ddos

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Technical Breakdown:

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: The ransomware appends “.ddos” as the final file extension (e.g., Invoice.xlsx becomes Invoice.xlsx.ddos).
  • Renaming Convention: Use of a two-part change:
  1. The malware prefixes the original filename with a 12-character hexadecimal Victim-ID followed by an underscore (e.g., AE47C3B9200D_).
  2. It then adds the new extension “.ddos”.
    Example: AE47C3B9200D_Invoice.xlsx.ddos.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period: First analyzed samples surfaced in October 2022; the campaign accelerated through Q1–Q2 2023, with clusters of new infections reported worldwide from March 2023 onward.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
    • Phishing Emails – Malicious ISO, ZIP, or IMG attachments masquerading as invoices, purchase orders, or legal notices. The attachments contain LNK files that launch a multi-stage PowerShell loader.
    • Exploitation of Public-Facing Applications – Common living-off-the-land (LotL) techniques to abuse Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228), PaperCut MF/NG (CVE-2023-27350), and vulnerable Confluence (CVE-2023-22515).
    • Compromised RDP / VPN Credentials – Brute-forced or purchased credential sets are used to access on-prem Remote Desktop Services exposed on TCP/3389 or via vulnerable SSL-VPN appliances.
    • Worm-like Spread – After foothold, the malware leverages PsExec and WMI to move laterally, checking for SMB shares with write access; no current evidence of native exploitation of EternalBlue/SMBv1.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

  • Proactive Measures:
    – Patch aggressively: prioritize Log4J, PaperCut, Atlassian Confluence, Fortinet & Ivanti VPN flaws.
    – Disable .lnk and .iso execution inside email clients via Group Policy or local Windows settings.
    – Enforce mail-attachment filtering for executable content and script files.
    – Use MFA for all external-facing services: VPN, web-mail, and remote desktop gateways.
    – Close SMB ports to the internet (TCP/135-139, 445) and disable RDP direct exposure; force RDP through a hardened jump host or VPN.
    – Maintain offline/immutable backups (3–2–1 rule) and periodically validate restores.
    – Enable PowerShell Constrained Language Mode and Windows Defender ASR rules to block LotL scripts.

2. Removal (Infection Cleanup)

  1. Isolate: Disconnect the affected host and any mapped drives from the network.
  2. Forensic Imaging: Create disk images before any remediation to preserve evidence.
  3. Identify Malware Files: Locate dropped binaries (common locations: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\, C:\ProgramData, and scheduled tasks named GoogleUpdateDdos or similar).
  4. Terminate Processes: End rogue PowerShell, cmd.exe, and dropper executables via Task Manager or wmic process where name=<malware.exe> delete.
  5. Autoruns Cleanup: Remove persistence entries via Autoruns.exe—look for Run/RunOnce keys, Services, and WMI Event Consumers.
  6. Delete Malware Artifacts: Remove remaining executables, PowerShell scripts in %TEMP%, and carbon-copy executables recreated by the loader.
  7. Apply Patches & Reboot: Once the malware is confirmed gone, patch OS/apps and reboot into a clean profile.
  8. Deploy Endpoint Detection Response (EDR): Validate no further anomaly activity.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility: Unfortunately, no free or official decryption tool exists at this time. The AES-256 keys used by .ddos are generated server-side and never stored on the victim machine.
  • Available Options:
    – Restore from offline backups.
    – Attempt file-recovery via Volume-Shadow-Copy after ensuring the SIDs for vssadmin list shadows contain valid snapshots. ddos frequently deletes shadow copies, so success is minimal.
    – Investigate Windows File History and cloud-sync services like OneDrive/SharePoint for earlier versions.
    – Drives encrypted after but not yet overwritten may undergo partial recovery with specialty tools (R-Studio, Photorec).
  • Caution on “decryptors”: Any third-party tools claiming .ddos decryption are scams; verify sources (e.g., NoMoreRansom.org).

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics & Cautions:
    – Multilingual Ransom Note: Dropped as Restore_My_Ddos.txt, written in both English and Russian, signaling the wider Eastern-European affiliate campaign.
    – Double Extortion: Sensitive data is exfiltrated to Mega-backed cloud storage before file encryption—hence paying the ransom never guarantees the attacker deletes the data.
    – Network Hive Behavior: The affiliate framework includes a lightweight .NET-based “Hive-Coordinator” that searches MS-SQL and PostgreSQL databases for high-value folders, significantly increasing collateral damage.
    – Tor Chat Portal: Victims are directed to http://uckg4jpjm5ww3a65.onion for live support with a unique negotiation token; chats wipe after 7-day inactivity.
    – Global Sightings Impacts: Initial victims were property-management firms and legal offices in North America and Western Europe; Rapid spread to healthcare (US hospitals March 2023) resulted in HIPAA breaches and regulatory fines exceeding USD 12 M.

Always treat any ddos infection as containing active data compromise. Assume every file and log has been exfiltrated, and involve legal, PR, and—if applicable—cyber-insurance counsel before any recovery action.