The five-day job: A BlackByte ransomware intrusion case study

As ransomware attacks continue to grow in number and sophistication, threat actors can quickly impact business operations if organizations are not well prepared.

This article provides information on how Microsoft can help organizations protect their networks from BlackByte ransomware attacks and other malicious activity. It outlines the Microsoft 365 Defender detections, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management, as well as hunting queries and indicators of compromise (IOCs) that can be used to detect malicious activity.

The article explains that BlackByte 2.0 ransomware is becoming increasingly sophisticated and can cause significant disruption to businesses if they are not prepared. It outlines the attack chain, which includes exploitation of unpatched Microsoft Exchange Servers, web shell deployment, use of living-off-the-land tools, deployment of Cobalt Strike beacons, process hollowing, and deployment of custom-developed backdoors and data collection and exfiltration tools. It also explains how the threat actor used legitimate remote access tools, credential theft tools, and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and PowerShell remoting to gain access to other servers in the environment.

To guard against BlackByte ransomware attacks, Microsoft recommends patching for internet-exposed devices, implementing an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution, enabling tamper protection, blocking inbound traffic from IPs specified in the indicators of compromise section, blocking inbound traffic from TOR exit nodes, blocking inbound access from unauthorized public VPN services, and restricting administrative privileges. Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can detect malicious activity related to this threat, and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management can surface devices that may be affected by the vulnerabilities used in this threat.

The article provides a list of IOCs observed during the investigation, including file extensions targeted by BlackByte binary for encryption, shared folders targeted for encryption, file extensions ignored, folders ignored, files ignored, processes terminated, services terminated, and drivers that BlackByte can bypass. It encourages customers to investigate these indicators in their environments and implement detections and protections to identify past related activity and prevent future attacks against their systems. Finally, it provides a link to the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Blog for the latest information. By following these mitigation steps, organizations can protect themselves from BlackByte ransomware attacks and other malicious activity.

📓 The five-day job: A BlackByte ransomware intrusion case study

👉🏽 As ransomware attacks continue to grow in number and sophistication, threat actors can quickly impact business operations if organizations are not well prepared. 👉🏽 Microsoft offers solutions to protect organizations from BlackByte ransomware attacks. 👉🏽 The article explains the sophistication and potential disruption caused by BlackByte 2.0 ransomware. 👉🏽 It outlines the attack chain used by BlackByte, including various tactics and tools. 👉🏽 Microsoft recommends specific measures to guard against BlackByte ransomware attacks. 👉🏽 Implementing patching for internet-exposed devices is crucial in preventing these attacks. 👉🏽 Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions are recommended for added protection. 👉🏽 Enabling tamper protection and blocking traffic from specific IPs and TOR exit nodes is advised. 👉🏽 Blocking unauthorized public VPN services and restricting administrative privileges are important. 👉🏽 Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can detect malicious activity. 👉🏽 The article provides a list of IOCs and encourages investigation and implementation of protections.

🔗 source link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/07/06/the-five-day-job-a-blackbyte-ransomware-intrusion-case-study/

🔗 summarized content: https://hut.threathunterz.com/battlefield-intel/articles-and-reports/the-five-day-job-a-blackbyte-ransomware-intrusion-case-study

#MicrosoftProtection #BlackByteRansomware #NetworkSecurity #ThreatMitigation #IOCs