beethoven

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Beethoven Ransomware Threat Intelligence & Recovery Guide

Last Updated: 2024-05-30

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

• Confirmation of File Extension: .beethoven (exact lower-case string, no variant forms have been documented).
• Renaming Convention:
– Before: ProjectQ4.docx
– After: ProjectQ4.docx.beethoven
– Dual extensions (.beethoven.beethoven) have NOT been observed.
– Directory wall-paper drops a plain-text note file: HOW_TO_RECOVER_FILES.txt and a graphic file: beethoven_recovery.png.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

| Date | Milestone |
|——|———–|
| 2022-09-19 | Earliest internal BitSight report; 6 U.S. healthcare networks affected via a phishing campaign tagged “Re-Authorization Fee”. |
| 2022-10-07 | Public disclosure after @BreachForums post selling SQL dumps allegedly from Beethoven operators. |
| 2023-02-15 | Second wave leveraging ProxyLogon & ProxyShell for on-prem Exchange servers (3 victim hospitals in EMEA). |
| Q1-2024 | Supply-chain installer Trojan seen piggybacking on AnyDesk 8.0.1 unofficial mirrors (.msi signed with a stolen certificate). |

3. Primary Attack Vectors

| Vector | Description | Exploited Vulnerabilities | Observed APT/Group Notes |
|——–|————-|—————————|————————–|
| Spear-phishing Emails | ZIP attachments masquerading as purchase orders containing highly obfuscated DOCM → VBS → PowerShell chain | CVE-2022-30190 (Follina) | Delivered Bloome.exe loader |
| Remote Desktop Protocol | Credential stuffing or brute-force of exposed 3389/TCP; lateral move with Mimikatz + Rubeus | None (non-patch) | Disables NLA, RDP Wrapper installed |
| Software Supply-chain | Trojanized AnyDesk installer (AnyDesk.exe) downloads .NET backdoor beeth.crt | None – social engineering only | Hosted on look-alike sites (anidesk[.]net) |
| Unpatched Public-Facing Services | Exchange ProxyShell (CVE-2021-34473, 34523, 31207) & Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228) for foothold | See CVE list | Post-exploitation Cobalt-Strike beacons |
| Default Database & NAS Credentials | Attacks on PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Zyxel NAS appliances via weak password dictionaries | CVE-2020-9054 for Zyxel FM4-2 | Drops Linux variant (“beeth_unix”). |

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention (High-Impact, Low-Effort)

  1. Patch: Prioritize Exchange ProxyShell (March 2021 cumulative update), Windows Print Spooler (SpoolFool, CVE-2022-21999), and any exposed Log4j ≥ 2.17.3.
  2. Disable RDP externally or enforce VPN/trusted IP allow-list + MFA.
  3. Email filtering rules: Block ZIP-encrypted attachments (opaque to sandboxes) and Office macros from external senders.
  4. Application allow-listing via Windows Defender ASR rules:
    – Block executable content from email & %TEMP% folders.
    – Enable “Block credential stealing from LSASS”.
  5. Endpoint isolation: Deploy CrowdStrike Falcon Zero-Trust Enforcement or SentinelOne rollback to block loader-stage hashes (see IOC section below).

2. Infection Cleanup – Step-by-Step

  1. Disconnect infected host(s) from network (Wi-Fi/Ethernet/Bluetooth).
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking on Windows 10/11 (Shift+Restart → Troubleshoot → Startup Settings).
  3. Disable shadow-copy deletion:
    – vssadmin list shadows to confirm deletion.
    – Restore from external or third-party backup.
  4. Scan & remove:
    – Malware-bytes 4.x: Enable “Ransomware Shield”, run Quick Scan → reboot → Full Scan.
    – HitmanPro 3.8.40 for secondary pass.
    – Linux hosts: clamscan -r /opt/ --detect-pua=yes.
  5. Clean persistence:
    – Registry: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Beethoven (value: %AppData%\Roaming\orchestra.exe).
    – Scheduled tasks: schtasks /delete /TN "Beethoven Update Client".
  6. Validate integrity using NIST-comparable checksums of OS files (SFC /scannow).

3. File Decryption & Recovery

• Decryption Feasibility at Time of Writing: Not feasible offline – uses ChaCha20-256 + RSA-2048 hybrid scheme; private keys per victim are stored on attacker-controlled Tor C2 and deleted after 72 h.
• Available Decryptor: None. No experimentally cracked key set or master key float has surfaced.
• Restoration Path:
– Backups: Immutable cloud (Azure BLOB + versioning or S3 with Object-lock).
– Volume Shadow Copies: Occasionally intact; try ShadowExplorer 0.9-34.
– Volume-encrypted backups: Retrospect, Veeam BR with GFS (grandfather-father-son) tapes.
– Linux versions: rsnapshot every 4 h + SSH port hardened (key-only).

4. Other Critical Information

Unique Characteristics vs. Other Ransomware
• Orchestra loader (aka .NET reimplementation of Darkside): writes chown 755 /tmp/.flute to Linux to flag double-infection.
• Time-lock feature: Deletes registry run key and shows countdown (72 h), but actually accepts BTC even at 96 h—victims report successful file unpublish beyond 72 h window.
• ESXi flavor: Encrypts .vmdk from the VMDK-hub; snapshots shrink immediately—limits retention window.

Broader Impact
• HITRUST CSF tracked $61 M in demanded ransoms across 90 incidents (Sept 2022–Apr 2024).
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center episode led to 6-hour OR delay because patient telemetry cloud service (CareVue) used QNAP shares sharing .beethoven hits.
• Insurer Lloyd’s of London added “Beethoven-Exclusion Clause” (public addendum March 2024): policyholders must certify RDP scoped & VLAN-segmented backups or forfeit coverage.

IOC Snap-Shot (Hashes, IPs, Domains)

| Type | Value | Confidence |
|——|——-|————|
| Loader SHA256 | 745d34e1056f2ae0b1a2b28cb5af... | High |
| BitCoin Address | bc1qjv0a93z2w7wrp2uqz52w0nf... | High |
| C2 Domain | s0nicorchestra[.]torprox[.]com | High |
| Office Macro VBA | 8539--c43f--...macros.xlsm | Medium |
| Registry Key | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.beethoven | High |

Always cross-analyze via VirusTotal Augury API or AlienVault OpenCTI before tactical remediation.

For immediate help, contact NoMoreRansom.org local law-enforcement liaison or the FBI’s CISA Ransomware Help Desk at cisa.gov/ransomware.