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MAIV ransomware targets unprotected computers to encrypt all files

MAIV ransomware is a malicious computer virus that just emerged from the notorious STOP/DJVU ransomware group. Once this virus infects any computer, it will encrypt the entire files found in the computer and will also append .maiv extension to the respective file names. To explain further, a file name that was originally known as 1.jpg will be automatically transformed to 1.jpg.maiv, example.txt will become example.txt.maiv and so on. While the attack is still taking place, ransom notes known as _readme.txt will also be dropped in each folder found in the computer, informing the victim about the development and suggesting the need to reach out to the cybercriminals with intent to pay a ransom fee in exchange for MAIV file decryption tool. 

The cybercriminals will emphasize that now MAIV ransomware has encrypted all the files contained in the computer with the use of a very strong and complex encryption key, it has become necessary for the victim to comply with their demands and pay whatever ransom fee they request so they could offer decryption services to them. To provide a channel of communication, two emails will also be presented, namely support@sysmail.ch and helpsupportmanager@airmail.cc. 

It doesn’t end there; the cybercriminals will also include specific decryption prices as well as terms and conditions attached with it. They will state that paying the ransom fee before 72 hours elapses, the victim will be entitled to a 50% discount which means they now pay $490. However, if the window period closes, they would have to pay the full amount which is $980. 

If the victim shows a willingness to pay the ransom, those behind the attack will state that payment can only be done by purchasing the cryptocurrency equivalence of the ransom fee and transferring same to a wallet address they would make available for the purpose. Why they only accept this mode of payment is obviously to cover their tracks and prevent law enforcement agents from trailing the money to get at them. In order to convince the victim that their encrypted files would be restored once payment is made, they often suggest that excerpts should be sent to them for test decryption.

Our cybersecurity experts advise that ransom should NOT BE PAID and this recommendation is in line with the FBI’s guidelines regarding ransom payments. There are various reasons why paying the ransom is highly discouraged but here are the main ones:

• There is no guarantee that cybercriminals would honor the agreement by decrypting the files once you pay.
• Paying ransom makes the criminal activity profitable for cybercriminals, thus making it possible for them to continue perpetuating the circle by victimizing others.
• It is against the law to pay ransom to criminals.

That notwithstanding, those behind ransomware attacks continue to extort huge sums of money from their victims whose files where encrypted. Worse still, the virus is known to drop certain Trojans such as VIDAR and AZORULT on the already compromised computer which they use to steal vital sensitive information like banking details, software account credentials, saved passwords, and cryptocurrency wallets etc. Such sensitive details are often used to perpetuate more fraudulent activities.

Victims of this STOP/DJVU variant are advised to remove MAIV ransomware virus from their computer with immediate effect. The infected computer should be set up on Safe Mode with Networking while running a good antivirus (for example, INTEGO Antivirus to ensure that all traces of the virus will be totally removed. We also recommend downloading this tool from here – RESTORO to identify and repair virus damage on infected Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

REMOVE MALWARE & REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware distribution techniques & how to avoid them

The most common way variants of STOP/DJVU (including MAIV virus) are spread is through download of malicious torrents. Cybercriminals often upload pirated software copies that are loaded with malware to online torrents. When unsuspecting users download such illegal software contents in their computers, they inadvertently trigger ransomware attacks. Certain types of popular software copies are often cloned and used as bait to lure victims. They include the so-called “cracks” and other illegal key activation tools as well as games and utility software. The most common ones are listed below:

• Opera browser;
• Fifa 20;
• Tenorshare 4ukey;
• League of Legends;
• Adobe Photoshop;
• Corel Draw;
• VMware Workstation;
• Cubase;
• Adobe Illustrator;
• AutoCad;
• Internet Download Manager;
• KMSPico (illegal Windows activation tool).

For those that habitually visit software torrents online you’re advised to desist from such activities because it’s dangerous and you could become victim to cybercriminals. On the face value, it may appear cheap to such platforms but when you consider the risk, you will realize that it’s not worth it. Aside putting your computer at risk of infection and subsequent loss of vital data, it is equally a punishable offence based on existing copyright laws.

Therefore, it is more convenient, safe and cheap in the long run to always source for your software products through the officially recognized channels. Whatever fee you may be required to pay is always negligible compared to the outrageous ransom fees cybercriminals demand from their victims. 

Apart from online torrent platforms, cybercriminals also distribute ransomware with the use of malicious email attachments. In this case, they would create highly believable messages that would be accompanied with crafted documents using formats like PDF, DOCX or XLS. These particular formats are their favorite because they enable activities like JavaScript or other macro functions which could be used to hibernate, transfer and trigger payloads on random computers. 

The worrisome part is that one could hardly tell if a particular email is genuine or from cybercriminals because these rogues now impersonate as family, friend, and colleague or even disguise as big corporate brands such as DHL, Amazon, FedEx etc. They also attach “real” looking files and would give them compelling names like Tracking Details, Invoice or Order Summary among others.

On the other hand, the cybercriminals may even decide to make use of email spoofing techniques to prevent the potential victim from seeing the actual sender’s address. Whatever the situation may be, you’re advised to always apply caution in such circumstances and if there is anything fishy, then it should be a red flag not to open it. 

Finally, for those that have fallen victim already, do not think you have nothing else to lose and start checking dubious websites that claim to offer decryption services. Such services hardly exist and you will also be putting yourself at further risk of getting infected with other variants of ransomware such as ZORAB, which could be spread disguised as STOP/DJVU decryptor. The end result will be double encryption of your files. 

More information about the virus

For those that may be wondering about the extent to which their computer was affected, here is the detailed explanation about the technical aspects of the ransomware attack. The malware arrives in a form of executable named with 4-characters, for instance, 1B4F.exe. First thing it does is launching processes called build.exe, build2.exe as well as winupdate.exe, the latter is what displays the fake Window prompts that appear on your computer screen.

The virus gathers information about the compromised system into information.txt file as shown below. It also takes a screenshot of the computer’s desktop and sends these details to criminals’ server.

It then connects with https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json and would save the result in geo.json file. The malware then begins information gathering of every detail concerning your computer, such as its time zone, geolocation, latitude and longitude, zip code, etc. These pieces of information would be transmitted to the central server. Shown below are some typical examples of geo.json file.

Making use of the details, it will profile the victim’s country code against their own list of encryption exempted countries listed as the Russian Federation, Ukriane, Belarus, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Kazachstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. It will immediately abort its mission if the country code matches with any of these countries but if otherwise, it will proceed to the next stage by fetching the online encryption key generated in the central server. It will compile it alongside the victim’s ID before saving them in the bowsakkdestx.txt file and to PersonalID.txt file. 

The image below shows how these files appear.

In cases whereby the malware couldn’t extract an online encryption ID, it will automatically opt for an offline encryption ID. The difference between the two ID is that while online ID is unique to each victim, its offline version is uniform to all victims, provided it is the same variant. The appearance of t1 characters attached at the end of a victim’s personal ID is an indication that an offline ID was used. The implication is that .maiv files could possibly be decrypted going forward. More details about this is provided below. 

At the this juncture, the malware would commence full data encryption by scanning all folders while also encrypting each file with Salsa20 before locking the encryption key using the RSA-2048 key. This is also the stage where the virus would mark each file with an additional extension.

Provided in the image below is a screenshot showing the _readme.txt ransom note that would be left in all folders.

Afterward, the malware will delete Volume Shadow Copies with the assistance of the Command Prompt as shown below:

^{vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet}

In completing the process, the virus would blacklist certain domains in the Windows HOSTS file before mapping them in the localhost IP. This is done to prevent the victim from getting any help online. The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error message is what may appear on the screen when attempt is made at opening any of the blacklisted websites. 

The virus will also release more malware such as AZORULT and VIDAR Trojans into the already compromised computer. 

Remove MAIV Ransomware Virus and Recover Your Files

Victims of this variant of STOP/DJVU ransomware should as a matter of urgency endeavor to remove MAIV ransomware virus and also report the cyber-attack to the appropriate government office nearest to them (please go through the steps outlined below for proper guidance). When removing the virus, ensure to set up your computer in Safe Mode with Networking so you can get a perfect result. 

Guide of steps to take following a ransomware attack:

• Remove the ransomware (MAIV in this case) as soon as possible;
• Get in touch with the relevant local authorities that is in charge of such matters and inform them accordingly;
• Make use of your backup devices to restore as much lost data as possible (ensure your computer is totally free of malware before doing this);
• Learn possible ways files affected by STOP/DJVU variants can be repaired/decrypted;
• Change all the passwords that were used on the compromised computer system.

From what can be concluded from this article, a ransomware attack can be very disconcerting and disruptive. It can lead to a severe loss of data, money, time and also cause a lot of stress to the victim. Therefore, the best thing to do is to prevent it by avoiding/reducing the risk factors to the barest minimum.

If your computer isn’t secured yet, consider trying INTEGO Antivirus to remove malware and ensure computer protection from now on. Another tool that we recommend using can be downloaded here – RESTORO, which is designed to repair virus-inflicted damage on Windows OS files.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system:

STEP 1. REMOVE AUTOMATICALLY WITH ROBUST ANTIVIRUS

REMOVE & PROTECT WITH INTEGO

Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7.. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs.

Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer.

Read full review here.

STEP 2. REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

Read full review here.

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Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.