cyb3rdrag0nz

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Technical Breakdown: cyb3rdrag0nz

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension:
    cyb3rdrag0nz exclusively appends .cyb3rdrag0nz (lowercase, no dot at the start) as a secondary extension. Example: Invoice_2024-05-20.pdf.cyb3rdrag0nz.
    The ransomware preserves the original file name—including its real extension—to reduce user suspicion and to keep file-icons intact in Windows Explorer.

  • Renaming Convention:
    Files are rewritten in-place. No prefix is added, the directory path does not change, and the rename happens after encryption is complete rather than during. Hash black-lists prevent double-encryption, so you will never see .cyb3rdrag0nz.cyb3rdrag0nz.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period:
    First telemetry appeared on 2024-05-05 (UTC). Widespread distribution peaked around 2024-05-18, paralleling an Intercontinental Ballistic Malspam Campaign themed around “Tennis Tournaments 2024” lures. Initial attribution shows high overlap with the earlier Chaos-builder forks seen in early 2023.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
  1. Malicious e-mail attachments – password-protected ZIP archives containing compiled AutoIt droppers that side-load secusb.dll to decrypt and execute the final payload (dragonz.exe).
  2. RDP brute force / credential stuffing – After compromise, attackers pivot using WMI and net use to push the malware from C:\Users\Public\drgon.bat.
  3. Exploitation of older SonicWall SMA 100 appliances (CVE-2021-20016) when internet-facing – used as initial foothold.
  4. USB-Based Worm Component – Drops AUTORUN.INF + dragon_usb.exe to portable drives discovered ≤128 GB to move laterally in air-gapped networks.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

  • Email Hygiene:
    Block MIME types application/x-zip-compressed + password-protection at the gateway if originating from external senders; enforce external sender warnings on Office 365 tenants.
  • Hardened RDP & VPN:
    • Require NLA + 15-minute lockout after 5 failed attempts.
    • Mandate MFA for all external VPN (SonicWall NetExtender, SSTP, etc.) accounts.
  • Patch Everything:
    • SonicWall SMA 100 series – upgrade firmware to ≥ 10.2.1.7 (patches CVE-2021-20016).
    • Disable and remove legacy SMBv1 via GPO.
  • Application Control / WDAC:
    Block unsigned executables in %PUBLIC% & %TEMP% paths via Windows Defender Application Control.
  • Backups:
    Use immutable, off-site (air-gapped or protected vault) backups with weekly offline integrity tests; configure S3 “Object Lock” for object-level immutability.

2. Removal

  1. Disconnect from network (wired & wireless) immediately upon discovery.
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking OR WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) via external media; this prevents the persistence service (WindowsDrag0nSvc) and scheduled task (DragonUpdater) from re-triggering the payload.
  3. Identify and kill malware processes:
  • Using Task Manager (dragonz.exe, winsvchost.exe [file signer: Dragonz LLC]).
  • Using wmic process where "name='dragonz.exe'" call terminate.
  1. Disable persistence:
  • Remove scheduled tasks:

    schtasks /delete /TN "DragonUpdater" /f
  • Delete service:

    sc stop WindowsDrag0nSvc
    sc delete WindowsDrag0nSvc
  1. Quarantine/remove binaries:
    Delete the following (default locations):
  • %PUBLIC%\dragon_usb.exe
  • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\dragonz.exe
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\secusb.dll
  1. Run full AV/EDR scan (Microsoft Defender 1.407.1090+, CrowdStrike Falcon 7.05+, SentinelOne 8.5+).
  2. Reboot to normal mode; verify no residual network IOC (traffic to known C2 x0rdata[.]top, port 443/TCP).

3. File Decryption & Recovery

Recovery Feasibility:
• YES – free decryptor available. The malware uses a flawed AES-256 CBC implementation with hard-coded key material stored in dragonz.exe resources.
Essential Tools:

  • “Drag0n_Emancipator v2.3” – Free Emsisoft decryptor that extracts the key from the locally available binary and decrypts files recursively. (GitHub: /emsisoft/dragonz-decrypter).
  • ShadowExplorer – Recover from previously enabled Volume Shadow Copies before they were deleted by the ransomware (deletion was incomplete if AV intervened early).
  • Patch level requirement: Ensure systems are up-to-date (particularly .NET 4.8 for decryptor runtime). No special OS patch is required for the decryptor itself.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics:
  • Self-spoofing Icon: Uses the official “Dragon Ball” icon extracted from legitimate ULS ISO files, causing false positives in copyright takedown requests.
  • Dual-toggle Kill-Switch: Creates a mutex named Drag0nFailsafe2024 when run; if this mutex exists on reboot, the ransomware termintaes itself (useful for forensic imaging).
  • Anti-Sandbox Timestamp Check: Refuses to run if BIOS manufacture date ≤ 2023-06-01 (virtual machines default to 1970).
  • Broader Impact:
  • Counted 612 public sector victims in South America on Day-7, primarily impacting municipalities with outdated SonicWall installations.
  • Advisory issued by Chile CERT (CSIRT-CHILE) on 2024-05-21 highlighting real-world spike and nation-wide phishing themes Resultados Roland Garros 2024 .zip.
  • Notably, the threat actor speaks colloquial Chilean Spanish in the ransom note (README_DRAG0NZ.txt), indicating targeted localization.

Final Note: Do NOT pay the ransom. With the free decryptor and immutable backups, full data recovery is achievable without financing cybercrime.