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[Ransomware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/ransomware/ "Ransomware") [Ransomware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/ransomware/) # New eCh0raix Ransomware Variant Targets QNAP and Synology Network-Attached Storage Devices ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 12 min read Related Products [![Advanced Threat Prevention icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced Threat Prevention](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-threat-prevention/ "Advanced Threat Prevention")[![Advanced URL Filtering icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced URL Filtering](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-url-filtering/ "Advanced URL Filtering")[![Advanced WildFire 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Zhang](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/zhibin-zhang/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:August 10, 2021 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Ransomware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/ransomware/) * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) * [Vulnerabilities](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/vulnerabilities/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [CVE-2021-28799](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2021-28799/) * [ECh0raix](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ech0raix/) * [IoT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/iot/) * [NAS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/nas/) * 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To achieve this, attackers are also leveraging [CVE-2021-28799](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28799) to deliver the new eCh0raix ransomware variant to QNAP devices. While eCh0raix is known ransomware that has historically targeted QNAP and Synology NAS devices in separate campaigns, this new variant is the first time we've seen it combining functionality to target both QNAP and Synology NAS devices, demonstrating that some ransomware developers are continuing to invest in optimizing the tools used to target devices common in the small office and home office (SOHO). We're regularly seeing attacks with the eCh0raix ransomware variant, which has been active in the wild for nearly a year. As recently as June, victims have reported [paying a modest ransom](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/617854/ech0raix-ransomware-qnapcryptsynology-nas-encrypt-support-topic/page-59#entry5209302). We're releasing our findings about this new variant of eCh0raix to raise awareness of the ongoing threats to the SOHO and small business sectors. Coverage of the ransomware crisis tends to focus on threats to large enterprises and government agencies, which are facing increasingly aggressive and disruptive ransomware attacks. However, the SOHO and small business sectors can contain a large attack surface for threat actors -- for example, some 250,000 QNAP and Synology NAS devices are exposed to the public internet, according to data from the Cortex Xpanse platform. SOHO users are attractive to ransomware operators looking to attack bigger targets because attackers can potentially use SOHO NAS devices as a stepping stone in supply chain attacks on large enterprises that can generate huge ransoms. Additionally, SOHO users typically do not employ dedicated IT or security professionals, which makes them less prepared to block ransomware attacks than larger organizations. We recommend the following best practices for protecting home offices from ransomware attacks: * Update device firmware to keep attacks of this nature at bay. Details about [updating QNAP NAS devices](https://www.qnap.com/en-us/security-advisory/qsa-21-13) against CVE-2021-28799 can be found on the QNAP website. * Create complex login passwords to make brute-forcing more difficult for attackers. * Limit connections to SOHO connected devices from only a hard-coded list of recognized IPs to prevent network attacks that are used to deliver ransomware to devices. Palo Alto Networks customers are protected against eCh0raix and CVE-2021-28799 with [Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/next-generation-firewall) with [Threat Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/subscriptions/threat-prevention), [WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/wildfire) and [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering) security subscriptions; [Cortex Xpanse](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xpanse) and [AutoFocus](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/autofocus). ## CVE-2021-28799: Exploit in the Wild On April 22, QNAP released a [security advisory](https://www.qnap.com/en/security-advisory/QSA-21-13) to disclose a vulnerability within their Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS 3) software. This software provides backup, restoration and synchronization functions between local, remote and cloud storage spaces. The vulnerability has been confirmed as an improper authorization vulnerability. Once exploited, it allows remote attackers to log in to the devices. CVE-2021-28799 is assigned to this vulnerability. On June 21, we caught an attack targeting QNAP HBS3 with an exploit of CVE-2021-28799. While this vulnerability has been exploited to deliver [QLocker](https://www.qnap.com/en/security-advisory/qsa-21-12) in the past, this is the first instance we know of in which it is being exploited to deliver [eCh0raix](https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/elf.qnapcrypt) (also known as QNAPCrypt) ransomware. The payload of the malicious request is shown in Figure 1. The attack tried to utilize a hard-coded session ID "jisoosocoolhbsmgnt" to bypass authentication and execute a command on the device, aiming to fetch malware from the remote server 64\[.\]42\[.\]152\[.\]46 and run it on the victim device. The payload is still live at the time of this writing. ![The payload of a malicious request attempting to exploit CVE-2021-28799 in order to deliver eCh0raix ransomware.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/word-image-1.png) Figure 1. CVE-2021-28799 exploit. While eCh0raix has historically targeted QNAP devices, further analysis of the payload led to the discovery that this is a new variant of the ransomware that also targets Synology devices, thereby increasing its attack surface. ## Timeline of the New eCh0raix Ransomware Variant To the best of our knowledge, details on the eCh0raix ransomware samples targeting these Synology devices were unknown until now. Instances of Synology devices infected by eCh0raix have been reported from as far back as [2019,](https://www.synology-forum.nl/firmware-algemeen/ech0raix-ransomware/) but the only [previous research](https://www.anomali.com/blog/threat-actors-utilizing-ech0raix-ransomware-change-nas-targeting) connecting the Synology attacks to eCh0raix actors is based on decryptors that were found. The first sample we saw of this new ransomware variant combining functionality to target both QNAP and Synology devices is from September 2020. It's possible that is when the combined variant was authored. Before then, the attackers likely had separate codebases for campaigns targeting devices from each of the vendors. This is also confirmed by the use of rct\_cryptor\_universal as the project name in the new variant, going by the compilation paths present in GoLang binaries (/home/dev/GoglandProjects/src/rct\_cryptor\_universal). Prior samples of eCh0raix use the project name qnap\_crypt\_worker. We observed other eCh0raix samples between June and September 2020 using the rct\_cryptor\_universal project name, but the first full-blown sample with two separate code flows, based on a syno flag (explained below), is from September 2020. Going by posts from victims in forums, it appears the eCh0raix ransomware is quite active. The attackers have found success extorting ransom out of victims, an example of which can be seen on [BleepingComputer.com](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/617854/ech0raix-ransomware-qnapcryptsynology-nas-encrypt-support-topic/?p=5209302), where the ransom was paid as recently as June 16, 2021. Querying [Cortex Xpanse](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xpanse) for NAS devices gives us a rough estimate of the number of devices from each vendor connected to the internet (i.e. the attack surface for this ransomware). Xpanse tells us there are approximately 240,000 internet-connected QNAP NAS devices. In contrast, Xpanse found approximately 3,500 Synology NAS devices -- a much smaller number. This tells us the additional target doesn't significantly increase the ransomware's attack surface. ## Technical Analysis The new variant accepts an additional syno flag as an input parameter. The two accepted flags are explained below in Table 1. |---------------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Flag Name** | **Description** | **Significance** | | s | start path | A string value that determines the path on the targeted device where the ransomware encrypts files. The default value is "/". The exploit we observed in the wild specified this value as "/share/" (see Figure 1). This value is also ignored if the syno flag is set, in which case the start path value is a hardcoded list of paths. | | syno | is syno? | This is a Boolean value accepted by this new variant. By default, it is not set, but if explicitly set using the syno input parameter, a hardcoded path is used for encrypting files. The hardcoded path used is /volume\[X\] (where X takes on values from 0 to 9). This essentially means that the ransomware tries to encrypt the first 10 numbered volumes on the device. This aligns with the name of the flag syno since Synology NAS devices specifically store their data under volumes. | ^*Table 1. Input arguments supported by the new variant.*^ **CheckIsRunning:** After launch, the ransomware first checks whether another instance of the process is already running. This is done by checking for a \[SampleName\].pid file in the temporary directory on the system. The temporary directory location is determined either by the value of the TMPDIR environment variable, or /tmp is used if the environment variable is not set. If found, the ransomware tries to read an integer value from this file and kill the corresponding process ID on the system. If it fails to kill the existing process, it prints a message: "Program is running. Exiting..." and exits. If no existing running process is found, or the ransomware succeeds at killing a previously running process, it initializes the .pid file in the temporary directory with the value of its own process ID. **checkReadmeExists:** Next, the binary checks for the presence of a ransom note file. In the original variant, this file was named README\_FOR\_DECRYPT.txt. However, this new variant uses the filename README\_FOR\_DECRYPT.txt**t**(with the extra trailing 't'). Perhaps the typo is an easy way for the attackers to distinguish between campaigns. [This thread](https://forum.qnap.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=160274) in the QNAP user forum starting March 21, 2021, shows this new variant has been active and contains victims' accounts from instances of successful infection. If this file already exists on the device, the binary exits. **getInfo:** If a preexisting ransom note file is not found and program execution continues, the ransomware attempts to connect to a Tor URL via a hard-coded SOCKS proxy -- see Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) below. This URL serves as the command and control (C2) server and returns a JSON object containing: * The AES key used to encrypt files on the system. * The ransom note. * A Bitcoin address that is included in the ransom note. We managed to find one of the C2 URLs still live, which returned a response with the JSON object described above, as seen in Figure 2. ![Live C2 URLs returned a response with the JSON object described above, as seen here.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/word-image-2.png) Figure 2. C2 response. An interesting thing to note is that the new variant uses a different URL format for communicating with the C2 using an API key, instead of using Campaign ID numbers as the previous variant did (see Table 3 for variant comparison). If the sample fails to connect to the C2 or receive a meaningful response, it exits with the rather amusing log message, "AES public key not set!" (AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm, thus the concept of public or private keys is moot in this case.) **main:** Following all these steps, the ransomware iterates through the list of files at a path determined by the flag values (syno and s) explained in Table 1. Any files in this path containing the following strings are ignored: |------------------|------------------|---------------------------------| | /proc | /boot/ | /sys/ | | /run/ | /dev/ | /etc/ | | /home/httpd | /mnt/ext/opt | .system/thumbnail | | .system/opt | .config | .qpkg | | /usr/syno | /tmp | /volume1/@appstore/PhotoStation | | .@analytic | qnapSystem.php | README\_FOR\_DECRYPT.txtt | | .@backup\_config | .antivirus | .ldapdb | | .@backup\_qbox | .appDB | .locks | | .@backup\_qfiling | .idmap | .log | | .@qmariadb | .php\_session\_sys | .qbox | ^*Table 2. Files excluded from encryption.*^ The encryption algorithm used is the same as that used by the original variant (AES CFB), and the same extension (.encrypt)is appended to encrypted files, with the eCh0raix string used as a marker in the files to verify successful decryption by decryptors. However, this new variant doesn't generate the AES key locally, but rather receives it directly from the C2. The new variant also implements encryption in two stages based on file extensions. The ransomware first iterates through files with the following 42 extensions and encrypts them: .arw, .c, .c++, .cfg, .cpp, .cs, .csv, .cxx, .doc, .docb, .docm, .docx, .go, .h, .hwp, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .pdf, .pl, .png, .psd, .py, .rtf, .svg, .tif, .tile, .txt, .wallet, .xla, .xlam, .xll, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .xps We hypothesize that this is a higher-priority subset of extensions focusing on data that would be of [value](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/617854/ech0raix-ransomware-qnapcryptsynology-nas-encrypt-support-topic/?p=5200448) to the average user. Thus, it is more likely for the ransom to be paid to recover this data. These extensions are likely encrypted first to prioritize valuable data in case the ransomware fails to complete its encryption process. After the encryption of files with the first set of extensions, files matching a longer list of 530 unique file extensions are encrypted. These are included in the appendix. We noticed the .docx extension is included on both lists, so those files would get encrypted twice. The original variant targeted a total of 563 unique extensions, all encrypted as part of the same routine (also included in the appendix). |----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | **New Variant** | **Old Variant** | | **Input Flags** | -s : start path -syno : is syno? | -s : start path | | **Project Name** | rct\_cryptor\_universal | qnap\_crypt\_worker | | **Ransom Note Filename** | README\_FOR\_DECRYPT.txtt | README\_FOR\_DECRYPT.txt | | **C2 Communication Format** | https://\[TOR-Domain\]/api/GetAvailKeysByApiKey/\[key\] | http://\[TOR-Domain\]/api/GetAvailKeysByCampId/\[number\] | | **Encryption Method** | Encryption is carried out in two steps, focusing on a short list of higher priority extensions first. AES Encryption Key received from C2 42+530 unique file extensions targeted. | Encryption carried out in one go. AES Encryption Key generated locally 563 unique file extensions targeted. | | **Saves ransomware PID in a temporary directory?** | Yes | No | | **Kills certain running processes?** | No | Yes | ^*Table 3. Variant comparison.*^ ## Conclusion The discussion of this new variant of eCh0raix ransomware provides an example of the ongoing threats to the SOHO and small business sectors. These sectors represent a large attack surface for threat actors -- for example, some 250,000 QNAP and Synology NAS devices are exposed to the public internet, according to data from the Cortex Xpanse platform. SOHO users are attractive to ransomware operators looking to attack bigger targets because attackers can potentially use SOHO NAS devices as a stepping stone in supply chain attacks on large enterprises that can generate huge ransoms. Additionally, SOHO users typically do not employ dedicated IT or security professionals, which makes them less prepared to block ransomware attacks than larger organizations. We recommend the following best practices for protecting home offices from ransomware attacks: * Update device firmware to keep attacks of this nature at bay. Details about [updating QNAP NAS devices](https://www.qnap.com/en-us/security-advisory/qsa-21-13) against CVE-2021-28799 can be found on the QNAP website. * Create complex login passwords to make brute-forcing more difficult for attackers. * Limit connections to SOHO connected devices from only a hard-coded list of recognized IPs to prevent network attacks that are used to deliver ransomware to devices. Palo Alto Networks customers are protected from eCh0raix ransomware and CVE-2021-28799 by the following products and services: * Next-Generation Firewalls with a Threat Prevention security subscription can block the attacks with [best practice](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/best-practices/10-1/internet-gateway-best-practices/best-practice-internet-gateway-security-policy/create-best-practice-security-profiles.html) via Threat Prevention signature [91323](https://threatvault.paloaltonetworks.com/?query=91323). * WildFire accurately detects and blocks these attacks. * Cortex Xpanse provides attack surface management for your connected assets. * Advanced URL Filtering blocks malicious malware domains. * AutoFocus customers can track this activity with the [eCh0raix](https://autofocus.paloaltonetworks.com/#/tag/Unit42.eCh0raix) tag. #### Indicators of Compromise |----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | **First Seen** | **SHA256** | | 2021-08-06 | cc112184b17d65229ce20487d98a3751dceb3efbee7bf70929a35b66416ae248 | | 2021-08-06 | 670250a169ba548c07a5066a70087e83bbc7fd468ef46199d76f97f9e7f72f36 | | 2021-07-28 | 039a997681655004aed1cc4c6ee24bf112d79e4f3b823ccae96b4a32c5ed1b4c | | 2021-07-28 | 551e03e17d1df9bd5b712bec7763578c01e7bffe9b93db246e36ec0a174f7467 | | 2021-07-28 | 36cfb1a7c971041c9483e4f4e092372c9c1ab792cd9de7b821718ccd0dbb09c1 | | 2021-07-28 | bb3b0e981e52a8250abcdf320bf7e5398d7bebf015643f8469f63d943b42f284 | | 2021-07-28 | 2fe577fd9c77d3bebdcf9bfc6416c3f9a12755964a8098744519709daf2b09ce | | 2021-07-28 | fedcce505a5e307c1d116d52b3122f6484b3d25fb3c4d666fe7af087cfe85349 | | 2021-07-13 | 6df0897d4eb0826c47850968708143ecb9b58a0f3453caa615c0f62396ef816b | | 2021-07-13 | 9f9bbbc80a2035df99abd60dc26e9b068b63e5fcc498e700b8cc6640ca39261b | | 2021-06-21 | 0b851832f9383df7739cd28ccdfd59925e9af7203b035711a7d96bba34a9eb04 | | 2021-06-21 | 19448f9aa1fe6c07d52abc59d1657a7381cfdb4a4fa541279097cc9e9412964b | | 2021-05-28 | 7fa8ebcccde118986c4fd4a0f61ca7e513d1c2e28a6efdf183c10204550d87ce | | 2021-05-28 | 4691946e508348f458da1b1a7617d55d3fa4dc9679fff39993853e018fc28f8e | | 2021-04-16 | 230d4522c2ffe31d6facd9eae829d486dfc5b4f55b2814e28471c6d0e7c9bf49 | | 2021-04-15 | 21d5021d00e95dba6e23cee3e83b126b068ad936128894a1750bbcd4f1eb9391 | | 2021-03-31 | 283b2fa0fcddff18278d924c89c68bbcd980728761bd26c5dea4ec4de69b841e | | 2021-03-26 | d2ebe2a961d07501f0614b3ba511cf44cb0be2e8e342e464a20633ed7f1fc884 | | 2021-03-26 | 74169aebae6412e5408904d8f6a2eb977113b3ac355c53dfd366e2903b428c62 | | 2021-03-06 | 2e3a6bd6d2e03c347d8c717465fec6347037b7f25adae49e9e089bc744706545 | | 2021-02-25 | 3c533054390bc2d04ba96089302170a806c5cdb624536037a38c9ecb5aeea75d | | 2021-01-25 | a8accaab01a8ad16029ea0e8035a79083140026e33f8580aae217b1ef216febc | | 2020-09-23 | 9d4bc803c256bd340664ce08c2bf68249f33419d7decd866f3ade78626c95422 | | 2020-09-04 | 0e4534d015c4e6691ff3920b19c93d63c61a0f36497cb0861a149999b61b98e1 | Initial samples using the same project name as the new variant, but without the syno flag. |----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | **First Seen** | **SHA256** | | 2020-07-06 | fe4efccf56f989bf1b326dd9890681d21c97309fee61fdac8eb2081398e4d2b1 | | 2020-07-06 | f6f6e34e93c4ec191807819bd0a3e18fe91bd390ec6c67fadc970d01c25f517b | | 2020-06-04 | 3b93b18ae4f3aad450897e7d02346b843e38358a0c51b834d1971824c0a30b97 | | 2020-06-03 | 0fa72e1644ed30436844eafc53c3003f0de056d68953673e0b5600099d0b5b8f | | 2020-06-03 | 88a73f1c1e5a7c921f61638d06f3fed7389e1b163da7a1cc62a666d0a88baf47 | ###### Payload URLs 183\[.\]76.46.30/1/crp\_linux\_arm 183\[.\]76.46.30/1/crp\_linux\_386 98\[.\]144.56.47/1/crp\_linux\_arm 98\[.\]144.56.47/1/crp\_linux\_386 64\[.\]42.152.46/h/crp\_linux\_386 64\[.\]42.152.46/h/crp\_linux\_arm 2\[.\]37.149.230/1/crp\_linux\_386 2\[.\]37.149.230/1/crp\_linux\_arm ###### C2 Request hxxps://veqlxhq7ub5qze3qy56zx2cig2e6tzsgxdspkubwbayqije6oatma6id\[.\]onion/api/GetAvailKeysByApiKey/chuADfBHD8hpgVs7wH8eS3S0Vv-rusj6 hxxps://veqlxhq7ub5qze3qy56zx2cig2e6tzsgxdspkubwbayqije6oatma6id\[.\]onion/api/GetAvailKeysByApiKey/41xvlF4tQ1b3iXd5okwCNhcj7fh9gMB2 hxxps://veqlxhq7ub5qze3qy56zx2cig2e6tzsgxdspkubwbayqije6oatma6id\[.\]onion/api/GetAvailKeysByApiKey/hv3PWxhLkfOuNjE9u3eOGogbGSH2bGT0 hxxps://veqlxhq7ub5qze3qy56zx2cig2e6tzsgxdspkubwbayqije6oatma6id\[.\]onion/api/GetAvailKeysByApiKey/-xS-0UcHPaAJgaQCkyE29icDiJeAakj7 ###### Socks5 Proxies used 161\[.\]35.151.35:9100 185\[.\]10.68.89:9100 185\[.\]181.229.175:9100 176\[.\]122.23.54:9100 #### Appendix **530 file extensions targeted by the new variant** (in addition to the 42 extensions mentioned in the Technical Analysis section). .1st, .3ds, .3fr, .4db, .4dd, .602, .7-zip, .7z, .7zip, .a4p, .a5w, .abf, .abw, .accdb, .accdt, .act, .adoc, .adr, .aep, .aes, .aex, .ai, .aim, .alx, .an, .ans, .ap, .apk, .apkg, .appcache, .apt, .arch00, .arj, .aro, .asa, .asax, .asc, .ascii, .ascx, .ase, .ashx, .asmx, .asp, .aspx, .asr, .asset, .atom, .att, .aty, .au, .awm, .awp, .awt, .aww, .axd, .bak, .bar, .bat, .bay, .bc6, .bc7, .bckup, .big, .bik, .bin, .bit, .bkf, .bkp, .blob, .bml, .bok, .bpw, .br, .browser, .bsa, .btapp, .bwp, .bz2, .cas, .cat, .ccbjs, .cdf, .cdr, .cer, .cfm, .cfml, .cfr, .cha, .chat, .chm, .cms, .codasite, .compressed, .con, .cpg, .cphd, .cr2, .crl, .crp, .crt, .crw, .cshtml, .csp, .csr, .css, .ctlg, .cuix, .d3dbsp, .dap, .das, .dat, .dazip, .db0, .dba, .dbf, .dbm, .dbx, .dcr, .der, .desc, .dhtml, .disco, .discomap, .dml, .dmp, .dng, .do, .dochtml, .docmhtml, .docx, .dot, .dothtml, .dotm, .dotx, .download, .dwf, .dwfx, .dwg, .dwk, .dwl, .dwl2, .dwt, .dxf, .dxg, .ece, .edge, .eml, .epibrw, .epk, .eps, .erf, .esm, .esproj, .ewp, .far, .fcgi, .fdb, .ff, .fit, .fits, .flv, .fmp, .forge, .fos, .fpk, .freeway, .fsh, .fw, .fwp, .fwtb, .fwtemplate, .fwtemplateb, .gcode, .gdb, .gho, .gif, .gne, .gpg, .gsp, .gxk, .gz, .gzip, .hdm, .hdml, .hkdb, .hkx, .hplg, .htaccess, .htc, .htm, .html, .htx, .hvpl, .hxs, .hype, .hyperesources, .hypesymbol, .hypetemplate, .ibank, .icxs, .idc, .idx, .ifx, .indd, .iqy, .itdb, .itl, .itm, .itms, .itpc, .iwd, .iwdgt, .iwi, .jcz, .jhtml, .jnlp, .js, .json, .jsp, .jspa, .jspx, .jss, .jst, .jvs, .jws, .kdb, .kdbx, .kdc, .key, .kf, .kit, .kmz, .ksd, .lasso, .layout, .lbc, .lbf, .less, .litemod, .lrf, .lsp, .ltx, .lvl, .lzh, .lzma, .m, .m2, .m3u, .maff, .map, .mapx, .master, .max, .mcmeta, .mdb, .mdbackup, .mddata, .mdf, .mef, .menu, .mht, .mhtml, .mjs, .mlx, .mnr, .mov, .moz, .mpd, .mpp, .mpqge, .mrwref, .mspx, .muse, .mvc, .mvr, .myo, .nba, .nbf, .ncf, .ngc, .nod, .nrw, .nsf, .ntl, .nv2, .nxg, .nzb, .oam, .obml, .obml15, .obml16, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt, .ofx, .ognc, .olp, .opml, .orf, .oth, .p12, .p7, .p7b, .p7c, .pac, .page, .pak, .param, .pdb, .pdd, .pef, .pem, .pfx, .pgp, .php2, .php3, .php4, .php5, .phtm, .phtml, .pkpass, .plist, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .ppj, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .ppthtml, .pptm, .pptmhtml, .pptx, .prf, .pro, .prproj, .ps, .psk, .psp, .pst, .psw, .ptw, .ptx, .pub, .qba, .qbb, .qbo, .qbw, .qbx, .qdf, .qf, .qfx, .qic, .qif, .qrm, .r3d, .raf, .rar, .raw, .rb, .re4, .rflw, .rgss3a, .rhtml, .rim, .rjs, .rofl, .rsn, .rss, .rt, .rw2, .rw3, .rwl, .rwp, .rwsw, .rwtheme, .s, .saj, .sass, .sav, .saveddeck, .sb, .scss, .sdb, .sdc, .sdf, .seam, .sh, .sht, .shtm, .shtml, .sid, .sidd, .sidn, .sie, .sis, .site, .sitemap, .sites, .sites2, .sko, .sldasm, .sldm, .sldprt, .sldx, .slm, .snx, .sparkle, .spc, .sql, .sr2, .src, .srf, .srw, .ssp, .stc, .step, .stl, .stm, .stml, .stp, .suck, .sum, .svc, .svr, .swz, .sxc, .syncdb, .t12, .t13, .tar, .tar.bz2, .tax, .tbl, .tbz, .tcl, .tgz, .tib, .tor, .tpl, .tvpi, .tvvi, .ucf, .uhtml, .upk, .url, .vbd, .vbhtml, .vbo, .vbs, .vcf, .vdf, .vdi, .vdw, .vfs0, .vhdx, .vlp, .vlx, .vmdk, .vmem, .vmx, .vpk, .vpp\_pc, .vrml, .vrt, .vsdisco, .vtf, .w3x, .wb2, .wbs, .wbxml, .wdb, .wdgt, .web, .webarchive, .webarchivexml, .webbookmark, .webhistory, .webloc, .website, .wgp, .wgt, .whtt, .widget, .wml, .wmo, .wmv, .wn, .woa, .wotreplay, .wpd, .wpp, .wps, .wpx, .wrf, .wsdl, .x3f, .x\_t, .xbel, .xbl, .xbm, .xcf.gz, .xf, .xfdl, .xht, .xhtm, .xhtml, .xlk, .xml, .xpd, .xpm, .xss, .xul, .xwd, .xws, .xxx, .z, .zfo, .zhtml, .zip, .ztmp, .zul, .zvz, tar.gz, tbz2 **563 File Extensions targeted by the original variant**(154dea7cace3d58c0ceccb5a3b8d7e0347674a0e76daffa9fa53578c036d9357). .1st, .3ds, .3fr, .4db, .4dd, .602, .7-zip, .7z, .7zip, .a4p, .a5w, .abf, .abw, .accdb, .accdt, .act, .adoc, .adr, .aep, .aes, .aex, .ai, .aim, .alx, .an, .ans, .ap, .apk, .apkg, .appcache, .apt, .arch00, .arj, .aro, .arw, .asa, .asax, .asc, .ascii, .ascx, .ase, .ashx, .asmx, .asp, .aspx, .asr, .asset, .atom, .att, .aty, .au, .avi, .awm, .awp, .awt, .aww, .axd, .bar, .bat, .bay, .bc6, .bc7, .bckup, .big, .bik, .bin, .bit, .bkf, .bkp, .blob, .bml, .bok, .bpw, .br, .browser, .bsa, .btapp, .bwp, .bz2, .c, .c++, .cab, .cas, .cat, .ccbjs, .cdf, .cdr, .cer, .cfg, .cfm, .cfml, .cfr, .cha, .chat, .chm, .cms, .codasite, .compressed, .con, .cpg, .cphd, .cpp, .cr2, .crl, .crp, .crt, .crw, .cs, .cshtml, .csp, .csr, .css, .csv, .ctlg, .cxx, .d3dbsp, .dap, .das, .dat, .dazip, .db0, .dba, .dbf, .dbm, .dbx, .dcr, .der, .desc, .dhtml, .disco, .discomap, .dll, .dml, .dmp, .dng, .do, .doc, .docb, .dochtml, .docm, .docmhtml, .docx, .dot, .dothtml, .dotm, .dotx, .download, .dwfx, .dwg, .dwk, .dwt, .dxf, .dxg, .ece, .edge, .eml, .epibrw, .epk, .eps, .erf, .esm, .esproj, .ewp, .far, .fcgi, .fdb, .ff, .fit, .fits, .flv, .fmp, .forge, .fos, .fpk, .freeway, .fsh, .fwp, .fwtb, .fwtemplate, .fwtemplateb, .gcode, .gdb, .gho, .gif, .gne, .go, .gpg, .gsp, .gxk, .gzip, .h, .hdm, .hdml, .hkdb, .hkx, .hplg, .htaccess, .htc, .htm, .html, .htx, .hvpl, .hxs, .hype, .hyperesources, .hypesymbol, .hypetemplate, .ibank, .icxs, .idc, .idx, .ifx, .indd, .iqy, .iso, .itdb, .itl, .itm, .itms, .itpc, .iwd, .iwdgt, .iwi, .jcz, .jhtml, .jnlp, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .js, .json, .jsp, .jspa, .jspx, .jss, .jst, .jvs, .jws, .kdb, .kdbx, .kdc, .key, .kf, .kit, .ksd, .lasso, .layout, .lbc, .lbf, .less, .litemod, .lrf, .ltx, .lvl, .lzh, .lzma, .m2, .m3u, .m4a, .maff, .map, .mapx, .master, .max, .mcmeta, .mdb, .mdbackup, .mddata, .mdf, .mef, .menu, .mht, .mhtml, .mjs, .mlx, .mov, .moz, .mp3, .mpd, .mpp, .mpqge, .mrwref, .mspx, .muse, .mvc, .mvr, .myo, .nba, .nbf, .ncf, .ngc, .nod, .nrw, .nsf, .ntl, .nv2, .nxg, .nzb, .oam, .obml, .obml15, .obml16, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt, .ofx, .ognc, .olp, .opml, .orf, .oth, .p12, .p7, .p7b, .p7c, .pac, .page, .pak, .pdb, .pdd, .pdf, .pef, .pem, .pfx, .pgp, .php, .php2, .php3, .php4, .php5, .phtm, .phtml, .pkpass, .pl, .plist, .png, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .ppj, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .ppthtml, .pptm, .pptmhtml, .pptx, .prf, .pro, .prproj, .ps, .psd, .psk, .psp, .pst, .psw, .ptw, .ptx, .pub, .py, .qba, .qbb, .qbo, .qbw, .qbx, .qdf, .qf, .qfx, .qic, .qif, .qrm, .r3d, .raf, .rar, .raw, .rb, .re4, .rflw, .rgss3a, .rhtml, .rim, .rjs, .rofl, .rsn, .rss, .rt, .rtf, .rw2, .rw3, .rwl, .rwp, .rwsw, .rwtheme, .s, .saj, .sass, .sav, .saveddeck, .sb, .scss, .sdb, .sdc, .sdf, .seam, .sh, .sht, .shtm, .shtml, .sid, .sidd, .sidn, .sie, .sis, .site, .sitemap, .sites, .sites2, .sko, .sldasm, .sldm, .sldprt, .sldx, .slm, .snx, .sparkle, .spc, .sql, .sr2, .src, .srf, .srw, .ssp, .stc, .step, .stl, .stm, .stml, .stp, .suck, .sum, .svc, .svg, .svr, .swz, .sxc, .syncdb, .t12, .t13, .tar, .tar.bz2, .tax, .tbl, .tbz, .tcl, .tgz, .tib, .tor, .tpl, .tvpi, .tvvi, .txt, .ucf, .uhtml, .upk, .url, .vbd, .vbhtml, .vbo, .vcf, .vdf, .vdi, .vdw, .vfs0, .vhdx, .vlp, .vmdk, .vmem, .vmx, .vpk, .vpp\_pc, .vrml, .vrt, .vsdisco, .vtf, .w3x, .wallet, .wav, .wb2, .wbs, .wbxml, .wdb, .wdgt, .web, .webarchive, .webarchivexml, .webbookmark, .webhistory, .webloc, .website, .wgp, .wgt, .whtt, .widget, .wma, .wml, .wmo, .wmv, .wn, .woa, .wotreplay, .wpd, .wpp, .wps, .wpx, .wrf, .wsdl, .x3f, .x\_t, .xbel, .xbl, .xbm, .xcf.gz, .xf, .xfdl, .xht, .xhtm, .xhtml, .xla, .xlam, .xlk, .xll, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .xml, .xpd, .xpm, .xps, .xss, .xul, .xwd, .xws, .xxx, .z, .zfo, .zhtml, .zip, .ztmp, .zul, .zvz, tar.gz, tbz2 Back to top ### Tags * [CVE-2021-28799](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2021-28799/ "CVE-2021-28799") * [ECh0raix](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ech0raix/ "eCh0raix") * [IoT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/iot/ "IoT") * [NAS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/nas/ "NAS") * [QNAPCrypt](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/qnapcrypt/ "QNAPCrypt") * [SOHO](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/soho/ "SOHO") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report Update: Cloud Security Weakens as More Organizations Fail to Secure IAM](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/iam-misconfigurations/ "Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report 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A digital illustration depicting abstract, interconnected data streams in vibrant colors on a dark blue background](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_992950050-3-782x440.jpeg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) July 30, 2026 [#### Chinese-Speaking Threat Actor Harnesses AI Models for Autonomous Cyberattacks](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/autonomous-ai-cyber-attack-campaign/) * [ChatGPT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chatgpt/ "ChatGPT") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") * [CVEs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cves/ "CVEs") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/autonomous-ai-cyber-attack-campaign/ "Chinese-Speaking Threat Actor Harnesses AI Models for Autonomous Cyberattacks") ![Pictorial representation of three zero-day vulnerabilities in Siemens ROX II OT switches. Digital illustration of a global network featuring interconnected lines and nodes over a map of the world, highlighted with neon lights and digital elements.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/03_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) July 17, 2026 [#### Three Steps to the Terminal: A Siemens ROX II Zero-Day Trilogy](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/siemens-rox-ii-zero-day-vulnerabilities/) * [Command injection](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/command-injection/ "Command injection") * [CVE-2025-40947](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2025-40947/ "CVE-2025-40947") * [CVE-2025-40948](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2025-40948/ "CVE-2025-40948") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/siemens-rox-ii-zero-day-vulnerabilities/ "Three Steps to the Terminal: A Siemens ROX II Zero-Day Trilogy") ![Pictorial representation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257. A vibrant city skyline at night, with tall skyscrapers and glowing digital beams extending into the sky, suggesting advanced technology and connectivity.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/07_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) June 9, 2026 [#### Threat Brief: Active Exploitation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/active-exploitation-of-pan-os-cve-2026-0257/) * [CVE-2026-0257](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-0257/ "CVE-2026-0257") * [Vulnerability](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/vulnerability/ "vulnerability") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/active-exploitation-of-pan-os-cve-2026-0257/ "Threat Brief: Active Exploitation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257") ![Pictorial representation of CVE-2026-30300. Digital illustration of a map of North America with interconnected glowing lines and dots symbolizing network connections across the continent.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/06_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-3-1-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) May 6, 2026 [#### Threat Brief: Exploitation of PAN-OS Captive Portal Zero-Day for Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/captive-portal-zero-day/) * [CVE-2026-0300](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-0300/ "CVE-2026-0300") * [EarthWorm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/earthworm/ "EarthWorm") * [PAN-OS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/pan-os/ "PAN-OS") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/captive-portal-zero-day/ "Threat Brief: Exploitation of PAN-OS Captive Portal Zero-Day for Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution") ![Pictorial representation of a severe Linux vulnerability. Close-up of a woman wearing glasses and focusing intently on a computer screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/05_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-2-1-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) May 5, 2026 [#### Copy Fail: What You Need to Know About the Most Severe Linux Threat in Years](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cve-2026-31431-copy-fail/) * [Containers](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/containers/ "Containers") * [CVE-2026-31431](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-31431/ "CVE-2026-31431") * [Kubernetes](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/kubernetes/ "Kubernetes") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cve-2026-31431-copy-fail/ "Copy Fail: What You Need to Know About the Most Severe Linux Threat in Years") ![Pictorial representation of Iran cyber attacks. Close-up of a person wearing glasses, with computer code reflected in the lenses.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/12_Security-Technology_Category_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) April 17, 2026 [#### Threat Brief: Escalation of Cyber Risk Related to Iran (Updated April 17)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/iranian-cyberattacks-2026/) * [APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/apk/ "APK") * [DDoS attacks](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ddos-attacks/ "DDoS attacks") * [GenAI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/genai/ "GenAI") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/iranian-cyberattacks-2026/ "Threat Brief: Escalation of Cyber Risk Related to Iran (Updated April 17)") ![Pictorial representation of CVE-2023-33538. Abstract image of a glowing red Wi-Fi symbol on a circuit board, with intricate patterns and a futuristic appearance.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/04_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) April 16, 2026 [#### A Deep Dive Into Attempted Exploitation of CVE-2023-33538](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/exploitation-of-cve-2023-33538/) * [Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/botnet/ "botnet") * [Command injection](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/command-injection/ "Command injection") * [CVE-2023-33538](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2023-33538/ "CVE-2023-33538") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/exploitation-of-cve-2023-33538/ "A Deep Dive Into Attempted Exploitation of CVE-2023-33538") ![Pictorial representation of BeyondTrust vulnerability CVE-2026-1731. Digital art depicting a stylized mountain range with vibrant blue and red hues. The peaks are accentuated by glowing particles and an abstract, starry backdrop, creating a futuristic landscape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/14_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) February 19, 2026 [#### VShell and SparkRAT Observed in Exploitation of BeyondTrust Critical Vulnerability (CVE-2026-1731)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/beyondtrust-cve-2026-1731/) * [Bash](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bash/ "bash") * [CVE-2026-1731](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-1731/ "CVE-2026-1731") * [PowerShell](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/powershell/ "PowerShell") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/beyondtrust-cve-2026-1731/ "VShell and SparkRAT Observed in Exploitation of BeyondTrust Critical Vulnerability (CVE-2026-1731)") ![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AdobeStock_1020436911-786x440.jpeg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) February 17, 2026 [#### Critical Vulnerabilities in Ivanti EPMM Exploited](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ivanti-cve-2026-1281-cve-2026-1340/) * [CVE-2026-1281](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-1281/ "CVE-2026-1281") * [CVE-2026-1340](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-1340/ "CVE-2026-1340") * [Ivanti](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ivanti/ "Ivanti") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ivanti-cve-2026-1281-cve-2026-1340/ "Critical Vulnerabilities in Ivanti EPMM Exploited") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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