The WhiteRose virus is a newly discovered malware that does not seem to originate from any of the known threat families. It is a classic example of a ransomware that aims to encrypt as many user data as possible with the .WHITEROSE extension and extort the victims for a restore fee payment.
Threat Summary
| Name | WhiteRose |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Short Description | The WhiteRose virus is a classic ransomware that encrypts target user data and extorts the victims for a ransom fee payment. |
| Symptoms | Computer users will be unable to access their data which is encrypted with the .WHITEROSE extension. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, File Sharing Networks, Exploit Kits |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss WhiteRose. |
WhiteRose Virus – Infection Spread
The Whiterose virus can be distributed using different methods depending on the hackers targets and the ongoing campaign. At the moment the captured samples do not give an exact indication of the scale of the attacks, as such we presume that they are test attacks. The most probable reason is to test how effective the WhiteRose virus is. In these cases the hacker or criminal collective behind the threat utilize the most popular tactics.
One of the most common ways is to utilize spam email messages that are sent in bulk and contain various social engineering tricks. They aim to persuade the victim into interacting with the contained within malware elements. Usually this is done by linking a copy of the virus hosted on an off-site instance. The messages are constructed in a specific way, made to coerce the target users into downloading the virus. This is done by taking the legitimate text and graphics of legitimate sites and portals and constructing fake versions of them. The hyperlinks are replaced with the virus instances. Another method is the use of file attachments that are sent directly with the messages.
In a similar way the hackers can take the malware code and integrate it in other payloads as well. Examples include the following:
- Software Installers — The criminals can take the legitimate setup files of popular software and modify them with the Whiterose virus code. Usually the targets are creative apps, utilities and games.
- Malware Documents — Computer criminals can create documents of various types (presentations, rich text documents or spreadsheets) that can infect the victims with the WhiteRose virus. They are disguised as data of user interest such as letters, invoices, notifications and etc. Once they are opened by the victims a notification prompt that asks them to enable the built-in macros (scripts). If this is done then the infection is initiated.
Another strategy relies on the use of browser hijackers, a fancy name for the various malware web browser plugins. They are often distributed on the relevant software repositories and contain elaborate descriptions, screenshots and fake user reviews in order to coerce the users into downloading them. In the most common case they are made compatible with the most popular software: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari and Google Chrome. Once they are installed the built-in infection engine redirects the users to a hacker-controlled page. The WhiteRose virus itself is loaded during the initial delivery.
Virus samples can be delivered using other methods such as web scripts and other malware web elements — banners, pop-ups, redirects and spam content.
WhiteRose Virus – Technical Data
Once the WhiteRose virus has been deployed to the target computers it will immediately start to execute itself. The iniital code analysis is not yet complete however from the obtained preliminary data the virus engine does not appear to contain any code snippets from the famous malware families. It is possible that the sample has been made by its operator(s) or bought from the hacker underground markets. It may also be a customized form of known malware family but with severe changes.
While the WhiteRose samples at the moment does not follow an advanced infection route it can be updated easily to include other options. Example additions to the WhiteRose code include the following:
- Stealth Protection — The infection engine can be programmed into discovery installed security software that may interfere with the threat’s execution. The engine can scan for the specific signatures of anti-virus programs, sandbox or debug environments and virtual machines. They are usually bypassed or removed altogether. Sometimes the viruses can be programmed into deleting themselves if they are unable to bypass security. This measure is introduced in order to avoid detection.
- Information Harvesting — the WhiteRose virus samples can be upgraded to include an information gathering module that has the ability to harvest the infected machines. This may include both anonymous metrics that generate a profile based on the installed hardware components and installed software and private data. The second case is more problematic as it can directly expose the victims identity directly — their name, phone number, address, interests, geolocation, passwords and account credentials.
- Additional Malware Delivery — The WhiteRose virus can be used to deploy additional threats to the compromsied machines.
It is customary for malware such as this one to cause system changes of various types. They might be Windows registry modifications or boot options that seek to remove any startup recovery attempts. Usually the goal of the virus is to lead to a persistent state of execution which makes manual user recovery very difficult.
WhiteRose Virus – Encryption Process
Once all WhiteRose malware componens have finished execution the ransomware module is launched. It uses a built-in list of target file type extensions that can be changed based on the attack campaign. In the most popular case the malware processes the following data:
- Archives
- Backups
- Images
- Videos
- Music
- Databases
- Documents
The victim files are renamed with the .WHITEROSE extension. A ransomware note is crafted in a HOW-TO-RECOVERY-FILES.TXT which reads the following:
=====================[PersonalKey]=====================
[redacted base64] =====================[PersonalKey]=====================
The singing of the sparrows, the breezes of the northern mountains and smell of the earth that was raining in the morning filled the entire garden space. I’m sitting on a wooden chair next to a bush tree, I have a readable book in my hands and I am sweating my spring with a cup of bitter coffee. Today is a different day.
Behind me is an empty house of dreams and in front of me, full of beautiful white roses.
To my left is an empty blue pool of red fish and my right, trees full of spring white blooms.
I drink coffee, I’ll continue to read a book from William Faulkner. In the garden environment, peace and quiet. My life always goes that way. Always alone without even an intimate friend.
I have neither a pet, nor a friend or an enemy; I am a normal person with fantastic wishes among the hordes of white rose flowers. Everything is natural. I’m just a little interested in hacking and programming. My only electronic devices in this big garden are an old laptop for do projects and an iPhone for check out the news feeds for malware analytics on Twitter without likes posts.
Believe me, my only assets are the white roses of this garden.
I think of days and write at night: the story, poem, code, exploit or the accumulation of the number of white roses sold and I say to myself that the wealth is having different friends of different races, languages, habits and religions, Not only being in a fairly stylish garden with full of original white roses.
Today, I think deeply about the decision that has involved my mind for several weeks. A decision to freedom and at the worth of unity, intimacy, joy and love and is the decision to release white roses and to give gifts to all peoples of the world.
I do not think about selling white roses again. This time, I will plant all the white roses of the garden to bring a different gift for the people of each country. No matter where is my garden and where I am from, no matter if you are a housekeeper or a big company owner, it does not matter if you are the west of the world or its east, it’s important that the white roses are endless and infinite. You do not need to send letters or e-mails to get these roses. Just wait it tomorrow.
Wait for good days with White Rose.
I hope you accept this gift from me and if it reaches you, close your eyes and place yourself in a large garden on a wooden chair and feel this beautiful scene to reduce your anxiety and everyday tension.
Thank you for trusting me. Now open your eyes. Your system has a flower like a small garden; A white rose flower.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////
[Recovery Instructions] I. Download qTox on your computer from [https://tox.chat/download.html] II. Create new profile then enter our ID in search contacts
Our Tox ID: “6F548F21789***”.
III. Wait for us to accept your request.
IV. Copy ‘[PersonalKey]’ in “HOW-TO-RECOVERY-FILES.TXT” file and send this key with one encrypted file less size then 2MB for trust us in our Tox chat.
IV.I. Only if you did not receive a reply after 24 hours from us,
send your message to our secure tor email address “TheWhiteRose@Torbox3uiot6wchz.onion”.
IV.II. For perform “Step IV.I” and enter the TOR network, you must download tor browser
and register in “https://torbox3uiot6wchz.onion” Mail Service)
V. We decrypt your two files and we will send you.
VI. After ensuring the integrity of the files, We will send you payment info.
VII. Now after payment, you get “WhiteRose Decryptor” Along with the private key of your system.
VIII.Everything returns to the normal and your files will be released.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
What is encryption?
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding a message or information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it, and those who are not authorized cannot. Encryption does not itself prevent interference, but denies the intelligible content to a would-be interceptor. In an encryption scheme, the intended information or message, referred to as plaintext, is encrypted using an encryption algorithm – a cipher – generating ciphertext that can be read only if decrypted.
For technical reasons, an encryption scheme usually uses a pseudo-random encryption key generated by an algorithm.
It is in principle possible to decrypt the message without possessing the key, but, for a well-designed encryption scheme, considerable computational resources and skills are required.
An authorized recipient can easily decrypt the message with the key provided by the originator to recipients but not to unauthorized users.
in your case “WhiteRose Decryptor” software for safe and complete decryption of all your files and data.
Any other way?
If you look through this text in the Internet and realise that something is wrong with your files but you do not have any instructions to restore your files, please contact your antivirus support.
Remove WhiteRose Virus and Restore Your Files
If your computer got compromised and is infected with the WhiteRose ransomware virus, you should have some experience with removing viruses before tampering with it. You should get rid of the ransomware fast before it can spread further on the network and encrypt more files. The recommended action for you is to remove the ransomware completely by following the step-by-step instructions written below.
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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Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.
How to Remove WhiteRose from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove WhiteRose
Step 2: Uninstall WhiteRose and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by WhiteRose 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 WhiteRose 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.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Scan for WhiteRose with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by WhiteRose.
Ransomware infections and WhiteRose aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Get rid of WhiteRose from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall WhiteRose and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove WhiteRose via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by WhiteRose.
Ransomware infections and WhiteRose aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
WhiteRose FAQ
What is WhiteRose ransomware and how does it work?
WhiteRose is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithm how to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
How does WhiteRose ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.WhiteRose Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing e-mails, containing virus attachment.
This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
After you download and execute this attachment, a drive-by download occurs and your computer is infected with the ransomware virus.
Another way, you may become a victim of WhiteRose is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to open .WhiteRose files?
You can't. At this point the .WhiteRose files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted.
Decryptor did not decrypt my data. What now?
Do not panic and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .WhiteRose files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by WhiteRose ransomware is to use a decryptor for it. But since it's a new virus, advised that the decryption keys for it may not be out yet and available to the public. We will update this article and keep you posted as soon as this decryptor is released.
How Do I restore ".WhiteRose" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .WhiteRose files.
These methods are in no way 100% guarantee that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How do I get rid of WhiteRose ransomware virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti malware software. It will scan for and locate WhiteRose ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .WhiteRose files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like WhiteRose ransomware also install Trojans and keyloggers that can steal your passwords and accounts. Scanning your computer with an anti-malware software will make sure that all of these virus components are removed and your computer is protected in the future.
What to Do If nothing works?
There is still a lot you can do. If none of the above methods seem to work for you, then try these methods:
- Try to find a safe computer from where you can can login on your own line accounts like One Drive, iDrive, Google Drive and so on.
- Try to contact your friends, relatives and other people so that they can check if they have some of your important photos or documents just in case you sent them.
- Also, check if some of the files that were encrypted it can be re-downloaded from the web.
- Another clever way to get back some of your files is to find another old computer, a flash drive or even a CD or a DVD where you may have saved your older documents. You might be surprised what will turn up.
- You can also go to your email account to check if you can send any attachments to other people. Usually what is sent the email is saved on your account and you can re-download it. But most importantly, make sure that this is done from a safe computer and make sure to remove the virus first.
More tips you can find on our forums, where you can also asks any questions about your ransomware problem.
Estoy infectado con el virus, WhiteRose, mi servidor es HP ML150 con Windows 2003, una carpeta importante se infecto y no puedo recuperar la informacion, solo me aparecen, archivos con la extension .txt y las demas carpetas no se infectaron, es un carpeta conpartida en la red, el servidor se utiliza como file server… ya actualice servidor y antivirus, corri el SpyHunter y no me quita el virus de la carpeta, como puedo recuperar la informacion, si esta cifrada, espero sus comentarios, muchas gracias
Hi
I have also been infected with WHITEROSE on a windows 2003 server during a O365 migration. I have tried the basic steps with booting in safe mode and running a full scan and tried Rakhni decrypter from Kaspersky but without luck. Any help is greatly appreciated
Hi.
Windows Server 2003 encrypted files with White Rose…
Not good moment…