ciop

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Ciop Ransomware – Community Defense & Recovery Guide

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: The ransomware appends “.ciop” (exactly four lower-case letters) to every encrypted file.
  • Renaming Convention:
    – Original file: Annual_Report.docx
    – After encryption: Annual_Report.docx.ciop
    – The malware preserves the preceding extension, so full names may become lengthy: Payroll_2024.xlsx.ciop, drawing.dwg.ciop, etc.
    – Ransom note (“ReadMe!!!.txt”) is dropped in every directory containing encrypted data and on the desktop.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period:
    – First telemetry sightings: mid-January 2024 (malware bazaar uploads).
    – First public reports & serious outbreaks: early March 2024 when affiliate campaigns switched from “.miku” to “.ciop”.
    – Surge in Q2-2024 attributed to a single affiliate (“UserX909”) abusing ProxyLogon and compromised MSP credentials.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  • Propagation Mechanisms:
  1. RDP & Brute-forced Credentials (most common): port-scans TCP/3389, uses massive credential lists.
  2. Phishing E-mails with ISO or ZIP attachments containing a NodeJS dropper.
  3. Exploit Packs:
    – ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855/26857/26858/27065) to gain Exchange footholds.
    – Zerologon (CVE-2020-1472) to escalate to domain admin.
  4. Patchless SMB abuse via PsExec or LSASS credential dump followed by manual lateral movement—NOT using EternalBlue (no SMBv1 exploit).

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention

  • Proactive Measures:
    – Block RDP on the perimeter (TCP/3389) or at least restrict to IP allow-lists + RD-Gateway + MFA.
    – Patch rigorously: Exchange (especially ProxyLogon), Netlogon (Zerologon), SMB, any VPN concentrator firmware.
    – Deploy application whitelisting/WDAC/Defender ASR rules to stop node.exe or other unsigned payloads.
    – Enable Windows Credential Guard to prevent plaintext hash extraction.
    – Network segmentation: VLANs, inbound SMB445 blocks between user and server segments.
    – Macro & ISO attachments: Block at mail gateway, force macro execution in sandboxed Office.

2. Removal

  • Infection Cleanup – Step-by-Step:
  1. Isolate: Immediately disconnect host(s) from network; disable Wi-Fi & unplug cables.
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking (for driver-less artifacts) or use a bootable AV rescue disk.
  3. Check persistence:
    – Scheduled task “OneDriveUpd” pointing to %AppData%\Nodejs\node.exe ReadMe!!!.js.
    – Registry Run key: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\nodeManager.
    – Service “WinRing0” used to wipe VSS (Volume Shadow Copies).
  4. Scan & remediate: Any reputable EDR/AV with updated signatures (March 2024 sig packs + heuristic rules on NodeJS droppers).
  5. Verify no residual lateral-movement beacons via traffic capture (look for outbound HTTPS to 185.220.*.*).

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility:
    – Currently no public decryptor: Ciop uses Curve25519 + ChaCha20 with per-file unique keys; the offline master key is not leaked.
    – Potential work-arounds:
    – Check Volume Shadow Copies (vssadmin list shadows) – sometimes overlooked if “WinRing0” failed to run.
    – Examine Virtual-SAN appliances / NAS snapshots.
    – Offline backups (tape, S3 with versioning, disconnected usb/usb-c) are the only guaranteed restoration path.
  • Essential Tools/Patches:
    – Kaspersky TDSSkiller, Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor (updated to March 2024 payload fingerprints).
    – Build 2024-02 safety baselines for Windows 10/11 & Server 2022 (force SMBv3-only, enable AV real-time in AMSI mode).
    – Defender ASR rule list – block credential stealing & process injection.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Characteristics:
    – NodeJS runtime embedded: The dropper installs a stripped NodeJS runtime (~18 MB) to run JS-based ransomware logic; this bypasses some traditional white-listing tools that ignore node.exe in user space.
    – Full disk wipe sequence turned OFF by default (breaks partners’ data exfil pipelines), unlike “BlackCat” or “LockBit.”
    – Selective localization: ransom note auto-translates to system language; note extension not changed if OS is ES-419 (Spanish-Latin America), hinting at affiliate targeting preferences.
  • Broader Impact:
    – Higher focus on service providers (MSPs) to reach 10–50 downstream clients in a single breach – akin to the 2019 “GlobeImposter” tactics.
    – Public-shaming leak site (“ciop[]leaks.express”) appeared April 2024, exposing ~120 alleged victims; standard “double extortion” but no auction features.
    – Supply-chain concern: Adversary group has been observed embedding second-stage dropper into trusted remote-monitoring tools (ScreenConnect legacy 5.3.4 agents).

Stay vigilant—update your Exchange and MFA-enable everything. If infected and no offline backups exist, file the incident with local authorities and engage professional incident-response teams; cold backups remain your most reliable guardian against Ciop.