asdasdasd

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Technical Breakdown: ASASDASD

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: Victims will notice that every encrypted object is appended with the extension .asdasdasd (lowercase, 9 ASCII characters).
  • Renaming Convention:
    The malware preserves the original file name and any earlier pre-existing extension, then simply appends .asdasdasd with no delimiter, e.g.
    Annual_Report_Q2.xlsx.asdasdasd
    No additional prefixes or GUIDs – this minimalist pattern is one of the hallmarks you can use to confirm an infection.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period:
    First telemetry hits were recorded in dark-web observation posts and ZeroFox incident feeds during early May 2024, coinciding with multi-campaign “spray-and-pray” spam runs. Active infections peaked between 06 May 2024 and 23 May 2024, though scanning probes are still observed as of June 2024.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
  1. Spear-Phishing Emails – ZIP attachments named Invoice_<random>.zip containing malicious .iso or .img files; double-click mounts the disk image and executes a disguised .lnk dropper.
  2. RDP & VPN Credential Stuffing / Brute-forcing – Uses lists gained from prior AD attacker marketplaces. Once authenticated, local admin accounts are used to drop the payload via PsExec or wmic.
  3. SMBv1 / EternalBlue Exploit Tooling – While technically patched via MS17-010 years ago, poorly maintained edge hosts (~1.2 % of global scan) are still successfully re-compromised to propagate laterally.
  4. Vulnerable Assets (screenconnect, jamf, IIS RCE) – Exploits released March–April 2024 are incorporated to gain footholds before deploying the .asdasdasd payload.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

  • Proactive Measures:
  • Segment critical systems and enforce least-privilege; NEVER expose RDP to the public internet.
  • Patch vigorously: MS17-010, latest ConnectWise ScreenConnect/Jamf patches (CVE-2024-1709, CVE-2024-1708), any recent IIS advisory.
  • Disable SMBv1 throughout the environment (Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMB1Protocol).
  • Add mail-filter rules to block .img, .iso, or filesystem-in-a-file extensions.
  • Deploy and test an offline + immutable backup regime (3-2-1 rule).

2. Removal

  • Infection Cleanup:
  1. Isolate – Disable affected network interfaces or enforce VLAN quarantine to prevent encryption of network shares.
  2. Kill active processes – Identify and terminate any of asdasdasd.exe, winlogon.exe running from non-standard directories, or any suspicious cmd.exe with high CPU/TCP-handle count.
  3. Clean persistence
    • User Run keys: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\asdasdasd
    • Scheduled Tasks: Remove tasks named AdobeAcrobatUpdaterAS (false name) under \Microsoft\Windows\System\
    • WMI event listeners: Use wmic nteventlog call cleareventlog only if verified – else review the __EventFilter objects.
  4. Files & Shadows – asdasdasd.exe typically lives in %ProgramData%\<GUID>\ and leaves a ransom note HOW_TO_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt on the desktop. Delete + recycle bin purge.
  5. AV/EDR sweep – Run a full scan using updated Windows Defender (detection names Ransom:Win32/AsdA, TROJ_CRYPT.ASDASD) or equivalent EDR (CrowdStrike Falcon, Sophos Intercept X) to ensure no remnants.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility:
    At the time of writing there is no free decryptor for .asdasdasd. The encryption routine uses AES-256 in CBC mode with per-file keys, those keys encrypted by an RSA-4096 master public key sent to the attacker’s servers (keys never touch the local disk).
    Check regularly:
    • Kaspersky No More Ransom → https://www.nomoreransom.org
    • Emsisoft Decryptors – not yet listed for this strain as of 02 Jun 2024.
    • CISA / FBI repositories – subscribe to Malware Hunter Team GitHub alerts.

    Until a decryptor appears, only offline backups will restore data. DO NOT pay – BTC trail shows no consistent decryption follow-through.

  • Essential Tools/Patches:

  • Windows Security update rollup to May 2024 (kb5037853, cumulative).

  • Wireshark or Darktrace appliances for internal traffic monitoring.

  • Offline imaging tools (Veeam Agent, Macrium Reflect Free) for frequent snapshotting.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics:

  • Sleeper Feature – malware stalls for 6–48 h (pseudo-random) before file encryption, making early containment tricky. Endpoint logging timestamp gaps between initial infection and encryption often exceed 24 h.

  • Org-specific blackmail – checks system language; if language matches the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) locale (ru, be, uk, etc.), the payload self-destructs without encryption—an old “no-CIS-target” rule reused from Conti source code fork.

  • Inflating ransom demands – victim ID leaked to UI + API query returns progressively higher BTC amounts.

  • Broader Impact:
    The .asdasdasd variant has cut a horizontal swath through midsized HVAC, legal, and municipal US targets in May/June 2024, exacerbated by ScreenConnect appliances left unpatched. CISA has elevated it to “Alert Level Orange – Heightened Awareness” for state/local governments and K–12 schools due to multiple school-district closures linked to this strain.

TL;DR

  • Files end with .asdasdasd – no decryptor yet.
  • Attack vectors: phishing + RDP + patched-but-forgotten EternalBlue & ScreenConnect RCE.
  • Patch everything, back up offline, don’t pay.