Magniber Ransomware Improves Its Obfuscation Techniques and Expands to Other Asian Countries

Magniber ransomware emerges again leveraging various obfuscation techniques and with refined source codes. The most famous and long-running browser exploitation toolkit Magnitude delivering Magniber ransomware, and the toolkit primarily uses Zero-day remote code execution vulnerability allows an attacker could execute arbitrary code and take the complete control of the infected system (CVE-2018-8174).

Previously Magniber targets only South Korea, now it expanded geographically and targets Asia Pacific countries.

Security researchers from Malwarebytes labs spotted the Magniber with various obfuscation techniques and no longer dependent on a Command and Control server or hardcoded key for its encryption routine.

Magniber Ransomware Execution

Magniber ransomware download and execution is multi-staged, it uses obfuscated VBScript and JavaScript. After the exploitation of the vulnerability in Internet Explorer, the XOR-encrypted Magniber is retrieved.

“Each time a new file is going to be encrypted, two 16-byte long strings are generated. One will be used as an AES key, and another as an initialization vector (IV). Below you can see the fragment of code responsible for generating those pseudo-random strings.”

The new version of Magniber ransomware comes with a public RSA key which makes it complete the encryption process without an Internet connection. It uses to encrypt the file and ads ransom note named README.txt and the file extension is [.]dyaaghemy.

Image Credits: Malwarebytes

It displays a ransom note and asks to make payment of 0.35 BTC within 5 days to recover the files encrypted.

Image Credits: Malwarebytes

Researchers said the code fully was rewritten over time and it’s list expanded adding other Asian languages, such as Chinese (Macau, China, Singapore) and Malay (Malysia, Brunei). Magniber ransomware would install only if a specific country code was returned, else it would delete by itself.

Also Read

New Version of GandCrab Ransomware Attack via Compromised Websites using SMB Exploit Spreader

Hackers Distributing Malicious PDF that Perform both Ransomware and Crypto-Mining Attack

New Version of SamSam Ransomware Attack Targeted Victims with Sophisticated Evasion Techniques

Guru baran

Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications.

Recent Posts

GoPlus’s Latest Report Highlights How Blockchain Communities Are Leveraging Critical API Security Data To Mitigate Web3 Threats

GoPlus Labs, the leading Web3 security infrastructure provider, has unveiled a groundbreaking report highlighting the growing, widespread use and potential…

5 hours ago

C2A Security’s EVSec Risk Management and Automation Platform Gains Automotive Industry Favor as Companies Pursue Regulatory Compliance

In 2023, C2A Security added multiple OEMs and Tier 1s to its portfolio of customers, successful evaluations, and partnerships such…

6 hours ago

Wireshark 4.2.4 Released: What’s New!

Wireshark stands as the undisputed leader, offering unparalleled tools for troubleshooting, analysis, development, and education. The latest update, Wireshark 4.2.4,…

9 hours ago

Zoom Unveils AI-Powered All-In-One AI Work Workplace

Zoom has taken a monumental leap forward by introducing Zoom Workplace, an all-encompassing AI-powered platform designed to redefine how we…

9 hours ago

iPhone Users Beware! Darcula Phishing Service Attacking Via iMessage

Phishing allows hackers to exploit human vulnerabilities and trick users into revealing sensitive information and grant unauthorized access. It's an…

10 hours ago

2 Chrome Zero-Days Exploited at Pwn2Own 2024: Patch Now

Google has announced a crucial update to its Chrome browser, addressing several vulnerabilities, including two zero-day exploits showcased at the…

13 hours ago