New variant of LockBit 'ransomware': What we know so far

There’s a new variant of cyber attacks. It is known as LockBit. It’s gaining notoriety for its stealth abilities. It’s no ordinary “ransomware”.

It belongs the latest crop of “self-piloted” malicious software, automatically blocking access to computer networks — until a sum of money is paid.

What we know so far:

In the cyber-security community, it is known as LockBit 2.0.

LockBit is the cyber criminal gang behind this malware, and are known to for close relations with a “family" of malware, including LockerGoga and MegaCortex, according to cyber security company Kaspersky.

It shares common tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) with these malicious attacks.

In a “flash report” the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published February 4, 2022, the agency explains: “LockBit 2.0 is best described as a heavily-obfuscated ransomware application leveraging bitwise operations to decode strings and load required modules to evade detection.”

LockBit is inherently designed to evade detection. It has the ability to target specific victims, instead of random networks or users. This capability to propagate automatically to new targets allows it to be used in targeted attacks — instead of simply “spamming” or attacking random users or organisations.

It mostly attacks Windows-based system — by using tools and protocols that are native to the Window environment.

Some of the known underlying tools it relies on — such as Windows PowerShell and Server Message Block (SMB) — allows it to lock (encrypt) target networks.

One reason is that LockBit 2.0 has become the malware of choice for many “Dark Web” type of attack groups in recent months. It has increased in popularity, due to its nature as a “service”, a new way for the hacker community to make money.

How it works is a bit like this: when a host is compromised, LockBit then “scans” the network — and finds and infects other accessible devices. This makes it more difficult for a set security tools known as “endpoint security” to detect or identify the activity as malicious.

According to Kaspersky, the gang behind LockBit 2.0 follow the “Ransomware-as-a-Service” (RaaS) “business model”, which lets other groups use the “tool” to encrypt and attack target company networks as they wish.

As of October 2021, the malware had at least 203 known victims, as per a list on its data-leak site. In terms of the number of claimed victims, the ransomware Conti is the second-highest, with 71 listed victims, according to cybernews.com, which tracks the cyber security community.

LockBit 2.0 is similar to DarkSide, BlackMatter and REvil. The outcome of an attack is similar. As such, LockBit it is programmed to search and analyse valuable targets, spread the infection, and encrypt all accessible computer systems on a network (user/data owner is deprived of access).

As a “self-piloted cyberattack”, LockBit attackers have distinguished themselves by threatening businesses and organisation — anywhere in the world — with some of the following threats:

In a blog, Tom Bradley of Cybereason, states that LockBit “continues to adapt and evolve”, sort of like a virus that is programmed by its developers to “mutate” or develop variants, for use in targeted attacks.

In its “flash report” publicshed on the government-owned ic3.gov site, the FBI detailed “indicators of compromise” (IOCs) associated with attacks using LockBit 2.0. The agency says the malware “employs a wide variety of tactics, techniques, and procedures, creating significant challenges for defence and mitigation.”

Yes. More recent “variants” of LockBit have adopted the “double extortion” model— locating and “exfiltrating” valuable data before encrypting systems.

This way, the stolen data provides additional incentive for victims with a stake in the stolen data, forcing them pay the ransom.

When owners of victim network that is able to restore data from backups refuses to pay — it could lead to sensitive corporate data being published publicly or sold to competitors or other interested in the “Dark Web”, the hidden collective of internet sites only accessible by a specialised web browser utilised for maintaining anonymity on the internet.

There are key steps FBI recommended to curb exposure to ransomware attacks. Some specific steps organisations can take to minimise their vulnerability to an attack by the ransomware, including the usual key defences: