Zerosecurity
  • Home
  • Security
    • Exploits
    • Mobile Security
  • Malware
  • Data Breaches
  • Crypto
  • Privacy
  • Downloads
    • Malwarebytes
    • Exploits
    • Paper Downloads
    • Software & Service Reviews
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE
Zerosecurity
  • Home
  • Security
    • Exploits
    • Mobile Security
  • Malware
  • Data Breaches
  • Crypto
  • Privacy
  • Downloads
    • Malwarebytes
    • Exploits
    • Paper Downloads
    • Software & Service Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Zerosecurity
No Result
View All Result
Home Malware

BlueSky Ransomware Infects KMSAuto Activator users

Kyle by Kyle
July 20, 2022 - Updated on July 22, 2022
in Malware
0
BlueSky Ransomware backdoors KMSAuto activator
8
SHARES
366
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A financially motivated threat actor has been discovered spreading a new ransomware strain, dubbed BlueSky. The group is believed to be connected to the Conti ransomware group.

You might also like

Syslogk Linux Rootkit triggers with magic packets

BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

State-sponsored Iranian Hackers utilize .NET DNS Backdoor in new Attack

CloudSEK’s AI digital risk platform XVigil has discovered the new threat and found that the ransomware is currently targeting organizations and demanding ransom in the form of Bitcoin (BTC).

Bluesky Ransomware breakdown

Bluesky has been seen encrypting the victim’s files with a ‘.bluesky’ extension and then dropping a ransom note via a TXT file.

The researchers have discovered that the ransom is required to be paid in BTC, and have also identified multiple BTC addresses being generated, leading them to believe each victim receives a unique BTC address.

“A Twitter post indicates that one of the BTC addresses has transacted around 1.59 BTC while the other one has no recorded transactions so far,” Cloudsek Added in their report.

Information & analysis – KMSAuto infected

  • BlueSky ransomware was discovered in the wild with a filename of ‘javaw.exe’ and was 71KB.
  • ‘javaw.exe’ was dropped by a PowerShell script named ‘2.ps1‘ which was 16.84KB.
  • After further investigation, the researchers discovered that 2.ps1 opened communications with a domain pretending to be an old Windows activation too called “KMSAuto Net Activator“.
Fake KMSAuto website spreading the Bluesky Ransomware
A screenshot of the website impersonating the KMS Auto activator

The malicious PowerShell file contacts a server run by the threat actors with the domain kmsauto.us and downloads a file hxxp://kmsauto.us/someone/l.exe.

The “someone” directory in the web address contains multiple executables including the BlueSky Ransomware. The other executables include:

  • JuicyPotato
  • CVE-2022-21882
  • CVE-2020-0796 aka SMBGhost

Ransomware operator

After the researchers discovered the new ransomware strain, they pulled the Whois and DNS records providing them with a registration email and phone number associated with the domain name.

The researchers then discovered the phone number was associated with the Krasnodar region in Russia and has an active WhatsApp account.

The WhatsApp account associated with the ransomware operators, source: CloudSek

Researching the domain’s activity revealed that the last edit was done in 2021, only a year after the domain was registered.

Details on the registered email to the Kmsauto domain. Source, Cloudsek

The website operator most likely originates from Russia due to these findings:

  • They have social media mentions on VK which is the largest Russian line media and social networking service.
  • The following pages on the website contain Russian words which loosely translate to criminal, religion, and economy.
    • https[:]//kmsauto[.]us/v-mire/
    • https[:]//kmsauto[.]us/kriminal/
    • https[:]//kmsauto[.]us/religiya/
    • https[:]//kmsauto[.]us/ekonomika/

Linked in Conti Ransomware?

Cloudsek suspects that BlueSky has some connection with the Conti ransomware due to the malware being tagged along with Conti on file analysis and sample sharing sites. The two groups share common file signatures as well.

BlueSky & Conti ransomware similarities, source, Cloudsek
Tags: BlueSkyContiransomware
Share9Tweet6
Kyle

Kyle

Co-owner, writer, and editor at ZeroSecurity. Security, Blockchain, and SEO enthusiast. "Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."

Recommended For You

Syslogk Linux Rootkit triggers with magic packets

by Christi Rogalski
June 19, 2022 - Updated on June 20, 2022
0
Syslogk Linux Rootkit triggers with magic packets

Avast researchers have spotted a Linux rootkit that has the ability to hide malicious processes. The new Linux rootkit, called Syslogk, works by using magic packets to activate...

Read more

BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

by Kyle
June 16, 2022 - Updated on July 20, 2022
0
BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

As the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) industry grows, more ransomware players come into the mix. BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, is a growing ransomware threat with the ability to target...

Read more

State-sponsored Iranian Hackers utilize .NET DNS Backdoor in new Attack

by Kyle
June 12, 2022
0
Lycaeum APT DNS hijacking backdoor

An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) hacking group based out of Iran going by the name Lycaeum has been seen using a .NET-based DNS backdoor to target organizations within...

Read more

Emotet Banking Trojan Re-Emerges After Take Down by Law Enforcement

by Paul Anderson
June 10, 2022
0
Emotet Banking Trojan 2022

Botnet Emotet has re-emerged after being taken down by a multinational joint task force operation in January 2021. The developers behind Emotet have been given credit as one...

Read more

LuoYu Hacker Collective using New Techniques to Deploy WinDealer Backdoor

by Kyle
June 8, 2022
0
LuoYu Windealer advanced persistent threat actor

Researchers at Kaspersky Labs have discovered a new attack by Advanced persistent threat (APT) actor LuoYu utilizing the known malware WinDealer. WinDealer has the unique ability to perform...

Read more

Related News

BlueSky Ransomware backdoors KMSAuto activator

BlueSky Ransomware Infects KMSAuto Activator users

July 20, 2022 - Updated on July 22, 2022
BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

June 16, 2022 - Updated on July 20, 2022
GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

July 19, 2022
Zerosecurity

We cover the latest in Information Security & Blockchain news, as well as threat trends targeting both sectors.

Categories

  • Crypto
  • Data Breaches
  • DotNet Framework
  • Downloads
  • Exploits
  • Exploits
  • Information
  • Legal
  • Malware
  • Malware Analysis
  • Mobile Security
  • Paper Downloads
  • Piracy
  • Privacy
  • Programming
  • Public
  • Security
  • Security
  • Software & Service Reviews
  • Technology News
  • Tools
  • Tutorials
  • Video Tutorials
  • Whitepapers
  • Zero Security
  • Contact Us
  • List of our Writers

© 2022 ZeroSecurity, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Security
  • Exploits
  • Data Breaches
  • Malware
  • Privacy
  • Mobile Security
  • Tools
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 ZeroSecurity, All Rights Reserved.