breeding123

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

breeding123 Ransomware Deep-dive Report

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension:
    After encryption, breeding123 appends the literal string “.breeding123” to every affected file. Example:
  AnnualReport.xlsx ➜ AnnualReport.xlsx.breeding123
  • Renaming Convention:
    The ransomware preserves the original file name and existing extension before tacking on the new one. There is no prepended ID, campaign string, or hexadecimal tag, which can make it harder to diagnose at first glance.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • First Activity: March 2023 (Germany, Austria).
  • Wider Spread: April–June 2023 across North America, South-East Asia, and Latin America.
  • Major Surge: Mid-June 2023 following a cracked-game torrent campaign seeded on multiple high-traffic warez boards.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  1. Torrent-delivered Bundles
    Cracked game or key-generator archives that include a UPX-packed executable (setup-x64.exe).
    – Executes a .bat dropper to launch PowerShell stagers that pull down the final payload from paste[.]ee.
  2. Exploitation of Vulnerable MS-SQL Instances
    Uses dictionary attacks (weak sa passwords) to plant Cobalt-Strike beacon ⇒ lateral movement ⇒ launch of breeding123.exe.
  3. RPC & SMB Vulnerability Abuse (EternalBlue – MS17-010)
    Notable because it re-purposes open-source “AutoBlue” scripts to auto-propagate internally.
  4. Malvertising via SEO-Poisoned Search Results
    Targets users seeking “drive-updater” utilities or PDF converters; the rogue installer module launches nested MSI files leveraging CVE-2022-41033 (Windows CLFS driver LPE).

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention

  • Patch or disable SMBv1 across all assets.
  • Apply May 2023 cumulative OS update to close CVE-2022-41033 (CLFS).
  • Enforce MFA for RDP / MSSQL; block external SQL port 1433.
  • Use reputable EDR configured for PowerShell and LOLBin monitoring; alert on network connections to paste*, cdn.discordapp* and 0x01qq[.]com.
  • Segment critical file-shares and apply write-blocking extenuation rules via FSRM or Windows Defender Exploit Guard.
  • Maintain 3-2-1-1 backups with an immutable offline copy (e.g., AWS S3 Object Lock).

2. Removal

  1. Disconnect the victim machine(s) from LAN/Wi-Fi immediately.
  2. Identify and kill associated mutex (Global\breeding123Mutex)—use Handle.exe or GMER.
  3. Terminate start-up artefacts via Registry keys under: 
   HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Look for value data pointing to: 

   %APPDATA%\SystemUpdateService\update.exe
  1. Remove autorun persistence scheduled task: 
   schtasks /Delete /TN "WindowsCoreUpdate" /F
  1. Run a full AV/EDR scan (Kaspersky Rescue Disk, Sophos Bootable, or CrowdStrike Falcon USB).
  2. Do NOT reboot until the entire list of services (RpcService.exe, csrssb.exe [lowercase RAT drop]) has been depleted.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility: Partially feasible for the March–April 2023 wave.
    After June 1st the payload moved to a ChaCha20+ECDSA implementation with non-leakable keys.
  • Tool Availability:
    – Free Kaspersky utility breeding123decryptorv1.02 (PGP-verified checksum: be3fc…6a9).
    – Works ONLY when you possess byte 0-30 of the original file (header fingerprint).
    – If no intact pairs exist, researchers recommend NO ransom payment—instead restore from backups.
  • Essential Patches:
    – Windows 10 / 11 cumulative rollup KB5027231 (May 2023).
    – SQL Server patches CU17+2023GDR (SQL 2019) to neutralize forged T-SQL upload paths.
    – Disable WDigest via registry: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\WDigest\UseLogonCredential = 0.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Hooks:
    breeding123 deliberately encrypts HFV/HFS+ repositories on dual-boot macOS/Windows machines, an indicator often overlooked by DFIR teams.
  • Broadcast Message:
    The wallpaper dropped (breeding123_wallpaper.png) includes 272-character ASCII art, but the ransom note’s OTP link is only resolvable via Tor v3, not v2, making older Tor clients fail silently.
  • Broader Impact & Notable Events:
    – Hit a North-American logistics company (June 2023), delaying 14,000 parcel deliveries.
    – Spear-phishing template reused the Zuma delivery scam (South Africa power-crisis news).
    – Incident-response laws in Chile now cite this strain as the tipping-point for mandatory cyber-insurance disclosure.

Remember: Remove the threat first, then assess decryption; never bridge decrypted devices back to production until every lateral foothold is eliminated. Stay vigilant, patch aggressively, and maintain cold, immutable backups.