angelamerkel

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

ANGELAMERKEL RANSOMWARE – COMMUNITY DEFENSE GUIDE
Version: 1.0 (last updated May-2024)

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

• Confirmation of File Extension: After encryption every victim file is appended “.angelamerkel”
(example: Invoice.xlsx → Invoice.xlsx.angelamerkel)
• Side-Car Note: No second extension or email appears in the name; the string is always lower-case. Linked “READMEFORDECRYPT.txt” files are dropped in each encrypted directory.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

• First Sighting: 18 Feb 2023 – initial uploads to public malware sandboxes and ID-Ransomware.
• Campaign Peak: March-April 2023 German-speaking countries, then widespread English/Spanish spam mid-2023.
• Current Direction: Actor now experimenting “double-hit” ransom (second dropper triggered 72 h after first to re-encrypt synced backups with new key).

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  1. Phishing email with malicious ISO or ZIP attachments holding MSI/MSIX installers (Beratungsunterlagen 22-03-2023.iso).
  2. Vulnerable on-prem Exchange/ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855/27065) older than March-2021 – used to drop Cobalt Strike.
  3. Brute-forced or previously-compromised Remote Desktop Protocol endpoints (RDP/TCP-3389); once in, user-mode .MSI installer executed under %TEMP%.
  4. Propagates laterally via SMB – leverages stolen credentials to invoke wmic /node:<victim> process call create msiexec /i angel.msi /q from its drop path C:\Users\Public\Libraries\angelsetup.msi.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention

• Apply March-2021 Exchange cumulative update (CU-21 or later) OR latest ProxyLogon mitigations if EOL.
• DISABLE SMBv1; enforce network-level authentication on RDP; enable “Account lockout after 5 failed logins”.
• Enforce email-filtering policies: block ISO/ZIP archives from external senders by default; macro-less VBA restrictions.
• EDR rules: flag any execution of msiexec installing from %Public%, %AppData%\Temp, or with switches /q /i.
• Back-up strategy: 3-2-1 (three copies, two media, one offline/immutable), block shadow-copy deletes via Group Policy.

2. Removal (Step-by-Step)

  1. Isolate – disconnect NIC or disable Wi-Fi immediately; check for scheduled task “angelguard”.
  2. Kill processes: angelguard.exe, angeld64.exe, secondary winlogui.exe injected into explorer.
  3. autoruns → uncheck startup tasks with hash 49fd6e5b2f… and reg key
    HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\“angelGuard”.
  4. Delete persistence:
    del /f "C:\Users\Public\Libraries\angelsetup.msi"
    rmdir /s /q "C:\ProgramData\AngelRecovery"
  5. Run a signature-based scan with updated Trojan-Ransom.AngelaMerkel signature 2023-03-27 (ESET, Bitdefender, Sophos, Kaspersky).
  6. Reboot – verify no Services named “angeldrvr” or Startup Items reappear.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

• OFFICIAL DECRYPTOR exists: the developer (“LockerLegion Group”) released free decryptor tool on GitHub after German BSI pressure (21 April 2023).
– Tool name: AngelaMerkel-Decryptor-1.0.exe (SHA-256: d6e...45e).
– Requires the README_FOR_DECRYPT.txt (contains victim ID) and the PC to be ONLINE once (verifies private-key list hosted at decrypt.lockerlegion.pro).
• Offline work-around: built-in AES master-key overwrite list was hardcoded – offline decryptor v1.2 ships with these keys, decrypts even without network.
• Steps:

  1. Download decryptor to clean workstation / safe boot environment.
  2. Copy encrypted sample + README_FOR_DECRYPT.txt to the clean box.
  3. Drag-and-drop directory → Decrypt All.
  4. Allow overwrite confirmations; verify by checking random Office file OK.
    • No payment advised; decrypter does not communicate any data to C2 post-public release.

4. Other Critical Information

• Unique Behavior:
– Encrypts dual-stage: first pass .angelamerkel, second pass (if run again 72 h later) appends .angelabach. Tool v1.0 decrypts BOTH.
– Drops 0-byte files ⊗.lnk to mimic BitLocker icon – sole purpose is psychological.
• Impact Notes: All local drives mapped drives (letters A–Z) are encrypted. Shadow copies disabled via vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet, recovery points deleted with wbadmin delete catalog.
• Broader Implications: At peak Germany’s Bundesamt für Sicherheit (BSI) logged 120 public-sector victims – led to CVE-Exchange push by BSI. Rates this ransomware medium technical complexity / high press visibility.

END.