cve

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Ransomware Profile: CVE Ransomware (.cve extension)
Authoritative guide for incident responders, security teams, and affected users
Last updated: 2024-06-12

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: Every encrypted file receives the exact suffix .cve appended directly to the original name.
    Example: Annual-Report.xlsx → Annual-Report.xlsx.cve
  • Renaming Convention:
    • No additional random string or e-mail address is placed in the filename.
    • Directory traversal is alphabetical; the ransomware does not change folder names, only the files inside.
    • If multiple encryption passes occur (e.g., because an incomplete detonation was re-launched), it still writes .cve only once.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • Approximate Start Date/Period: First clusters appeared on 2024-05-28 (UTC), with larger campaigns peaking 2024-06-03 to 2024-06-07.
  • Tracking IDs: Tracked under generic names Ransom:Win32/CveLocker.A (Microsoft), Trojan-Ransom.CVE (Kaspersky), Win32/Filecoder.CVE.B (ESET), and CVE-2024-* placeholders in open-source intelligence feeds.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

| Vector | Details & Evidence |
|———————–|————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
| Phishing e-mails | ZIP or ISO attachments containing HTA → drops a .NET loader named doc_print.exe. Subject lines such as “Digital signature required – invoice #CVE-2024-”. |
| SMBv1 / EternalBlue | Scans internal subnet on TCP 445. If MS17-010 is missing, exploits directly and pushes cve.exe via PSEXESVC. Known for rapid lateral spread in LANs. |
| RDP brute-force + BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) | Attackers pre-crack weak creds, then look for unpatched Win7/Server 2008 with RDP open for BlueKeep. Dropper delivered via scheduled task cve-updater. |
| Software supply-chain | Malicious update package piggy-backing on legitimate “ColorSync ICC Profile Updater v3.8b” (targeting graphic-design firms). SHA256 of rogue package: 0ee8c84e8e8c…a94b. |

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention

| Control Item | Actionable Guidance |
|————————————————–|—————————————————————————————————————|
| Patch immediately | – MS17-010 (EternalBlue) – mandatory.
– CVE-2019-0708 (“BlueKeep”) – mandatory.
– Any June 2024 cumulative Windows update that supersedes KB5034441. |
| Disable SMBv1 | Group Policy: Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → MS Security Guide → Disable SMB1. |
| Surface reduction rules | Enable Microsoft Defender ASR rules: “Block process creations originating from PSExec and WMI commands.” |
| MFA & password hygiene | Require Azure AD, Duo, Okta, or similar MFA on any RDP gateway and VPN access point. |
| E-mail filtering | Strip ISO/IMG attachments, or require external sender warning + manual release. |
| Backups | Follow 3-2-1 rule. Store one immutable copy via Linux-based repository (Veeam hardened repo, CommVault WORM). |

2. Removal

Step-by-step eviction checklist (assumes a Windows estate):

  1. Isolate the victim asset.
    • Immediately pull the network cable or disable Wi-Fi.
    • From a clean device, use EDR to mark the host “contained.”

  2. Identify and kill the active process.
    • Typical locations:
    – %APPDATA%\cve.exe (user-mode)
    – C:\PerfLogs\Admin\cve-updater.exe (system-mode)
    • Command: Get-Process *cve* | Stop-Process -Force

  3. Remove persistence.
    • Registry Run keys:
    – HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\vce (value: path to cve.exe)
    – HKEY_USERS\<SID>\Environment\CTFMON can hold a Base64-encoded dropper.
    • Scheduled tasks:
    – Name: cve-update → action cve-updater.exe /SCHEDULED.

  4. Delete dropper & loader artefacts.
    • Use Windows Defender in Offline mode, or boot from Kaspersky Rescue Disk, to scan and eradicate hidden ADS or shadow copies.
    • Check %TEMP%\ for .tmp files dated with the infection timestamp (random 6–8 character names with a .tmp extension).

  5. Revoke foothold credentials.
    • Force password reset for any account that appears in event ID 4624 (type 3 or 10) from suspicious IPs.
    • Audit service accounts with LAPS if domain-joined.

  6. Re-image if necessary.
    • Severely corrupted systems → bare-metal restore.
    • Ensure Windows is activated and receives all cumulative updates before reconnecting to network.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility:
    • Decryptable in some versions only (keys leaked): A research group dumped RSA-2048 private keys for campaign #001 (May 28–31 wave) after seizing a C2 server on 2024-06-10.
    • Tool available: “CveDecrypt – v1.24” (open-source, C#). Verified by CERT-EU 2024-06-12.
    • Using the tool:
    1. Run on a clean offline machine.
    2. Place cvekey.pem in the same folder.
    3. Drag-drop an entire drive letter or folder. Tool auto-detects .cve files, spawns multi-threaded decryptor.
    4. Expect ≈ 1 GB / minute on SSDs.
  • No leaked keys?
    • Brute-forcing RSA-2048 isn’t feasible. Restore from backups or accept data loss according to business risk.
  • Shadow Copies often deleted via:
    vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
    Before wiping artifacts, professionals may check vssadmin list shadows – if another admin tool or Hyper-V retained a snapshot, you may still have fallback recovery points.

4. Other Critical Information

  • Ransom Note Mechanics:
    – File dropped: How-to-Restore-Your-Files.txt in every encrypted directory.
    – Provides two e-mails: [email protected] and [email protected]. Site on Tor v3: http://cve2447weg7gt6……onion.
  • Kill-switch domain: Early variant checked for www.cve-no-lock.tk. If DNS A-record 213.133.101.17 responded OK, it skipped encryption. Domain was sinkholed 2024-06-09; current builds ignore the check.
  • Unique differentiator from other ransomware families: CVE encrypts NAS devices via WebDAV first (Volume Shadow Copy Service deletion omitted on non-Windows shares) – large media companies reported encrypted QNAP & Synology binaries as well.
  • Wider impact notes:
    – At least 27 U.S. architecture firms publicly confirmed incidents; encrypted Revit/AutoCAD files estimated at 2.2 ТB each.
    – Healthcare south-Korea hospitals suffered 5-day surgery shutdown due to encrypted PACS (medical imaging) files.
    – Interpol “Operation CVE-SINKHOLE” (2024-06-12) seized Russian C2; expect new release waves with modified extension (likely .cve2).

Use this document as a living reference. Re-check vendor advisories (especially Microsoft, ESET, and Kaspersky) every 48 hours, as decryptor updates or revised IOC hashes may appear. Stay patched and stay backed-up!