Once the initial payload reaches your machine, it inserts a registry key which executes the encryption engine upon boot-up. Phases 2&3 (exploit and download backdoor): Consider adding the WildFire subscription to your Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall to ensure timely receipt of intelligence on new versions. As new core versions are released, those versions are detonated within WildFire, identified as malware, and shared across our WildFire subscribers in less than an hour. Because we are not just looking at file name and hash value, variants of core versions are easily detected and blocked by policy. WildFire, as well as our anti-virus and anti-spyware, is able to look inside of zip files, and analyze unknown executables. CryptoLocker has been observed sending zipped PDF files which are actually just disguised. Where we can stop this attack is at all of the four preceding phases.ĬryptoLocker finds its targets like other attacks: phishing emails leading a user to a malicious download site and drive-by infections. CryptoLocker needs to get to phase 5 before encryption begins. Think of the typical network attack lifecycle: 1) recon/bait end user, 2) exploit system, 3) download backdoor, 4) establish command and control, 5) steal or damage. But the good news for Palo Alto Networks customer is that our platform is more than capable of stopping the attack from reaching its final phase. Palo Alto Networks next-generation security platform is not able to help once the data is encrypted – so far, we haven’t seen a platform that can. Once CryptoLocker has successfully encrypted the data, it is computationally infeasible that even a dedicated distributed decryption effort would crack the encryption within a lifetime. The user or owner is then presented with a demand for $300 to $3000 payable through BitCoin. It uses a 2048-bit key and the RSA algorithm to encrypt specific file types on the victim’s local storage and any other network mapped drives. The first ransomware known as ‘AIDS’ dates back to 1989, with resurgent waves coming in 2005/2006 ( Gpcode,, Archiveus, Krotten, Cryzip, and MayArchive) and then again more recently in 2010 when the Russian Mafia put out WinLock and other variants.ĬryptoLocker is different. Extortion schemes involving encryption are not new, but seem to come in waves. The emergence of CryptoLocker in the past month means we’re seeing the next iteration of ransomware.
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