysis

Upon close inspection and analysis of the source code of CryWiper, it becomes clear that its ability to wipe targets’ data is completely intentional, so it’s not a mistake.

CryWiper is primarily written in C++ and it’s a Windows executable that is based on 64-bit architecture. As a result of its configuration, CryWiper abuses numerous WinAPI functions and it remains hidden under the following name:-

  • browserupdate.exe

As soon as the malware is executed on the system that’s already compromised, it automatically creates a list of tasks scheduled to run at an interval of every five minutes.

This Trojan then uses an HTTP GET request to contact its command and control server (C2), passing the name of the system that is infected as a parameter to the server in order to gain access to the compromised system.

The following strings are sent by the C&C server in order to control the behavior and attributes of the malware:-

  • run
  • do not run

CryWiper will then immediately begin its malicious activity if the ‘run’ option has been returned. In an effort to trick the victims, in some cases, the complete execution delays are extended up to 4 days which is around 345,600 seconds.

Moreover, to destroy the data CryWiper has to free the locked data, and to do so, it stops all the processes that are marked as critical and these processes are related to:-

  • MySQL
  • MS SQL database servers
  • MS Exchange email servers
  • MS Active Directory web services

As a result of CryWiper, the Windows Registry is also modified so that RDP connections are prevented, thereby making remote IT specialists unable to intervene and respond when an incident occurs.

Ignored File Extensions & Directories

Here below we have mentioned all the file types that are not destroyed by CryWiper:-

  • .exe
  • .dll
  • .lnk
  • .sys
  • .msi
  • .CRY

Additionally, the following directories are also skipped by CryWiper, resulting in the complete loss of functionality:-

  • C:\Windows
  • tmp
  • winnt
  • temp
  • thumb
  • System Volume Information
  • Boot
  • Windows
  • Trend Micro

A pseudorandom number generator that is known as ‘Mersenne Twister’ is used as the algorithm for corrupting the files. 

Once this is accomplished, a ransom note, which will be titled ‘README.txt’, will be generated by CryWiper. In this note, it asks for 0.5 Bitcoin which is about $8,000 in exchange for a decrypter in order to be released.

The CryWiper malware is not a ransomware file in the traditional manner, but it is a malware program that is capable of destroying a large amount of data in a short period of time.

Recommendations

Here below we have mentioned all the recommendations advised by the security experts:-

  • Make sure to perform behavioral file analysis to detect and block malware.
  • There are various MDR and SOC services that can detect intrusions in a timely manner and respond accordingly to these intrusions.
  • Blocking malicious files and URLs from email attachments based on dynamic analysis must be done.
  • Performing penetration tests on a regular basis and participating in RedTeam projects as necessary.
  • In order to keep up with threats, it is necessary to monitor threat data.

Penetration Testing As a Service – Download Red Team & Blue Team Workspace

Balaji
Balaji
BALAJI is an Ex-Security Researcher (Threat Research Labs) at Comodo Cybersecurity. Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder - Cyber Security News & GBHackers On Security.

Latest articles

GitLab Patches Critical Flaws Leads to Unauthorized Access to Kubernetes Cluster

GitLab has rolled out critical security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in its Community...

Windows 0-Day Exploited in Wild with Single Right Click

A newly discovered zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2024-43451, has been actively exploited in the wild, targeting Windows...

Automating Identity and Access Management for Modern Enterprises

Keeping track of who has access and managing their permissions has gotten a lot...

Finding The Right E-Commerce Platform – Comparing Reselling Solutions

If you’re looking to make some extra cash or to start a business, you...

Free Webinar

Protect Websites & APIs from Malware Attack

Malware targeting customer-facing websites and API applications poses significant risks, including compliance violations, defacements, and even blacklisting.

Join us for an insightful webinar featuring Vivek Gopalan, VP of Products at Indusface, as he shares effective strategies for safeguarding websites and APIs against malware.

Discussion points

Scan DOM, internal links, and JavaScript libraries for hidden malware.
Detect website defacements in real time.
Protect your brand by monitoring for potential blacklisting.
Prevent malware from infiltrating your server and cloud infrastructure.

More like this

GitLab Patches Critical Flaws Leads to Unauthorized Access to Kubernetes Cluster

GitLab has rolled out critical security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in its Community...

Windows 0-Day Exploited in Wild with Single Right Click

A newly discovered zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2024-43451, has been actively exploited in the wild, targeting Windows...

Fortinet Patches Critical Flaws That Affected Multiple Products

Fortinet, a leading cybersecurity provider, has issued patches for several critical vulnerabilities impacting multiple...