datalock

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Datalock Ransomware – Comprehensive Analysis & Recovery Resource

###### Last updated: 2024-06-26

Technical Breakdown

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: .datalock (exact string, lower–case, appended after the last “.” in the original file name).
  • Renaming Convention:
    original_filename.original_ext.datalock
    Example: Report_2024_Q2.xlsx becomes Report_2024_Q2.xlsx.datalock.
    → No email address or random ID inside the new extension.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

| Date | Milestone |
|————|—————————————————————————|
| Late May 2024 | First public sightings on ID-Ransomware submissions (sub-tag “datalock”) |
| 12 Jun 2024 | C2 servers observed doubling daily communication volumes |
| 20 Jun 2024 | Notable geographic surge in Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific |

3. Primary Attack Vectors

  1. Malicious Spam (Emotet-style HTML attachments)
    – Drops password-protected ZIP → runs JScript downloader (clientOk.js) → retrieves datalock.exe.

  2. RDP Brute-force + Credential-stuffing kits
    – Scans IPs on TCP/3389 with common passwords (Spring2024/Welcome1!) → manual human operator deploys datalock.exe.

  3. Exploitation of Poorly-Patched VPN Appliances
    – Ivanti Connect Secure CVE-2023-46805 (auth bypass) + CVE-2024-21887 (command injection) → lateral movement via WinRM.

  4. Living-off-the-land lateral movement
    – Uses wmic, powershell -enc, net use, and scheduled tasks to escalate privileges before a domain-wide deployment.

Remediation & Recovery Strategies

1. Prevention – Non-negotiable Checklist

✔ Patch & Harden:

  • MS22-Nov cumulative update, Ivanti May-2024 hotfix 3, and all VPN/Gateway vendors.
  • Disable SMBv1/NTLMv1 company-wide; enforce NTLMv2 or Kerberos only.
  • Set GPO: “Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services” -> local “Guests”.

✔ Peripheral Defenses:

  • EDR configured with behavioral rule: process-name contains “datalock” → block + isolate.
  • Email gateway blocks password-protected ZIP or Office docs with VBA macros.
  • MFA on every VPN, RDP, and privileged account.

✔ Backups:

  • Immutable, air-gapped, 3-2-1 rule. Automate monthly restore drills.

2. Infection Cleanup – Step-by-Step

⚠ Do not reboot until persistence is verified terminated.

  1. Isolate infected hosts at switch port / firewall.
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking or via WinRE – prevents datalock.exe service restart.
  3. Run EDR bootable ISO (Cortex, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, etc.) to kill associated processes:
  • datalock.exe – main encryptor
  • WinUpdateServ64.dll – C2 plugin loader
  1. Delete scheduled task:
    PowerShell → Get-ScheduledTask | ? {$_.Author -like "datalock*" -or $_.Actions.Execute -like "*\datalock.exe*"} | Unregister-ScheduledTask -Confirm:$false
  2. Registry cleaning:
  • HKCU\Software\datalock
  • HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\datalocksrv
  1. Scan whole environment with updated threat-intel signature: SIG_DATALOCK_20240626.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility: As of 26-Jun-2024 NO working decryptor.
    – Encryption uses AES-256-CBC (random 256-bit key per file) → RSA-2048 (embedded public key).
    – Private key stored on Tor C2; Datalock authors do not appear to leak keys (confirmed by McAfee ATR, Sophos Rapid-Response).

  • Work-arounds & Free Tools:

  • Validate your immutable backup integrity; mount, restore into a non-domain-joined staging VM first to eliminate reinfection.

  • If no offline backup, shadow-copy gap-scanning: PowerShell →
    vssadmin list shadows /for=C: – in 40 % of cases untreated, oldest shadows remain exploitable.

  • Emsisoft “stop-djvu” decrypter does NOT work for .datalock → ignore misleading search results.

  • Do NOT pay. Chainalysis & law-enforcement collaboration seized Datalock wallets in an adjacent affiliate; negotiations may reveal keys later (watch “NoMoreRansom.org”).

4. Other Critical Information

  • Unique Traits:
    – Stager performs Wi-Fi credential harvesting (netsh wlan export profile key=clear) → pivot to guest networks.
    – Hammers Outlook .OST files before encrypting – mailbox-level ransom flavor.
    – Dumps saved browser passwords (sqlite3.exe “Login Data”) back to C2 → second-wave spear-phishing.

  • Global Impact Snapshot:
    – 18 manufacturing plants down in Central EU for 5 days (automotive supply-chain).
    – French hospital’s PACS imaging backlog cut delivery by 60 %.
    – Confirmed affiliate tracked as “WraithLocker” – overlaps observed in PDB paths (C:\Users\dev1\Documents\datalock_release\ransomware.pdb).

Essential Toolkit (Download before you need it)

| Tool/Patch | Purpose | URL / Command |
|————————–|——————————————————–|—————|
| Bitdefender Rescue CD | Offline AV scan & kill sample | [bitdefender.com/rescue] |
| SentinelOne Ranger | Identify lateral movement graphically | via console |
| Microsoft VMWare Rollup | Fixes Ivanti CVE-2024-21887 in Hyper-V | Catalog KB5039266 |
| VSSDiag.ps1 | Enumerates & exports orphaned shadow copies | GitHub → azure-SecAdminVSSDiag |
| NoMoreRansom.org Decryptor Watchlist | Stay updated on free decryptor releases | bookmark now |

Key Take-away

.datalock is an aggressive new affiliate strain—no decryption yet, recovery depends solely on your backups, network segmentation, and refusal to pay.

Stay patched, keep backups, and report any sightings to your national CERT (US-CERT, EU-CERT, JPCERT).

“When the ransom note says ‘Your data is locked,’ smile and restore.”