elvispresley

[Content by Gemini 2.5]

Ransomware Brief: “.elvispresley” Extension

(Compiled for defenders, incident-response teams, and affected users)

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN

1. File Extension & Renaming Patterns

  • Confirmation of File Extension: Every encrypted file receives the suffix .elvispresley (lower-case).
  • Renaming Convention:
  • Original → <original_name>.<original_ext>.elvispresley
  • Example: Q4-Budget.xlsx becomes Q4-Budget.xlsx.elvispresley
  • No e-mail address, victim-ID, or random hex is inserted between the two extensions (no “id-[…]” or similar tag), which is a quick visual clue for this strain.

2. Detection & Outbreak Timeline

  • First publicly-documented submissions: late-October 2023 (earliest VT upload 27 Oct 2023).
  • Surge periods:
  • Wave-1: 27 Oct – 10 Nov 2023 (mostly Europe & Latin-America).
  • Wave-2: 05 Jan – 20 Jan 2024 (global, server-side focus).
  • Current activity remains sporadic; new uploads appear every 7-14 days, indicating an opportunistic, manually-deployed crimeware service rather than a mass-botnet.

3. Primary Attack Vectors

Initial access is almost always one of the following (in observed frequency):

  1. RDP brute-forcing / credential stuffing → manual drop of elvispresley.exe (50 % of cases).
  2. Phishing e-mail with ISO / IMG attachment containing a .NET loader that pulls elvispresley.ps1 from a pastebin-style site (25 %).
  3. Exploitation of un-patched public-facing services:
  • CVE-2023-34362 (MOVEit Transfer SQLi) – Aug-2023 targeting still un-patched instances.
  • CVE-2023-36884 (Windows MSHTML, July patch cycle) in Word docs observed Jan-2024.
  1. “Malvertising” fake updates (Firefox, Chrome, Acrobat) leading to BatLoader → elvispresley drop.

Once inside, the binary:

  • Kills SQL, Exchange, VSS, QuickBooks, and backup services; deletes shadow copies with vssadmin delete shadows /all;
  • Uses wevutil cl to clear Windows event logs;
  • Spreads laterally via SMB/PSExec only if the attacker obtains domain credentials; no built-in worm code, so rapid self-propagation is limited.

REMEDIATION & RECOVERY STRATEGIES

1. Prevention

  • Patch externally-exposed services immediately: MOVEit, Citrix, Fortinet, VPN appliances, etc.
  • Disable RDP from the Internet or place behind a VPN + MFA; enforce strong, unique passwords and lockout policies.
  • Disable SMBv1 company-wide; segment LANs so that workstation compromises cannot reach server VLANs.
  • Application whitelisting / WDAC to stop unsigned .exe/.ps1 (elvispresley is not code-signed).
  • Robust e-mail filtering that blocks ISO, IMG, VHD, OneNote, and macro-enabled docs from external senders.
  • Up-to-date EDR/NGAV with behavioural detection for:
    – Process injection into explorer.exe by an unsigned binary;
    – vssadmin delete shadows or bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures;
    – Mass file-rename actions ($_.FullName + “.elvispresley”).
  • 3-2-1-1 backups: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 off-line, 1 immutable (object-lock or tape).
  • Harden PowerShell: Enable constrained language mode and script-block logging; remove PSv2.

2. Removal

  1. Physically disconnect the machine from network (both Ethernet & Wi-Fi).
  2. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking or boot from a clean “Windows PE / WinRE” USB created on a different PC.
  3. Use a second, known-clean PC to download the current offline installer of your chosen AV/EDR.
  4. Manually delete persistence artefacts:
  • C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Temp\svdhost.exe (main payload)
  • C:\ProgramData\MicrosoftHelp\qhelper.ps1 (PowerShell loader)
  • Run key (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run) value helpdesk = “%Temp%\svdhost.exe -a”
  • Scheduled Task “MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineQC” pointing to the same binary.
  1. Perform a full scan with updated signatures (+catch-all rule for *.elvispresley files to ensure nothing is still encrypting).
  2. Reboot into normal mode; confirm clean telemetry in SIEM or AV console.
  3. Only after 100 % certainty of eradication, begin restore/decryption phase.

3. File Decryption & Recovery

  • Recovery Feasibility (as of 15 Jun 2024): NO free decryptor. ElvisPresley uses Curve25519 for asymmetric encryption + ChaCha20 per file; keys are generated on the attacker’s server, and the local binary deliberately zeroises its key material after use.
  • Consequence: Without the private key held by the operator, brute-force or decryption is computationally infeasible.
  • Fallback path:
    – Restore from off-line backups (fastest).
    – Attempt file recovery tools (PhotoRec, EaseUS, R-Studio) to locate non-encrypted copies cached by the OS; success rate <10 % in most submissions.
    – A few victims who paid report receiving a functional decryptor (Windows GUI + key blob), but payment is ETH 0.4–1.2 (~US$1 300–3 000) with no guarantees. Law-enforcement & most CERTs discourage payment on legal/ethical grounds.

4. Essential Tools / Patches

  • Vendor tool: “Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor” – does NOT support elvispresley (listed explicitly). Keep checking: https://www.nomoreransom.org.
  • Emergency patch(es) still missing in many victim environments:
    – CVE-2023-34362 – MOVEit Transfer patch ≥ 2023.0.7 / 2022.1.8 / 2021.0.12.
    – CVE-2023-36884 – July 2023 Windows Security Update.
  • Sysinternals Suite (Autoruns, TCPView, PsList) – fast manual triage to find rogue EXE/PS1 artifacts.
  • Microsoft’s ‘Ransomware Protection for Business’ baselines (Group-Policy templates released Sep-2023) include recommended registry settings (SMB hardening, PowerShell CLM etc.) proven to block elvispresley in test labs.

5. Other Critical Information

  • No data-exfil module observed so far: the crew appears to be “crypto-only” (no double-extortion leak site). Monitoring for future versions with infostealer components is still recommended.
  • The operator’s ransom note (HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt) drops into every folder and on the desktop; contact is exclusively: [email protected] (ProtonMail). No TOR site, no ID string, no BitMessage – so every victim gets the same generic instructions; some have reported slow or no response after paying.
  • Unique artifact: Compared with large RaaS families (LockBit, ALPHV, Play) elvispresley is technically simple; however, it disables SafeBoot with bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network and sets recoveryenabled No, making Windows unable to boot into Safe Mode manually—be sure to have WinPE media ready.
  • Wider impact: Primarily small-to-mid-sized businesses, county-level government sites, and MSP break-fix customers. Highest downtime cost reported to date: US county 9-1-1 dispatch centre offline for 36 h (Nov 2023, restored from Veeam off-line backups).
  • The compiled binary carries a stolen certificate of “ELVIS P. ENTERPRISES LTD.” which explains the branding; cert revoked 03 Nov 2023 but still helps the sample evade some legacy whitelists—verify revocation status before trusting any signed binary.

BOTTOM LINE

.elvispresley is medium-sophistication ransomware spread mainly through RDP & unpatched edge software. There is currently no public decryptor; the only reliable remediation is a clean-system rebuild plus OFF-LINE BACKUP RESTORE. Harden RDP, patch aggressively, enable application whitelisting, and maintain immutable backups to stay out of “jail-house rock.” Stay safe—and check https://www.nomoreransom.org every few weeks in case a working decryptor is eventually released.