*[email protected]*.dharma

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

The *[email protected]*.dharma ransomware variant is a specific iteration belonging to the Dharma (also known as Dharma/Crisis/Phobos) ransomware family. This family has been a persistent threat for several years, continually evolving its methods and contact details. Understanding this particular variant is crucial for effective defense and recovery.

Technical Breakdown:

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: Files encrypted by this variant will typically append a complex extension that includes a unique victim ID, the attacker’s contact email, and the family identifier. The exact format usually follows:
    .id-[unique_victim_ID].[[email protected]].dharma
    or in some cases, a slightly simplified version like:
    .id-[unique_victim_ID][email protected]

  • Renaming Convention: When a file is encrypted, its original name and extension are preserved, but the ransomware’s specific extension is added at the very end.
    Example:

    This renaming pattern makes it immediately clear that the files have been encrypted by a Dharma variant, and provides the email address for victims to contact the attackers.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period: The broader Dharma ransomware family emerged around 2016-2017 and has undergone numerous iterations. Variants using the [email].dharma pattern, including those with contact emails like [email protected], became prominent around 2018-2020, indicating a continuous evolution and rebranding of the threat actors’ contact information. New .dharma variants are still frequently observed, making it an ongoing and active threat.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

*[email protected]*.dharma, like other Dharma variants, primarily relies on vulnerabilities in internet-facing services and social engineering:

  • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Exploits: This is the most common and significant attack vector. Attackers target RDP services exposed to the internet, often employing:

    • Brute-force attacks: Automated tools attempt to guess weak or common RDP credentials.
    • Credential stuffing: Using compromised credentials from other data breaches.
    • Exploitation of weak RDP configurations: Such as single-factor authentication or lack of account lockout policies.
      Once access is gained, the attackers manually deploy the ransomware.

  • Phishing Campaigns: While RDP is dominant, phishing remains a potential entry point:

    • Malicious Attachments: Emails containing infected documents (e.g., weaponized Office files with macros), executable files disguised as legitimate software, or archive files (ZIP, RAR) containing the ransomware payload.
    • Malicious Links: Links leading to compromised websites or drive-by downloads.

  • Software Vulnerabilities: Less common as a primary initial access for Dharma specifically, but general software vulnerabilities (e.g., unpatched servers, outdated web applications) can be exploited to gain a foothold before the ransomware is deployed.

  • Supply Chain Attacks / Software Cracks: In some instances, ransomware has been distributed through compromised legitimate software updates or bundled with cracked software/keygen utilities downloaded from untrusted sources.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

Proactive measures are the most effective defense against *[email protected]*.dharma and similar ransomware variants:

  • Strong RDP Security:

    • Disable RDP entirely if not strictly necessary.
    • If RDP is required, restrict access to specific IP addresses via firewall rules.
    • Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all RDP access.
    • Use strong, unique passwords for all user accounts, especially those with RDP access.
    • Enable account lockout policies to thwart brute-force attempts.
    • Consider using a VPN for RDP access instead of direct exposure to the internet.

  • Regular, Offline Backups: Implement a robust 3-2-1 backup strategy:

    • 3 copies of your data.
    • On 2 different media types.
    • 1 copy offsite and offline/immutable. This ensures data cannot be encrypted or deleted by the ransomware.

  • Patch Management: Keep operating systems, software, firmware, and network devices fully updated with the latest security patches. This mitigates known vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

  • Email Security & User Training:

    • Deploy advanced email filters to block malicious attachments and links.
    • Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training for all employees, focusing on recognizing phishing attempts, suspicious links, and unsolicited attachments.

  • Network Segmentation: Divide your network into isolated segments. This limits the lateral movement of ransomware if one segment becomes infected, preventing it from spreading across the entire network.

  • Endpoint Protection: Deploy and maintain robust Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions and next-generation antivirus (NGAV) software with behavioral analysis capabilities. These tools can detect and block ransomware activity.

  • Principle of Least Privilege: Grant users and systems only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their tasks. This limits the damage if an account is compromised.

2. Removal

If a system is infected, follow these steps to remove *[email protected]*.dharma:

  1. Isolate Infected Systems: Immediately disconnect the infected computer(s) from the network (unplug Ethernet cable, disable Wi-Fi). This prevents the ransomware from spreading to other systems.
  2. Identify & Terminate Processes: Use Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) to identify any suspicious processes that are consuming high CPU or memory. Be cautious, as some ransomware processes may mimic legitimate system processes.
  3. Boot into Safe Mode: Restart the computer in Safe Mode (with Networking, if you need to download tools). This often prevents the ransomware from launching, allowing for easier removal.
  4. Scan with Antivirus/Anti-malware: Use reputable, up-to-date antivirus and anti-malware software (e.g., Malwarebytes, Windows Defender, Bitdefender, ESET, Sophos) to perform a full system scan. Ensure the definitions are updated.
  5. Delete Malicious Files & Persistence:
    • Allow the security software to quarantine and delete detected ransomware files.
    • Manually check common ransomware locations: %APPDATA%, %TEMP%, %LocalAppData%, ProgramData.
    • Inspect startup entries (e.g., msconfig > Startup tab, Task Scheduler, Registry keys like HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run) and remove any suspicious entries.
  6. Check for Other Malware: Ransomware is sometimes deployed alongside other malware (e.g., infostealers, backdoors). Perform a thorough scan for any additional threats.
  7. Change Credentials: After ensuring the system is clean, change all passwords for accounts that may have been compromised (e.g., RDP, local admin, domain accounts).

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility: Unfortunately, for most modern Dharma variants, including *[email protected]*.dharma, free decryption tools are rarely available. The encryption employed is strong (typically AES-256 and RSA-2048), and without the attacker’s private key, decryption is computationally infeasible. Paying the ransom is strongly discouraged as it does not guarantee file recovery, funds criminal activities, and marks you as a potential future target.

  • Methods/Tools for Recovery (if direct decryption isn’t possible):

    • Restore from Backups (Primary Method): This is by far the most reliable and recommended method. Restore your data from your clean, offline, and immutable backups taken before the infection.
    • Shadow Volume Copies: Ransomware often attempts to delete Shadow Volume Copies (VSS) to prevent easy recovery. However, in some cases, if the ransomware failed to delete them, you might be able to recover older versions of files using Windows’ “Previous Versions” feature or tools like ShadowExplorer. This is a long shot but worth checking.
    • Data Recovery Software: In some rare instances, if the ransomware encrypted files by creating new encrypted copies and deleting the originals, data recovery software might be able to retrieve the original deleted files. This is highly dependent on how the ransomware operates and how much disk activity has occurred since the encryption.

  • Essential Tools/Patches:

    • Updated Antivirus/Anti-malware Suites: For detection and removal (e.g., Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, Sophos, Bitdefender, ESET).
    • Backup and Recovery Solutions: Crucial for data restoration (e.g., Veeam, Acronis, cloud backup services).
    • Network Monitoring Tools: To detect suspicious RDP login attempts or unusual network traffic.
    • Operating System Patches: Ensure Windows/Linux systems are fully updated.
    • RDP Security Tools: For robust RDP management (e.g., RDPGuard, Thycotic Secret Server for privileged access).
    • Vulnerability Scanners: To identify exposed services and weak configurations (e.g., Nessus, OpenVAS).
    • No More Ransom Project: Regularly check the No More Ransom website. While unlikely for this specific variant without a discovered flaw, they occasionally release decryptors for Dharma family members if keys or vulnerabilities are found.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Additional Precautions & Characteristics:

    • Ransom Notes: *[email protected]*.dharma typically drops ransom notes in FILES ENCRYPTED.txt or info.txt files on the desktop and in affected folders. It may also change the desktop wallpaper to display the ransom note.
    • Stealthy Initial Access: Attackers using Dharma often spend some time performing reconnaissance and establishing persistence after gaining initial access via RDP, before deploying the ransomware. This “dwell time” can be used for data exfiltration as well.
    • No Known Universal Decryptor: At present, there is no universal, free decryptor for *[email protected]*.dharma. Recovery primarily relies on robust backups or, rarely, flaws discovered in specific variants.
    • Variety of Contact Emails: The dharma family is notorious for changing the contact email in the file extension and ransom note frequently (e.g., [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], etc.). The core behavior remains similar.

  • Broader Impact:

    • Significant Data Loss: Without proper backups or a decryptor, organizations and individuals face permanent loss of encrypted data.
    • Operational Disruption: Ransomware attacks can halt business operations for days or even weeks, leading to severe financial losses due to downtime.
    • Financial Costs: Beyond the potential ransom payment (which is not recommended), there are costs associated with recovery efforts, IT forensics, system rebuilding, and reputational damage.
    • Reputational Damage: For businesses, an attack can erode customer trust and brand reputation.
    • Resource Drain: Incident response, recovery, and strengthened security measures divert significant internal and external resources.
    • Potential Data Exfiltration: While Dharma’s primary goal is encryption for ransom, some variants or actors associated with them may also exfiltrate data before encryption, leading to potential data breach notification requirements.

By understanding these technical details and implementing the recommended prevention and recovery strategies, individuals and organizations can significantly reduce their risk and improve their resilience against the *[email protected]*.dharma ransomware variant.