PROJECT23 Ransomware actively spreading in the wild.

The SonicWall Capture Labs threat research team observed reports of a new variant family of PROJECT23 ransomware [PROJECT23.RSM] actively spreading in the wild.

The PROJECT23  ransomware encrypts the victim’s files with a strong encryption algorithm until the victim pays a fee to get them back.

Infection Cycle:

The ransomware adds the following files to the system:

• Malware.exe
  • % App.path%\ VLCKFNVA-README.TXT
    • Instruction for recovery
  • %App.path%\ [Name]. <Random>

Once the computer is compromised, the ransomware runs the following commands:

The ransomware encrypts all the files and appends the [Random]  extension onto each encrypted file’s filename.

After encrypting all personal documents, the ransomware shows the following text file containing a message reporting that the computer has been encrypted and to contact its developer for unlock instructions.

SonicWall Capture Labs provides protection against this threat via the following signature:

• GAV: PROJECT23.RSM (Trojan)

This threat is also detected by SonicWall Capture ATP w/RTDMI and the Capture Client endpoint solutions.

Security News

The SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team gathers, analyzes and vets cross-vector threat information from the SonicWall Capture Threat network, consisting of global devices and resources, including more than 1 million security sensors in nearly 200 countries and territories. The research team identifies, analyzes, and mitigates critical vulnerabilities and malware daily through in-depth research, which drives protection for all SonicWall customers. In addition to safeguarding networks globally, the research team supports the larger threat intelligence community by releasing weekly deep technical analyses of the most critical threats to small businesses, providing critical knowledge that defenders need to protect their networks.