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* Security News
* Ransomware Spotlight
* Ransomware Spotlight: Akira
RANSOMWARE SPOTLIGHT: AKIRA
X
Akira
October 05, 2023
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By Trend Micro Research
This report spotlights Akira, a novel ransomware family with highly experienced
and skilled operators at its helm.
View infographic of "Ransomware Spotlight: Akira"
Akira is swiftly becoming one of the fastest-growing ransomware families thanks
to its use of double extortion tactics, a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)
distribution model, and unique payment options.
Based on a report that analyzed blockchain and source code data, the Akira
ransomware group appears to be affiliated with the now-defunct Conti ransomware
gang. Conti, one of the most notorious ransomware families in recent history, is
believed to be the descendant of yet another prolific ransomware family, the
highly targeted Ryuk ransomware.
As ransomware actors evolve their tactics, create more sophisticated ransomware
families, and cause financial and reputational harm to businesses, organizations
need to work on improving their cybersecurity posture to effectively thwart
complex threats. This report spotlights Akira, a novel ransomware family with
highly experienced and skilled operators at its helm.
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AKIRA
Akira ransomware emerged in March 2023 and has been known to target companies
based in the US and Canada.
Its Tor leak site has a unique retro look that, according to a report from
Sophos, is reminiscent of “1980s green-screen consoles” that can be navigated by
typing specific commands.
Based on its code, it is completely different from the Akira ransomware family
that was active in 2017, even though they both append encrypted files with the
same .akira extension.
As previously mentioned, Akira operators are associated with Conti ransomware
actors, which explains code similarities in both ransomware families. In July,
the Arctic Wolf Labs Team reported that Akira shared code similarities with the
Conti ransomware. However, they also noted that when Conti’s source code was
leaked, different malicious actors used it to create or tweak their own
ransomware code, which makes it even more challenging to trace back ransomware
families to Conti operators.
Based on our own analysis, Akira appears to be based on the Conti ransomware: It
shares similar routines with Conti, such as string obfuscation and file
encryption, and avoids the same file extensions that Conti avoids. We believe
that Akira operators’ main motivation for targeting organizations is financial
in nature.
The Akira RaaS group performs double extortion tactics and steals victims’
critical data prior to encrypting devices and files. Interestingly, according to
reports, Akira operators provide victims the option to pay for either file
decryption or data deletion; they don’t force victims into paying for both.
According to reports, ransom demands for Akira typically range from US$200,000
to over US$4 million.
On Sept. 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health
Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) released a security bulletin
alerting the healthcare industry of Akira attacks.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
In June 2023, just three months after Akira was discovered, Akira expanded its
list of targeted systems to include Linux machines. Malware analyst rivitna
shared on X that Akira ransomware actors used a Linux encryptor and targeted
VMware ESXi virtual machines.
Meanwhile, in August, incident responder Aura reported that Akira was targeting
Cisco VPN accounts that didn’t have multifactor authentication (MFA).
Cisco released a security advisory on Sept. 6, 2023, stating that Akira
ransomware operators exploited CVE-2023-20269, a zero-day vulnerability in two
of their products’ remote access VPN feature: the Cisco Adaptive Security
Appliance (ASA) software and Cisco Firepower Thread Defense (FTD) software.
Cisco reported that malicious actors who exploit CVE-2023-20269 can identify
valid credentials that could be abused to establish unauthorized remote access
VPN sessions, and for victims running Cisco ASA Software Release 9.16 or
earlier, establish a clientless SSL VPN session.
Recently, Sentinel One released a video analyzing an Akira ransomware variant
named Megazord that emerged in August 2023. This variant appears to be
referencing a Power Rangers formation because it encrypts files with the
“POWERRANGES” file extension. The ransom note, which is named “powerranges.txt,”
instructs victims to contact the ransomware actor via TOX messenger.
TOP AFFECTED INDUSTRIES AND COUNTRIES
Because Akira is new and highly targeted, the number of attacks is not as
substantial as other more established and widely used ransomware families. Our
Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ telemetry points to France as having been
most hit by Akira from May 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2023, with 53.1% of all
detections. The United States and Turkey take the second and third spots,
respectively, with 107 and 22 detections.
Figure 1. Countries with the highest number of attack attempts per machine for
the Akira ransomware (May 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2023)
Source: Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure
Based on our data, most of Akira’s victims belong to unspecified industries.
Based on reports, approximately 80% of Akira’s victims are small to medium-sized
businesses (SMBs). The materials, manufacturing, and financial sectors made the
top five list in the three-month span.
Figure 2. Industries with the highest number of attack attempts per machine for
the Akira ransomware (May 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2023)
Source: Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure
Akira’s monthly detections showed a surge in June 2023 with 508 attack attempts,
which is significantly higher than the other months in our analysis period. Our
lowest detections were for May 2023, with only three attack attempts for the
entire month.
Figure 3. Monthly breakdown of detections per machine for the Akira ransomware
(May 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2023)
Source: Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure
TARGETED REGIONS AND INDUSTRIES
ACCORDING TO AKIRA'S RANSOMWARE LEAK SITE
We now focus on Akira ransomware operators’ leak site data, which provides
details on organizations that have been targeted by Akira actors.
This data, which is a consolidation of Trend Micro’s open-source intelligence
(OSINT) research and investigation of the leak site, shows that Akira ransomware
actors compromised 107 organizations between April 1 to August 31, 2023. Most of
Akira victims — specifically, 85.9% of them — were businesses based in North
America.
Figure 4. The distribution by region of Akira ransomware’s victim organizations
Sources: Akira ransomware’s leak site and Trend Micro’s OSINT research (April
2023 – August 2023)
Figure 5. The 10 countries most targeted by the Akira ransomware group
Sources: Akira ransomware’s leak site and Trend Micro’s OSINT research (April
2023 – August 2023)
We’ve found that most of Akira’s victims were small-sized businesses, with 1 to
200 employees, at 59 victims. Meanwhile, midsized businesses and large
enterprises took the second and third slots, respectively. Interestingly, based
on leak site data, the most targeted sectors are the academe and professional
services, followed closely by construction and materials.
Figure 6. The distribution by organization size of Akira ransomware’s victim
organizations
Sources: Akira ransomware’s leak site and Trend Micro’s OSINT research (April
2023 – August 2023)
Figure 7. The 10 industries most targeted by Akira ransomware threat actors
Sources: Akira ransomware’s leak site and Trend Micro’s OSINT research (April
2023 – August 2023)
INFECTION CHAIN AND TECHNIQUES
The Akira ransomware typically gains access to victim environments by using
valid credentials that were possibly obtained from their affiliates or other
attacks. It has been observed using third-party tools such as PCHunter, AdFind,
PowerTool, Terminator, Advanced IP Scanner, Windows Remote Desktop Protocol
(RDP), AnyDesk, Radmin, WinRAR, and Cloudflare’s tunneling tool. Figure 8 shows
Akira’s infection chain.
Figure 8. The typical Akira ransomware infection chain
Figure 9. The Akira ransomware infection chain based on an infection case we’ve
analyzed
INITIAL ACCESS
Akira ransomware actors are known to use compromised VPN credentials to gain
initial access. They’ve also been observed targeting vulnerable Cisco VPNs by
exploiting CVE-2023-20269, a zero-day vulnerability that affects Cisco ASA and
FTD.
PERSISTENCE
Akira operators have been observed creating a new domain account on the
compromised system to establish persistence.
DEFENSE EVASION
For its defense evasion, Akira ransomware actors have been observed using
PowerTool or a KillAV tool that abuses the Zemana AntiMalware driver to
terminate AV-related processes.
DISCOVERY
The actors behind the Akira ransomware have been observed using the following to
gain knowledge on the victim's system and its connected network:
* PCHunter and SharpHound to gather system information
* AdFind alongside the net Windows command and nltest to obtain domain
information
* Advanced IP Scanner and MASSCAN to discover other remote systems
CREDENTIAL ACCESS
Akira ransomware operators use Mimikatz, LaZagne, or a specific command line to
gather credentials.
LATERAL MOVEMENT
Akira actors use Windows RDP to move laterally within the victim's network.
COMMAND AND CONTROL
Akira ransomware operators have been observed using the third-party tool and web
service RClone to exfiltrate stolen information. Moreover, they have also been
observed using either FileZilla or WinSCP to exfiltrate stolen information via
File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
* AnyDesk
* Radmin
* Cloudflare Tunnel
* MobaXterm
* RustDesk
* Ngrok
EXFILTRATION
Akira ransomware operators have been observed using the third-party tool and web
service RClone to exfiltrate stolen information. Moreover, they have also been
observed using either FileZilla or WinSCP to exfiltrate stolen information via
File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
IMPACT
Akira ransomware encrypts targeted systems using a hybrid encryption algorithm
that combines Chacha20 and RSA. Additionally, the Akira ransomware binary, like
most modern ransomware binaries, has a feature that allows it to inhibit system
recovery by deleting shadow copies from the affected system.
OTHER TECHNICAL DETAILS
* It avoids encrypting the following directories:
* winnt
* tmp
* temp
* thumb
* $Recycle.Bin
* $RECYCLE.BIN
* System Volume Information
* Boot
* Windows
* Trend Micro
* ProgramData
* It avoids encrypting files with the following extensions:
* .exe
* .dll
* .lnk
* .sys
* .msi
* .akira
* It encrypts the whole file, regardless of size, if the file extension is any
of the following:
* .4dd
* .4dl
* .accdb
* .accdc
* .accde
* .accdr
* .accdt
* .accft
* .adb
* .ade
* .adf
* .adp
* .arc
* .ora
* .alf
* .ask
* .btr
* .bdf
* .cat
* .cdb
* .ckp
* .cma
* .cpd
* .dacpac
* .dad
* .dadiagrams
* .daschema
* .db
* .db-shm
* .db-wal
* .db3
* .dbc
* .dbf
* .dbs
* .dbt
* .dbv
* .dbx
* .dcb
* .dct
* .dcx
* ddl
* .dlis
* .dp1
* .dqy
* .dsk
* .dsn
* .dtsx
* .dxl
* .eco
* .ecx
* .edb
* .epim
* .exb
* .fcd
* .fdb
* .fic
* .fmp
* .fmp12
* .fmpsl
* .fol
* .fol
* .fp4
* .fp5
* .fp7
* .fpt
* .frm
* .gdb
* .grdb
* .gwi
* .hdb
* .his
* .ib
* .idb
* .ihx
* .itdb
* .itw
* .jet
* .jtx
* .kdb
* .kexi
* .kexic
* .kexis
* .lgc
* .lwx
* .maf
* .maq
* .mar
* .mas
* .mav
* .mdb
* .mdf
* .mpd
* .mrg
* .mud
* .mwb
* .myd
* .ndf
* .nnt
* .nrmlib
* .ns2
* .ns3
* .ns4
* .nsf
* .nv
* .nv2
* .nwdb
* .nyf
* .odb
* .oqy
* .orx
* .owc
* .p96
* .p97
* .pan
* .pdb
* .pdm
* .pnz
* .qry
* .qvd
* .rbf
* .rctd
* .rod
* .rodx
* .rpd
* .rsd
* .sas7bdat
* .sbf
* .scx
* .sdb
* .sdc
* .sdf
* .sis
* .spq
* .sql
* .sqlite
* .sqlite3
* .sqlitedb
* .te
* .temx
* .tmd
* .tps
* .trc
* .trm
* .udb
* .udl
* .usr
* .v12
* .vis
* .vpd
* .vvv
* .wdb
* .wmdb
* .wrk
* .xdb
* .xld
* .xmlff
* .abcddb
* .abs
* .abx
* .accdw
* .adn
* .db2
* .fm5
* .hjt
* .icg
* .icr
* kdb
* .lut
* .maw
* .mdn
* .mdt
* It avoids encrypting files with the following extensions:
* .PLAY
* .exe
* .msi
* .dll
* .lnk
* .sys
* It drops a ransom note:
akira_readme.txt
* It encrypts files using Chacha20 and encrypts the key using RSA encryption.
* Key generation:
* A ChaCha20 key and nonce are generated using CryptGenRandom
* Key encryption:
* It uses the embedded RSA public key to encrypt the generated Chacha20
key
* File encryption
* Files are encrypted using ChaCha20 encryption.
* The Akira ransomware supports three encryption modes depending on the
file type and size:
* Full encryption
* Partial encryption
* Spot encryption
* It appends this extension to encrypted files:
* .akira
* Hacktools
* PowerTool
* ADFind
MITRE TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES
Initial AccessPersistenceExecutionDefense EvasionCredential
AccessDiscoveryCommand and ControlLateral MovementExfiltrationImpact
T1078 - Valid Accounts
Uses compromised VPN credentialsl
T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application
Targets vulnerable Cisco devices via CVE-2023-20269
T1136.002 - Create Account: Domain Account
Once initial access is established, Akira operators will create a domain account
on the compromised system
T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreters
Accepts parameters for its routines such as “-n 10” (for encryption percent) or
“-s {filename}” (for shared folder encryption)
T1562.001 - Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools
It has been observed to use PowerTool or a KillAV tool that abuses Zemana
AntiMalware driver to terminate AV-related processes
T1003.001 - OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory
Uses Mimikatz, LaZagne, or a command line to dump LSASS from memory
T1082 - System Information Discovery
Uses PCHunter and SharpHound to gather system information
T1069.002 - Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups
Uses AdFind, net Windows command, and nltest to gather domain information
T1018 - Remote System Discovery
Uses Advanced IP Scanner and MASSCAN to discover remote systems
T1219 - Remote Access Software
May use either AnyDesk, Radmin, Cloudflare Tunnel, MobaXterm, RustDesk, or Ngrok
to gain remote access on targeted systems
T1570 - Lateral Tool Transfer
Uses RDP to move laterally within the victim’s network
T1567.002 - Exfiltration Over Web Service: Exfiltration to Cloud Storage
Uses RClone to exfiltrate stolen information over web service
T1048.003 - Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol: Exfiltration Over
Unencrypted Non-C2 Protocol
Uses FileZilla or WinSCP to exfiltrate stolen information via FTP
T1490 - Inhibit System Recovery
Deletes shadow copies to inhibit recovery
T1486 - Data Encrypted for Impact
Akira ransomware is used to encrypt files
SUMMARY OF MALWARE, TOOLS, AND EXPLOITS USED
Initial AccessDefense EvasionDiscoveryCredential AccessCommand and
ControlLateral MovementExfiltration
* VPN via compromised accounts
* PowerTool
* AdFind
* Mimikatz
* AnyDesk
* RDP
* WinSCP
* CVE-2023-20269
* KillAV (Terminator from GitHub)
* PCHunter
* LaZagne
* Radmin
* Rclone
* Advanced IP Scanner
* LSASS dump
* Cloudflare Tunnel
* FileZilla
* SharpHound
* MobaXterm
* MASSCAN
* RustDesk
* ngrok
SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS
<
As experienced ransomware actors develop increasingly sophisticated ransomware
families, organizations need to proactively protect themselves from evolving
threats. As ransomware threats evolve and exploit vulnerabilities to target
businesses around the world, organizations need to improve their security
posture to avoid financial and reputational harm.
Here are some security best practices that can help organizations protect their
mission-critical data from ransomware attacks:
AUDIT AND INVENTORY
* Take an inventory of assets and data.
* Identify authorized and unauthorized devices and software.
* Make an audit of event and incident logs.
CONFIGURE AND MONITOR
* Manage hardware and software configurations.
* Grant admin privileges and access only when necessary to an employee’s role.
* Monitor network ports, protocols, and services.
* Activate security configurations on network infrastructure devices such as
firewalls and routers.
* Establish a software allowlist that executes only legitimate applications.
PATCH AND UPDATE
* Conduct regular vulnerability assessments.
* Perform patching or virtual patching for operating systems and applications.
* Update software and applications to their latest versions.
PROTECT AND RECOVER
* Implement data protection, backup, and recovery measures.
* Enable multifactor authentication (MFA).
SECURE AND DEFEND
* Employ sandbox analysis to block malicious emails.
* Deploy the latest versions of security solutions to all layers of the system,
including email, endpoint, web, and network.
* Detect early signs of an attack such as the presence of suspicious tools in
the system.
* Use advanced detection technologies such as those powered by artificial
intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
TRAIN AND TEST
* Regularly train and assess employees in security skills.
* Conduct red-team exercises and penetration tests.
A multilayered approach can help organizations guard possible entry points into
the system (endpoint, email, web, and network). Security solutions that can
detect malicious components and suspicious behavior can also help protect
enterprises.
* Trend Micro Vision One™ provides multilayered protection and behavior
detection, which helps block questionable behavior and tools early on before
the ransomware can do irreversible damage to the system.
* Trend Micro Cloud One™ Workload Security protects systems against both known
and unknown threats that exploit vulnerabilities. This protection is made
possible through techniques such as virtual patching and machine learning.
* Trend Micro™ Deep Discovery™ Email Inspector employs custom sandboxing and
advanced analysis techniques to effectively block malicious emails, including
phishing emails that can serve as entry points for ransomware.
* Trend Micro Apex One™ offers next-level automated threat detection and
response against advanced concerns such as fileless threats and ransomware,
ensuring the protection of endpoints.
INDICATORS OF COMPROMISE (IOCS)
The IOCs for this article can be found here. Actual indicators might vary per
attack.
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Posted in Ransomware Spotlight, Ransomware
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