History of Embargo

Embargo ransomware has been used in attacks since at least mid-2024 with documented attacks in the 2nd half of that year. Double extortion - data exfiltration followed by encryption, is commonly used

Selected Attacks

Embargo was used to target Firstmac, a large Australian mortgage lending firm in May 2024. It is believed that 500GB of stolen data was leaked prior to settlement. when the deadline to negotiate a solution was reached. Later, Embargo was used to encrypt the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) for which the attackers received $1 million as ransom. Then in November, Memorial Hospital and Manor, a small American hospital was targeted.

Technical Details

Embargo is written in Rust. Files with specific extensions (cpl, sys, drv, lnk, spl, exe, msstyles, cab, msu, themepack, 564ba1, msi, search-ms, ico, dll, bat, lock, deskthemepack, msc, theme, themeckpack), in specific folders (selected sub-folders of Program Files and Program Files(X86), Windows, and selected sub-folders of ProgramData) are excluded from encryption as are specific files ( d3d9caps.dat, thumbs.db, desktop.ini, autorun.inf, ntldr, iconcache.db, boot.ini, NTUSER.DAT )

Embargo encrypts files using the Rust ChaCha20 encryption algorithm. Once the file is encrypted, it was given the extension ‘564ba1’ and a ransomware note dropped into the target folder.

Parameter Description ——— ———— -t –threads number of threads -p –path folder to encrypt –no-delete disable ransomware executable self-deletion –partial enable restart if a previous run failed -l –log output to log file -v –verbose verbose output -f –follow-sym Allow symbolic links to be followed -m –multi-run Allow more than one ransomware instance to execute –no-net Encrypt infected device only -n –net-path list of servers to target -h –help Print help

Ransom Note

The Embargo ransom note is called ‘HOW_TO_RECOVER_FILES.txt’. The content of the ransom note is: Your network has been chosen for Security Audit by EMBARGO Team.

We successfully infiltrated your network, downloaded all important and sensitive documents, files, databases, and encrypted your systems.

You must contact us before the deadline 2024-05-21 06:25:37 +0000 UTC, to decrypt your systems and prevent your sensitive information from disclosure on our blog: http://embargobe3n5okxyzqphpmk3moinoap2snz5k6765mvtkk7hhi544jid.onion/

Do not modify any files or file extensions. Your data maybe lost forever.

Instructions:

1. Download torbrowser: https://www.torproject.org/download/

2. Go to your registration link:

   http://5ntlvn7lmkezscee2vhatjaigkcu2rzj3bwhqaz32snmqc4jha3gcjad.onion/#/37f1061d6f6281a4598f130979ad77c8 =================================

3. Register an account then login

If you have problems with this instructions, you can contact us on TOX: 9500B1A73716BCF40745086F7184A33EA0141B7D3F852431C8FDD2E1E8FAF9277E9FDC117B47

After payment for our services, you will receive:

• decrypt app for all systems
• proof that we delete your data from our systems
• full detail pentest report
• 48 hours support from our professional team to help you recover systems and develop Disaster Recovery plan

IMPORTANT: After 2024-05-21 06:25:37 +0000 UTC deadline, your registration link will be disabled and no new registrations will be allowed. If no account has been registered, your keys will be deleted, and your data will be automatically publish to our blog and/or sold to data brokers.

WARNING: Speak for yourself. Our team has many years experience, and we will not waste time with professional negotiators. If we suspect you to speaking by professional negotiators, your keys will be immediate deleted and data will be published/sold.

Recovery

Memcrypt Detect identifies live ransomware attacks and uses file and memory forensics to detect, prevent, and recover from forensic attacks. We recovered data using our product against a wide range of ransomware families, including Embargo, that use standard and non-standard encryption algorithms. Please contact us on sales@memcrypt.io to see how we can assist you in recovering from ransomware.

References

A Look Into Embargo Ransomware, Another Rust-based Ransomware https://www.sonicwall.com/blog/a-look-into-embargo-ransomware-another-rust-based-ransomware Embargo Ransomware Gang Sets Deadline to Leak Hospital Data https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/embargo-ransomware-gang-sets-deadline-to-leak-hospital-data-a-26784 Embargo ransomware escalates attacks to cloud environments https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/embargo-ransomware-escalates-attacks-to-cloud-environments/

DISCLAIMER

This document is not a substitute for obtaining security and legal advice. All reasonable measures should be taken to lower the risk of exploitable potential weaknesses. This report does not constitute a guarantee or assurance of compliance. MemCrypt is not ultimately responsible for assessing and meeting compliance responsibilities.