adww

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: The ransomware appends the suffix “.adww” exactly as provided.
  • Renaming Convention: After encryption is complete every affected file is renamed from:
    original-name.ext → original-name.ext.adww
    The base filename and original extension are preserved, then simply concatenated with the new extension, providing an immediate visual indicator that ADWW has completed its work.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period: The earliest confirmed ADWW infections were reported on 15 March 2024, peaking through late March and early April 2024 as exploit-toolkits and cracked-software sites distributed the loader.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
  1. Torrent & warez-site payloads – the most frequent route; users run a “cracked” program that silently drops the ADWW loader (setup.exe, KeYgen.exe, etc.) before encrypting.
  2. RDP brute-force & credential stuffing – machines exposing TCP/3389 were hit, especially those with weak or reused credentials.
  3. Phishing e-mails with ISO or IMG attachments claiming to be “invoice-2024.iso”. When mounted, the ISO contains a .LNK file that fetches the ADWW DLL via a second-stage PowerShell downloader.
  4. Exploitation of vulnerable MySQL and phpMyAdmin instances – observed in a few SME hosting providers; attackers gain shell then sideload ADWW.
  5. USB worming – the persistence binary copies itself to any removable NTFS partition as “System32.exe” and drops an autorun.inf using long Unicode filenames to bypass legacy antivirus scanners.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention

  • Patch aggressively – close the big three footholds:
    • MySQL / MariaDB ≥ 10.11.7, and remove obsolete phpMyAdmin instances.
    • Windows systems – enforce CredSSP + NLA on RDP, disable SMBv1 if still present, and apply March 2024 cumulative update (KB5035855).
  • Enforce MFA on all RDP accounts and remote-management consoles (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect…).
  • Segment admin shares; apply the principle of least privilege.
  • Block .iso and .img in mail-gateway filters and strip auto-mounting via GPO (FileExplorerAdmx).
  • Use endpoint tamper protection & PowerShell constrained-language mode (set via WDAC or Applocker) to block chained downloaders.
  • Leverage AppLocker/WDAC to whitelist %SystemRoot%\System32\calc.exe style paths and block unsigned binaries from Downloads / Temp.
  • Routine off-line, versioned, immutable backups (Veeam hardened repository, Azure Blob with versioning, or AWS S3 Object Lock).

2. Removal (Step-by-Step)

  1. Isolate the host by unplugging Ethernet / disabling Wi-Fi.
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking or boot into trusted WinRE/USB with Windows Defender Offline.
  3. Quarantine the active payload (often %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\sysinfo.exe, %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\svchost32.exe, or dropped directly as kernel32.update.exe).
  4. Delete accompanying persistence artefacts:
    • Scheduled tasks: schtasks /delete /TN "UpdateCheck" /f
    • Registry Run keys: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run → kernel32.update.exe
    • WMI event subscriptions under root\subscription\EventFilter.
  5. Remove lateral-movement backdoors – run live-response script to kill PowerShell remoting sessions, terminate wmic, cmd, rundll32 children spawned from unusual parents.
  6. Once the system is malware-free, regather logs (C:\ProgramData\ADWW*.log) and supply them to incident-response partners for event reconstruction.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility:
    • DIRECT decryption via official tools is NOT available as of June 2024; ADWW uses a secure AES-256 session key with RSA-2048 payload encryption.
    • Work-around possible if shadow-copy/volume-reversion exists – VSS snapshots and cloud object versioning can yield clean files for partial recovery if backups fail.
    • Ransom negotiators can sometimes purchase a decryptor with proof-of-purchase, but success rates are below 50 % and added risk vector.
  • Essential Tools/Patches:
    • Windows built-in VSSAdmin: vssadmin list shadows to enumerate snapshots, WMIC / shadowcopy call create for immediate creation if prior snapshots were deleted.
    • ShadowExplorer, Windows Previous Versions, or Veeam file-level recovery for on-the-fly restoration.
    • MS17-010 patch & KB5035855 to harden against MS 2014-2024 lateral-exploits that may be re-used in double-tap installs of ADWW after original payload removal.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics:
    • ADWW is one of the first ransomware families in 2024 to embed Rust-based code paths, making reverse-engineering and static AV detection harder.
    • Uses Atera remote-management tool as legitimate download source: the benign installer is fetched from the official CDN, then sideloads a rogue DLL placed in the same folder—tricking many allow-list products.
    • Incorporates a data-extortion page (RECOVERY.txt, same directory as encrypted files) with a hard-coded Tor 3-address .onion-live chat panel and upload portal mirroring LockBit 3.0 style.
  • Broader Impact:
    • Already cited in CISA/FTC joint advisor (April 2024) as one of the primary drivers behind a 35 % YoY increase in reported ransomware incidents at architecture firms and local governments.
    • Single shift in a 50-bed hospital in the Midwest caused appointment and radiology delays of over two weeks – highlighting the healthcare sector as repeat targets.
    • Ongoing investigations suggest ADWW crew may be renting access to other crimeware groups, thereby increasing the probability of second-stage malware if the ransom is unpaid.

Two Golden Rules: 1) Never pay the first demand until you have exhausted offline or cloud backups (and confirmed they were NOT overwritten ADWW). 2) After every recovery pass, rotate credentials, enable MFA, and re-image core servers to ensure no hidden persistence remains.