The notorious Troldesh family of ransomware viruses has just increased with a new variant. The new crypto-ransomware variant encrypts the user files adding a .Better_call_saul file extension after them. It is reported by researchers at Nyxbone to utilize a powerful AES-256 encryption cipher. The ransomware is also reported to change the wallpaper with a ransom note written in both Russian and English languages as well. Users who have been affected by this virus – encoder, should immediately remove it, instead of paying the ransom and try to restore the files using one of the alternative solutions in this article.
Threat Summary
| Name | Troldesh |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Short Description | The ransomware encrypts your files with .better_call_saul extension and asks a ransom payment of $150 for decryption. |
| Symptoms | The ransomware encrypts all of the files, changes the wallpaper to a russian and english versions of the same message and adds a README.txt note. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Exploit Kits |
| Detection Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Troldesh Download Malware Removal Tool |
| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Troldesh. |
Troldesh Ransomware – How Does It Infect
One method Troldesh may use to successfully infect users is via malicious URLs. Such web links may redirect to web pages which contain malicious JavaScript or an Exploit Kit. Such web links may be seen in various locations by end users, for example:
- On spam comments in comment sections of different sites.
- Featured as a reply or a topic in a not so well secured forum.
- Automatically pop-up on the computer as a result of having a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) installed on the computer.
- Redirect as a result of clicking on a malicious advertisement (malvertising)
Another method of distribution which may be used by Troldesh is by directly spreading the .exe of the malware. For this to happen, process obfuscation is believed to be used on the executable to conceal it from the real time shield of any antivirus that may be installed to the latest definitions on the victim`s computer. Such files can usually be spread via:
- Malicious e-mails as attachments, which are usually in .zip or .rar archives.
- Pose as fixes, patches, keygens, cracks and others.
- Pretend to be a setup of a legitimate software on a third-party website.
So far, one thing may be certain. Researchers have reported that this variant of Troldesh uses the following hosts to conduct massive spam campaigns:
→ 155.94.254.7
220.116.246.88
73.69.54.155
59.16.141.51
46.241.162.75
181229176179
181.46.183.183
91.250.53.114
69.23.139.144
105.131.75.227
188.0.72.57
176.223.169.98
121.136.241.45
1.64.242.80
76.9.38.194
73.205.91.110
203.175.48.196
1.239.96.173 Source: Nyxbone(@mosh)
And this is not the only bad news about how this ransomware spreads. Experts believe it to have something in common with a very dangerous botnet, called Kelihos that is known for sending out phishing campaigns.(https://sensorstechforum.com/kelihos-botnet-phishing-campaign-collects-apple-ids-spam-emails/)
Troldesh Ransomware – Malicious Activity
The ransomware drops the following files after infection:
- schet1074.15.03.16.doc – 1.1 MB
- CSRSS.exe – 1.8 MB
- 025074DE.exe – 114.3 KB
- E8B6CE19.exe – 1.0 MB
Source: Nyxbone(@mosh)
After dropping its payload, the ransomware modifies the registry entries of infected computers to change different settings:
→ HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Client Server Runtime Subsystem
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\cnt
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\i
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\mode
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\pk
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\state
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\sys
HKCU\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\System32\Configuration\Version Source: Nyxbone(@mosh)
The ransomware also creates additional files in the infected computer on different locations:
→ C:\ProgramData\Windows\csrss.exe
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Temp\E8B6CE19.exe –
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Temp\025074DE.exe –
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Temp\state
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Temp\lock
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Roaming\77E4183577E41835.bmp
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\\Desktop\README1.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README2.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README3.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\\Desktop\README4.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README5.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README6.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README7.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README8.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README9.txt
C:\Users\{USERNAME}\Desktop\README10.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README1.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README2.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README3.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README4.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README5.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README6.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README7.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README8.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README9.txt
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\README10.txtSource: Nyxbone(@mosh)
After doing, so, the ransomware executes a call command to its encryptor. Its reported to scan for and encrypt the following types of files:
→ wb2, cdr, srw, p7b, odm, mdf, p7c, 3fr, der, odb, arw, rwl, cer, xlk, pdd, rw2, crt, dx, r3d, pem, bay, ptx, pfx, indd, nrw, p12, bd, backup, torrent, kwm, pwm, safe, xl, xls, xlsx, xlsm, xlsb, xltm, xlt, xlam, xla, mdb, rtf, txt, xml, csv, pdf, prn, dif, slk, ods, xltx, xlm, odc, xlw, uxdc, pm, udl, dsn, iqy, dqy, rqy, oqy, cub, bak, xsn, xsf, xtp, xtp2, accdb, adb, adp, mda, accda, mde, accde, accdw, accdt, accdc, mdw, dbf, tab, asc, frm, opt, myd, myi, db, onetoc2, one, onepkg, vcs, ics, pst, oft, msg, pptx, ppt, pptm, pps, ppsm, pot, potx, potm, odp, thmx, wpd, wps, ppa, ppam, wmf, emf, pub, ps, xps, vsd, vdx, vss, vsx, vst, vtx, vsw, vdw, emz, dwg, dxf, docx, doc, docm, dotx, dot, dotm, djvu, chm, htm, html, mht, mhtml, shtml, shtm, asp, aspx, dwt, stm, cs, css, psd, pdd, 3ds, max, crw, nef, raf, orf, mrw, dcr, mos, pef, srf, dng, x3f, cr2, erf, sr2, kdc, mfw, mef, cin, sdpx, dpx, fido, dae, dcm, dc3, dic, eps, kmz, iff, tdi, exr, pcx, pdp, pxr, sct, u3d, obj, ai3, ai4, ai5, ai6, ai7, ai8, ai, epsp, epsf, hdr, rgbe, xyze, flm, pbm, pgm, ppm, pnm, pfm, pam, pct, pict, psb, fxg, swf, hta, htc, ssi, as, asr, xsl, xsd, dtd, xslt, rss, rdf, lbi, asa, ascx, asmx, config, cfm, cfml, cfc, tld, phtml, jsp, wml, tpl, lasso, jsf, vb, vbs, vtm, vtml, edml, raw, jpg, jpeg, jpe, bmp, png, tif, tiff, dib, gif, svg, svgz, rle, tga, vda, icb, wbm, wbmp, jpf, jpx, jp2, j2k, j2c, jpc, avi, mkv, mov, mp4, wmv, 3gp, mpg, mpeg, m4v, divx, mpv, m1v, dat, anim, m4a, qt, 3g2, f4v, mkidx, mka, avs, vdr, flv, bin, mp3, wav, asx, pls, zip, 7z, rar, tar, gz, bz2, wim, xz, c, h, hpp, cpp, php, php3, php4, php5, py, pl, sln, js, json, inc, sql, java, class, ini, asm, clx, tbb, tbi, tbk, pst, dbx, cbf, crypted, tib, eml, fld, vbm, vbk, vib, vhd, 1cd, dt, cf, cfu, mxl, epf, vrp, grs, geo, elf, lgf, lgp, log, st, pff, mft, efd, md, dmp, fdb, lst, fbkSource: Nyxbone(@mosh)
After doing this, the files are scrambled with an AES-256 encryption algorithm. The enciphered files are usually with the .better_call_saul, for example:
→ Original file:
New Text Document.txt
Encrypted File:
{ RANDOM ALPHA NUMERICAL ID }-i-{RANDOM ALPHA NUMERICAL ID}=.{ RANDOM ALPHA NUMERICAL ID }.better_call_saul
This ransomware, then changes the wallpaper of the infected computer to the following picture:
The ransomware may also communicate with the attackers to send to them the decryption key along with other system information. The reported IP addresses of attackers are reported by Nyxbone experts to be the following:
→ 86.59.21.38
208.83.223.34
37.59.46.159
158.58.170.2
188.165.26.13
104.25.11.6
72.246.48.8 Source: Nyxbone(@mosh)
In addition to all of those, after encrypting the files, the ransomware adds multiple “README.txt” files with sequence numbers, for example “README1.txt” ,”README2.txt” ,”README3.txt” ,”README4.txt” on the Desktop of the user or encrypted folders. The text of the readme is in Russian and English. The english version of the ransom note is the following:
To decrypt the files you should send the following code:
{UNIQUE CODE} to e-mail addess [email protected] or [email protected]
Then you will receive all necessary instrucions.
All the attempts of decryption by yourself will result only in irrevocable loss of your data.
If you still want to try to decrypt them by yourself please make a backup at first because the decryption will become impossible in case of any changes inside the files.
If you did not receive the answer from the aforecited email for more than 48 hours (and only in this case!), use the reserve email. You can get it by two ways:
1) Download Tor Browser from here:
{tor web link}
Install it and type the following address into the address bar:
{onion domain}
Press Enter and then the page with reserve emails will be loaded.
2) Go to the one of the following addresses in any browser:
{onion domains with .to and .cab extensions}”
Troldesh Ransomware – Conclusion, Removal and File Restoration
The bottom line is that this variant of the Troldesh family is a bit more sophisticated than the the .xtbl and .crypt Troldesh variants).
If you want to remove Troldesh ransomware, you may follow the instructions for manual removal below or download an advanced anti-malware program. It will make sure your computer is free of any objects modified by Troldesh Ransomware and protect you from such threats in the future as well.
In case you wish to restore your files, we advise trying to use Kaspersky`s Rannoh Decryptor which has been reported to successfully decrypt .crypt encrypted files by the Troldesh variant CryptXXX. Otherwise, you can find other, less effective alternatives from step “3. Restore files encrypted by Troldesh” below.
