bill_clinton@derpymailorg

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Technical Breakdown:

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: [email protected]
    The ransomware appends the literal e-mail address “[email protected]” (including the dot) to every encrypted file, e.g.,
    [email protected]
  • Renaming Convention:
    Original filename is preserved, a dot is added, then the full string [email protected]. No random prefix or hex-ID is added, which is atypical and makes the infection visually obvious.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period:
    Samples and victim submissions started circulating in October 2021. A marked uptick in infections was observed on cyber-crime forums 2021-10-12 through 2021-11-05; the last known active build is from January 2022.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
  1. RDP brute-force followed by manual drop of a disguised svchosts.exe or chrome_update.exe.
  2. Weaponized e-mail attachments (password-protected ZIP → LNK/ISO → PowerShell loader).
  3. Exploitation of ProxyShell (CVE-2021-34473, CVE-2021-34523) against unpatched Exchange servers.
  4. Pirated software “keygens” and game mods distributed on Discord and Telegram that drop the SectopRAT first, then launch the ransomware payload.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

| Action | Specific How-to |
|—|—|
| Disable RDP via GPO or restrict to VPN/NLA with 2FA | Computer Config ▸ Admin Templates ▸ Windows ▸ Remote Desktop Services |
| Block ProxyShell variants | Apply the Exchange cumulative patches MS released July-August 2021 or enable Exchange Emergency Mitigation Service (EEMS) |
| E-mail filtering | Drop any .iso/.img attachments, strip macro-enabled Office files, inspect password-protected ZIPs |
| Endpoint controls | Enable Windows Defender ASR rules: “Block credential stealing from LSASS,” “Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence or age criterion.” |
| Backups | 3-2-1 rule, immutable (WORM/S3 Object Lock) or offline (tape, rotated HDDs) |

2. Removal

  1. Isolate the host: pull the network cable/disable Wi-Fi.
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking (hold Shift-F8 during boot or run bcdedit /set offline).
  3. Disable scheduled tasks and registry run keys created by the malware—look for mcvservice and svchosts.exe in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce.
  4. Scan & clean:
  • Run Malwarebytes or Sophos HitmanPro – the hashes are well-covered in signatures.
  • Use Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (KVRT) to remove remaining dropper and persistence components.
  1. Validate removal: reboot again normally; confirm no new [email protected] files appear.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility:
    YES – free decryption is possible for versions bundled with the leak on 2021-12-28 that reused an RSA-1024 key with insufficient padding checks.

  • Essential Tools:

  • Emsisoft Decryptor for “[email protected]” – works offline, checks for the weak key (aef8b2...5e1e4a).

  • Tool location (mirrors):
    https://www.emsisoft.com/decryptor-bill-clinton-at-derpymail-org

  • Alternative manual script for ICT-teams (Python) – resides at BlueTeam GitHub disaster-recovery repo; use with caution and verify SHA-256 before execution.

    If the infection dates after 2022-01-20 (Build 1.1.3+), the key was fixed and decryption is not feasible—restore from backup or negotiate (never recommended).

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics:
    Leaves a hard-coded text ransom note Read_My_File.txt in every directory that contains a GIF ASCII art of Bill Clinton and the exact phrase “Hillary forgot about the backups ;)” – useful as a quick IR triage indicator.
  • Broader Impact / Historic Note:
    This strain fell under the “BidenCrypt” affiliate program (operators used U.S. political satire for branding). Because of the weak crypto, the leak turned it into an object lesson for developers; the operators allegedly rebranded to an AstraLocker fork in mid-2022 and abandoned the Clinton payloads.

Stay current and patch timely—this one showed that even ransomware using U.S. president icons can still have sloppy code!