The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics cyber attack was found to be caused by a malware called the Olympic Destroyer Virus. The initial code analysis reveals that this is an advanced Trojan that recruits the impacted systems into a worldwide botnet network. It can also be used to institute ransomware and other additional viruses.
Threat Summary
| Name | Olympic Destroyer |
| Type | Trojan, Botnet |
| Short Description | The Olympic Destroyer Virus is an advanced virus that can delete important files and recruits the infected host to a worldwide botnet network. |
| Symptoms | In most cases the victims may not be able to spot any infection symptoms. In certain cases applications and services may stop working. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable Files |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Olympic Destroyer. |
| Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
Olympic Destroyer Virus – Distribution
The Olympic Destroyer Virus has become famous as this is the virus that was able to penetrate the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. At the moment the released details showcase that the threat has been deployed using a Wi-Fi network. Media reporters on location shared that shortly before the ceremony the Wi-Fi access stopped working due to technical difficulties. A spokesperson later issued a statement that the technical problems affected several areas of the Games without revealing further information. However many guests and reporters reported that they started receiving malware emails which means that the Olympic Destroyer Virus has probably penetrated the internal network. Using the obtained information we can deduce a few potential infection distribution tactics delivering the Olympic Destroyer Virus samples.
The hackers behind the virus may have targeted a particular software vulnerability using an automated penetration testing framework. These utilities are loaded with exploits for many of the most commonly used services. It is possible that the event organizers have employed an outdated version of a certain software services which was hijacked.
Another possibility is the active distribution of the Olympic Destroyer Virus through email messages to users of the internal network. In such cases the malware operators can uses various social engineering scams. There are two primary ways the email messages can be customized. One of them is the direct attachment of the virus files to the messages. The victim recipients are instructed to download and run them. Another prominent strategy is to send the ransomware file through a hosted instance. In this case malware hyperlinks are used to direct the intended victims into them.
When mass infections are intended the hackers can also take advantage of browser hijackers. They have the ability to modify the settings of the installed web browsers and are usually compatible with the most popular apps: Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari. The default behavior is to redirect the users to a hacker-controlled page, as well as infect the victims with viruses.
Other techniques include the use of infected documents that may be of different types: rich text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The hackers customize them to appear as files of interests: invoices, letters, notifications or contracts. As soon as they are opened a prompt pops up and asks them to execute the built-in scripts (macros). Once this is done the virus infection follows.
A similar technique is the use of software installers that represent modified instances of popular software. The malware operators usually take the legitimate installers from the official vendor sites and modifying them to include the dangerous code. They are then uploaded to counterfeit download sites or sent using email message campaigns. Note that such files are also actively distributed on file sharing networks such as BitTorrent.
Olympic Destroyer Virus – Impact
The captured Olympic Destroyer Virus have been found to be based on a modular framework. Once the virus engine has found a way to penetrate the target system it starts to look out for security software and other applications that may interfere with its processes. Like other advanced malware it is able to counter and bypass the real-time security engines of anti-virus products and has been found effective against debuggers, sandboxes and virtual machines as well. We remind our readers that the hackers can also instruct the samples to delete themselves if they are unable to do so. This step is made in order to counter post-intrusion detection.
Once this is done the ransomware engine continues further by launching an elaborate information gathering module which is able to query sensitive information found in the infected machines. At the moment we have received confirmation that the bulk of data is related to the regional language settings and system data. This includes details about the computers such as their operating system.
A series of dangerous system changes follow that can make manual removal impossible without the use of a quality anti-spyware solution, refer to our in-depth guide after the analysis. The Olympic Destroyer Virus is extremely sophisticated as it can delete a number of important parts of the operating system: Shadow Volume copies (that make data recovery difficult), backups and certain Windows registry values. As a consequence the victims will find that data recovery will be difficult and that they will need to use a professional-grade software. The users can also experience serious performance issues and discover that certain services or applications may fail.
The main infection module has the ability to interfere with the boot options which in effect also disables the recovery options. By hooking up to system services it can masquerade itself from analysis and can spawn its own processes using both user and administrative privileges. The virus allows the hacker operators to execute arbitrary commands on the infected machines. Such use can allow the criminal operators to insitute additional malware including Trojans. They allow the computer system to be spied upon in real time. The hackers can also overtake control of the machines at any given time.
Such threats can be modified to include a ransomware component which can encrypt sensitive files based on a predefined list of target file type extensions. The files are encrypted using a powerful cipher and can be renamed with different extensions which can be customized according to the malware version or attack campaign. Usually after this is done the hackers create special documents called ransom notes that blackmail the victims for a ransom fee. The money is usually quoted in a cryptocurrency where the transactions cannot be traced down to a certain individual or group.
According to the security reports the main goal of the infections is to recruit the host to a worldwide network of zombie nodes that can be used to launch devastating denial of service attacks. Once all infection components have completed execution the virus spreads to other hosts via a network worm propagation technique. This is the reason why it is considered a high-risk threat.
How to Remove Olympic Destroyer Virus and Restore Files
Тo remove Olympic Destroyer ransowmare just follow the step-by-step removal guide below which provides both manual and automatic approaches. Due to the complexity of ransomware code, security researchers recommend the help of advanced anti-malware tool that guarantees maximum efficiency.
Once the removal is complete, alternative data recovery approaches could be also found in the guide. They may be useful for the restore of some encrypted files. Be advised to back up all encrypted files to an external drive before you proceed with the recovery process.
Martin Beltov
Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.
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Preparation before removing Olympic Destroyer.
Before starting the actual removal process, we recommend that you do the following preparation steps.
- Make sure you have these instructions always open and in front of your eyes.
- Do a backup of all of your files, even if they could be damaged. You should back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats.
- Be patient as this could take a while.
- Scan for Malware
- Fix Registries
- Remove Virus Files
Step 1: Scan for Olympic Destroyer with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by Olympic Destroyer on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Olympic Destroyer there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.Step 3: Find virus files created by Olympic Destroyer on your PC.
1.For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
1: On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
2: Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
3: Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC's screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be "fileextension:exe". After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navigation box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn't found it yet.
2.For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS's the conventional approach should be the effective one:
1: Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
2: After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
3: After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Olympic Destroyer FAQ
What Does Olympic Destroyer Trojan Do?
The Olympic Destroyer Trojan is a malicious computer program designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
It can be used to steal sensitive data, gain control over a system, or launch other malicious activities.
Can Trojans Steal Passwords?
Yes, Trojans, like Olympic Destroyer, can steal passwords. These malicious programs are designed to gain access to a user's computer, spy on victims and steal sensitive information such as banking details and passwords.
Can Olympic Destroyer Trojan Hide Itself?
Yes, it can. A Trojan can use various techniques to mask itself, including rootkits, encryption, and obfuscation, to hide from security scanners and evade detection.
Can a Trojan be Removed by Factory Reset?
Yes, a Trojan can be removed by factory resetting your device. This is because it will restore the device to its original state, eliminating any malicious software that may have been installed. Bear in mind, that there are more sophisticated Trojans, that leave backdoors and reinfect even after factory reset.
Can Olympic Destroyer Trojan Infect WiFi?
Yes, it is possible for a Trojan to infect WiFi networks. When a user connects to the infected network, the Trojan can spread to other connected devices and can access sensitive information on the network.
Can Trojans Be Deleted?
Yes, Trojans can be deleted. This is typically done by running a powerful anti-virus or anti-malware program that is designed to detect and remove malicious files. In some cases, manual deletion of the Trojan may also be necessary.
Can Trojans Steal Files?
Yes, Trojans can steal files if they are installed on a computer. This is done by allowing the malware author or user to gain access to the computer and then steal the files stored on it.
Which Anti-Malware Can Remove Trojans?
Anti-malware programs such as SpyHunter are capable of scanning for and removing Trojans from your computer. It is important to keep your anti-malware up to date and regularly scan your system for any malicious software.
Can Trojans Infect USB?
Yes, Trojans can infect USB devices. USB Trojans typically spread through malicious files downloaded from the internet or shared via email, allowing the hacker to gain access to a user's confidential data.
About the Olympic Destroyer Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Olympic Destroyer how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific trojan problem.
How did we conduct the research on Olympic Destroyer?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of trojans (backdoor, downloader, infostealer, ransom, etc.)
Furthermore, the research behind the Olympic Destroyer threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.