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Snatch Ransomware Reboots to Windows Safe Mode to Bypass AV Tools
Researchers discovered a new Snatch ransomware strain that will reboot computers it infects into Safe Mode to disable any resident security solutions and immediately starts encrypting files once the system loads.
Encrypting the victim's files is possible because most security tools are automatically disabled when Windows devices boot in Safe Mode as the Sophos Managed Threat Response (MTR) team and SophosLabs researchers found.
"Snatch can run on most common versions of Windows, from 7 through 10, in 32- and 64-bit versions," they add. "The samples we've seen are also packed with the open-source packer UPX to obfuscate their contents."
Snatch ransomware came out towards the end of 2018 and it became noticeably active during April 2019 as shown by a spike in ransom notes and encrypted file samples submitted to Michael Gillespie's ID Ransomware platform.
[...] To take advantage of anti-malware solutions not loading in Safe Mode, the Snatch ransomware component installs itself as a Windows service dubbed SuperBackupMan capable of running in Safe Mode that can't be stopped or paused, and then force restarts the compromised machine.
After the device enters Windows Safe Mode, Snatch ransomware will delete "all the Volume Shadow Copies on the system" as the researchers discovered, preventing "forensic recovery of the files encrypted by the ransomware."
In the next stage, the malware will start encrypting its victims' files, with the attackers now being sure that recovery without payment is impossible.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday December 12 2019, @08:24AM (3 children)
The trouble I see with that idea is that you've just honeypotted one instance of the software, which doesn't slow or stop the ransomware on any other machines.
At least when you set up a VM for tech-support phone call scammers, you're tying up a person that can't phone other potential victims in the meantime.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 12 2019, @08:44AM
These fake shares could also be a "canary" and trigger alerts or actions if the writes seem too suspicious..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 12 2019, @10:23AM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday December 12 2019, @03:33PM
Ah. I got stuck in the mindset of (intentionally) placing the ransomware into the virtual filing system, as opposed to keeping the virtual system up and running to act as a decoy or shield.