***.*[email protected]*.makop

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This document provides a comprehensive overview of the ransomware variant identified by the file extension ***.*[email protected]*.makop, offering both a technical breakdown and practical recovery strategies for individuals and organizations.

Technical Breakdown:

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: The exact file extension used by this variant is ***.*[email protected]*.makop. This specific format indicates a variant of the Makop Ransomware family. The [email protected] component is the attacker’s designated contact email address, which is unique to this particular campaign or attacker group. The final .makop is the primary file extension appended by the ransomware.

  • Renaming Convention: Makop ransomware typically employs a complex renaming pattern that includes the original filename, a unique victim ID, the attacker’s email address, and the .makop extension. The common convention observed is:
    [original_filename].id-[victim_ID].[contact_email].makop
    Example: A file named document.docx might be renamed to [email protected].
    The [victim_ID] is an alphanumeric string generated uniquely for each infected system.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period: The Makop ransomware family first emerged and was detected in late 2019, with a significant surge in activity throughout 2020 and continuing into 2021-2024. While this specific [email protected] variant might have surfaced more recently, it belongs to an established and actively developed ransomware family. Its activity fluctuates, but it has maintained a consistent presence in the threat landscape since its inception.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

Makop ransomware, including the [email protected] variant, primarily propagates through methods that exploit common network vulnerabilities and human factors:

  • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Exploits: This is one of the most common vectors. Attackers often scan for RDP ports (3389) that are exposed to the internet and then leverage brute-force attacks or stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to systems. Once inside, they manually deploy the ransomware.
  • Phishing Campaigns: Highly targeted spear-phishing emails containing malicious attachments (e.g., seemingly legitimate documents with embedded macros) or links to compromised websites are frequently used. When executed, these payloads initiate the download and execution of the ransomware.
  • Software Vulnerabilities: Exploitation of known vulnerabilities in unpatched software, particularly those related to server applications (e.g., unpatched VPN solutions, content management systems, or network services like SMBv1, although less common for Makop than some other families).
  • Weak Passwords: Compromised systems often result from the use of weak, easily guessable, or reused passwords across different services, which attackers can exploit for initial access.
  • Drive-by Downloads/Malvertising: Less common but possible, where users unknowingly download the malware by visiting compromised websites or interacting with malicious advertisements.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies:

1. Prevention

Proactive measures are crucial to defend against Makop and similar ransomware threats:

  • Regular, Offline Backups: Implement a robust 3-2-1 backup strategy: at least three copies of your data, stored on two different media types, with one copy off-site or offline (air-gapped). This is the most critical defense against data loss.
  • Patch Management: Keep all operating systems, applications, and firmware up-to-date with the latest security patches. This mitigates vulnerabilities that ransomware exploits.
  • Strong Password Policies & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce strong, unique passwords for all accounts. Implement MFA for all remote access services (RDP, VPN, web portals), email, and critical internal systems.
  • Secure RDP Access: If RDP is necessary, restrict access to specific IP addresses (IP whitelisting), use strong, complex passwords, enable Network Level Authentication (NLA), and place RDP behind a VPN. Monitor RDP logs for suspicious activity.
  • Network Segmentation: Divide your network into smaller, isolated segments. This limits the lateral movement of ransomware if one segment becomes compromised.
  • Antivirus/Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Deploy and maintain robust antivirus and EDR solutions on all endpoints and servers. Ensure they are configured for real-time protection and regularly updated.
  • Email Security Gateway: Implement an advanced email security solution to filter out malicious attachments and links.
  • User Awareness Training: Educate employees about phishing tactics, suspicious emails, and safe browsing habits. Conduct regular simulated phishing exercises.
  • Disable Unnecessary Services: Turn off any services or ports that are not essential for business operations (e.g., SMBv1).

2. Removal

If a system is infected with ***.*[email protected]*.makop, follow these steps for effective removal:

  1. Isolate the Infected System: Immediately disconnect the infected computer from the network (unplug Ethernet cable, disable Wi-Fi). This prevents further spread of the ransomware.
  2. Identify and Quarantine: Identify all potentially infected systems. If possible, power down affected machines to prevent further encryption.
  3. Boot into Safe Mode: Restart the infected computer in Safe Mode with Networking (if necessary for tool downloads) to prevent the ransomware from fully executing.
  4. Run a Full System Scan: Use a reputable, updated anti-malware solution (e.g., Malwarebytes, Windows Defender, Emsisoft Anti-Malware). Perform a deep scan to detect and remove all components of the Makop ransomware.
  5. Clean Up Malicious Files: Manually delete any identified ransomware executables, dropped files, or ransom notes after the scan. Common locations include %TEMP%, %APPDATA%, and ProgramData directories.
  6. Check Startup Items and Registry: Use system utilities (like msconfig or regedit) to ensure no malicious entries persist in startup folders or the Windows Registry that would allow the ransomware to re-execute.
  7. Change Credentials: After ensuring the system is clean, immediately change all compromised passwords, especially for accounts that had access to the infected system or network.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility: For most modern Makop variants, including the ***.*[email protected]*.makop variant, there is generally no universal free decryption tool available. Makop ransomware typically uses strong encryption algorithms (like AES-256 and RSA-2048) that make brute-forcing or recovering the encryption key practically impossible without the attackers’ private key.

    • Do NOT Pay the Ransom: Paying the ransom offers no guarantee of decryption, encourages further attacks, and funds criminal enterprises.
    • Check Decryptor Resources: Occasionally, security researchers or law enforcement might discover flaws in specific ransomware implementations or seize attacker infrastructure, leading to the release of decryption tools. Regularly check resources like:
      • No More Ransom Project (nomoreransom.org): A joint initiative that provides free decryption tools for various ransomware families.
      • Emsisoft Decryptor Tools (emsisoft.com/ransomware-decryption/): Emsisoft often develops decryptors for specific ransomware variants. While a universal Makop decryptor is unlikely, it’s worth checking if this specific variant has been cracked.
    • Primary Recovery Method: Backups: The most reliable method for file recovery is to restore your data from clean, offline backups taken before the infection.
    • Shadow Copies/Previous Versions: The ransomware often attempts to delete Volume Shadow Copies (vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet). However, if the ransomware failed to do so, or if you have system restore points, you might be able to recover some older file versions through Windows’ “Previous Versions” feature.

  • Essential Tools/Patches:

    • For Prevention:
      • Operating System and Application Updates: Ensure Windows Update and all software are set to automatic updates or are regularly patched.
      • Reputable Antivirus/EDR: e.g., Bitdefender, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, Malwarebytes, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
      • Backup Software: Solutions like Veeam, Acronis, or cloud backup services.
      • Firewall: Properly configured network and host-based firewalls.
    • For Remediation & Recovery:
      • Live USB/Bootable Anti-Malware: For scanning deeply infected systems (e.g., Emsisoft Emergency Kit, Kaspersky Rescue Disk).
      • Data Recovery Software: In some rare cases, for very recently deleted files (before full encryption), tools like Recuva might help, but this is highly unreliable for ransomware-encrypted files.
      • System Restore Points: If not deleted by the ransomware, these can help restore system settings but not necessarily all encrypted user files.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Additional Precautions:
    • Ransom Notes: This Makop variant will typically drop ransom notes named README-WARNING.txt or READ_ME_NOW.txt (or similar) in every folder containing encrypted files, and on the desktop. These notes contain instructions for contacting the attackers via the specified Tutanota email address ([email protected]).
    • Anti-Deletion of Shadow Copies: Makop commonly runs commands like vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet to prevent victims from using native Windows recovery features.
    • Disabling Security Features: It may attempt to disable security software, Windows Defender, or modify firewall rules.
    • Network Enumeration: Makop often includes capabilities for network discovery, allowing it to spread to other shares or connected devices once initial access is gained.
  • Broader Impact:
    • Significant Data Loss: If proper backups are not in place, the primary impact is permanent loss of encrypted data.
    • Operational Disruption: Business operations can be severely disrupted, leading to downtime, loss of productivity, and potential revenue loss.
    • Financial Costs: Besides potential ransom payment (which is not recommended), there are costs associated with incident response, system recovery, hardware replacement, and reputation damage.
    • Compliance and Legal Issues: Data breaches involving ransomware can lead to regulatory fines and legal consequences, especially if sensitive personal data is compromised.
    • Reputational Damage: Organizations suffer a loss of trust from customers and partners following a ransomware attack.

By understanding the technical aspects and implementing robust prevention and recovery strategies, individuals and organizations can significantly mitigate the risk and impact of the ***.*[email protected]*.makop ransomware variant.