Security researchers have warned of a new strain of ransomware that uses affiliates to spread the malware.
In a blog post, researchers at BlackBerry said that MountLocker has been available as ransomware as a service since July and was updated in November to broaden the file types it targeted and evade security software.
The malware itself, at less than 100Kb in size, is lightweight and simple in construction. It is typically deployed as either an x86 or x64 Windows portable executable (PE) file, although occasionally as a Microsoft Installer (MSI) package.
The ransomware encrypts data of victims and demands Bitcoin as ransom. The hackers also threaten to leak stolen information if money is not received.
BlackBerry researchers said that the ransomware uses an affiliate scheme to find victims. Its investigations found that threat actors often used remote desktop (RDP) with compromised credentials to gain access to a victim’s environment. In one instance, after establishing a foothold in an organisation, there was a delay of several days before activity resumed.
“It is likely that the threat actors were negotiating with the MountLocker operators to join their affiliate program and obtain the ransomware during this pause. Upon obtaining the MountLocker ransomware, the threat actors were observed returning with several “public” tools, including CobaltStrike Beacon and AdFind from Joeware,” researchers said.
Blackberry noted that only five victims are listed on MountLocker's "News & Leaks" site hosted on the darknet, but are likely to increase.
Researchers said that the operators behind MountLocker are “clearly just warming up”.
"After a slow start in July, they are rapidly gaining ground, as the high-profile nature of extortion and data leaks drive ransom demands ever higher. MountLocker affiliates are typically fast operators, rapidly exfiltrating sensitive documents and encrypting them across key targets in a matter of hours,” they said.
-
MSPs beware – these two ransomware groups are ramping up attacks and have claimed hundreds of victimsNews The Akira and Lynx ransomware groups are focusing on small businesses and MSPs using stolen or purchased admin credentials
-
Google cyber researchers were tracking the ShinyHunters group’s Salesforce attacks – then realized they’d also fallen victimNews In an update to an investigation on the ShinyHunters group, Google revealed it had also been affected
-
Nearly one-third of ransomware victims are hit multiple times, even after paying hackersNews Many ransomware victims are being hit more than once, largely thanks to fragmented security tactics
-
75% of UK business leaders are willing to risk criminal penalties to pay ransomsNews A ransom payment ban is a great idea - until you're the one being targeted...
-
The Scattered Spider ransomware group is infiltrating Slack and Microsoft Teams to target vulnerable employeesNews The group is using new ransomware variants and new social engineering techniques - including sneaking into corporate teleconferences
-
Hackers breached a 158 year old company by guessing an employee password – experts say it’s a ‘pertinent reminder’ of the devastating impact of cyber crime
News A Panorama documentary exposed hackers' techniques and talked to the teams trying to tackle them
-
The ransomware boom shows no signs of letting up – and these groups are causing the most chaos
News Thousands of ransomware cases have already been posted on the dark web this year
-
Everything we know about the Ingram Micro cyber attack so farNews A cyber attack on Ingram Micro severely disrupted operations and has been claimed by the SafePay ransomware group.
