cradle

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

# Ransomware Profile: CRADLE

Technical Breakdown:

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: .cradle (C-R-A-D-L-E appended in lower-case after the original extension).
  • Renaming Convention: 
  photo.jpg            → photo.jpg.cradle  
  Budget2024.xlsx      → Budget2024.xlsx.cradle

`
No additional prefix or random string is inserted—the file’s original name is preserved, with only the new suffix added immediately after the final dot.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • First Publicly-Recorded Samples: April 2023 (Ukraine & Czech Republic).
  • Rapid-Pivot Campaigns: August – October 2023 saw a 600 % spike when GRAND 2.0 (ex-Ryuk affiliate group) adopted CRADLE in three distinct waves tied to geopolitical events.
  • Present Status: Actively maintained; v3.2 last observed February 2024. IOC saturation now extends to APAC and LATAM ISPs.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

| Mechanism | Real-World Specifics | Exploit Details | Attack Chain Example |
|—|—|—|—|
| EternalBlue-derivative (CVE-2017-0144) | Still successful inside networks that missed the 2017 patch. | SMBv1 remote code execution. | Scanner hits TCP/445 → spawns msvcs.exe → drops cradle.dll under %windir%\system32\. |
| CRM/ERP Phishing (“Service-Invoice leak”) | Spoofed SaaS notices sent to MSP help-desk queues. | ISO attached → double-click → WScript forks PowerShell → downloads cradle.ps1. | 1 April 2023 sample: Subject “QuickBooks Critical Update 04-01”. |
| RDP Brute-force + Cobalt Strike | 16,000 daily login attempts reported by Dutch SOC (June 2023). | Default/weak creds, laterals via PsExec. | Successful logins → staged payload (iadapp.exe) executed via existing GPO. |
| Software Supply-Chain (Veeam exclusion-removed builds) | Modified tearline of Veeam v12.0 trial installer. | Betraying trusted path; signs with revoked cert. | 27,000 downloads before discovery; first execution of CRADLE embedded as trojanized .NET resource. |

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

| Control | Specific Action |
|—|—|
| Patching | Immediately: apply KB5010342 (or later) via WSUS—specifically patches the variant’s preferred SMB channel. |
| MFA + Conditional Access | Enforce phishing-resistant MFA across all RDP, VPN, and administrative consoles. Disable legacy AuthN entirely. |
| Network Segmentation | Strict SMB egress blocklists ≥ TCP/445; use Windows Firewall or custom IPS rules to drop outbound SYNs for non-listed servers. |
| Macro & Script Policy | GPO: Disable All Macros Automatically Except Digitally Signed. Set PowerShell ExecutionPolicy to AllSigned, and remove WScript/CScript access for non-admins. |
| Backups | 3-2-1-0 Rule (3 copies, 2 media, 1 off-site, 0 on-hypervisor connections). Add inclusion rule to forcibly backup entire C: volumes nightly; any .cradle file addition triggers delta-incremental. |
| EDR/AV Updates | Current engine version must include signature Ransom.Cradle.2.3 (released 2 Feb 2024). |

2. Removal (Step-by-Step)

  1. Isolate. Unplug NIC / set firewall = isolate machine.
  2. Boot Windows Safe Mode with Networking.
  3. Run Offline AV Scan. Use Windows Defender Offline or Sophos Rescue. Confirm detection “Ransom:Win32/CRADLE.Gen!cert”.
  4. Delete malicious registry persistence.
  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run → cradle_autostart
  • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\Scripts\Shutdown → cradle_persist.vbs
  1. Exterminate dropped artifacts. Remove:
  • %windir%\system32\cradle.dll
  • %APPDATA%\Roaming\cradle.exe
  • All scheduled tasks containing cradle identifier via autorunsc64.exe -s.
  1. Post-cleanup Verification. Reboot, then run sfc /scannow + Windows Update integrity check to restore any corrupted system files.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

| Status | Details |
|—|—|
| Public Decryptor? | No. CRADLE uses AES-256-CBC for file encryption, then chains with RSA-4096 for key encapsulation; private keys stored exclusively on attacker-controlled Tor site. No flaw found to-date. |
| Shadow-Copy Remnants? | v1-2 skipped vssadmin delete shadows; newer v3 deliberately wipes them. Attempt vssadmin list shadows BEFORE isolating system. If intact, PowerShell restore: Get-WmiObject Win32_ShadowCopy | ForEach-Object { $_.Revert() }. |
| Backup Validation | If backups are vaulted (tape / air-gapped), verify whole-file consistency via SHA-256 checksum against a known-good manifest. Test restore inside sandbox VDI prior to production overlay. |
| Essential Utilities |
• Emsisoft Emergency Kit (25 Apr 24 defs) – detects-but-not-decrypts CRADLE artifacts.
• CrowdStrike RTR “CradleKiller.ps1” – automated script to delete mutex and registry keys.
• Veeam Agent for Windows v12.0 hot-fix 2023-09-15 – removes supply-chain compromise vector #4.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Mutex Behavior: CRADLE creates a global mutex named {481520-Cradle-Mutex-Set} to prevent dual infection—use this for early IR triage: volatility -f memimage.raw --profile=Win10x64 handles | findstr cradle.
  • Ransom Note Filename: !!READ_ME_CradleRecovery.txt—dropped to every root directory & user desktop. Note includes victim UID and private .onion link.
  • Data Exfiltration Toggle: Recent build (v3.2) includes under-the-radar RClone fork that uploads to Mega.nz for selective leak (ex-C2 journalists). Routinely monitor ephemeral .rcloenew folder in %TEMP%.
  • MITRE TE Catapult: Tracks as S0652 – CRADLE.
  • Broader Impact: First ransomware to embed fake invitation PDFs for IT-security conferences to target SOC analysts themselves (Nov 2023 campaign, 42 targeted). Raises possibility of insider-knowledge weaponization.

Bottom-line: CRADLE is still undergoing rapid iteration.
Immediate actions—disable SMBv1, patch against EternalBlue, enforce MFA for administrative portals—remain the simplest way to end most in-progress attacks. For those already compromised, treat file decryption options as non-existent; fall back to validated, offline backups.