Bmtf Ransomware

The Bmtf Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that's from the Dharma Ransomware family, a Ransomware-as-a-Service. While it includes various features for extracting ransoms from its victims, its defining one is encryption for blocking files, data like documents and other media, particularly. Rigorous backup protocols can prevent any damage from this threat, and most anti-malware products should stop infection attempts or remove the Bmtf Ransomware automatically.

A Steaming Batch of Encryption with an Extortion Garnish

Arriving onto the threat landscape early in the second week of July, the Bmtf Ransomware is getting its due confirmation as another part of a Ransomware-as-a-Service quickly – in its case, the Dharma Ransomware. This family is one of the largest RaaSes available to criminals as of 2020. It offers a consistent set of features for extortion, as per previous examples like the Oday0 Ransomware, the Lxhlp Ransomware, the NHLP Ransomware and the YKUP Ransomware. Although one can think of the Bmtf Ransomware as being a 'crutch' for mediocre programmers, the dangers of infection are no less penetrative for being public knowledge.

In keeping with current trends in the Dharma Ransomware group, the Bmtf Ransomware's samples occur in two versions – one a standard EXE executable, the other, a portable variant for 32-bit Windows environments. The format doesn't affect its behavior, which hinges on encrypting any available media, such as PDFs, GIFs, XMLS, and even niche formats like INIs and DLLs. This AES and RSA encryption routine will stop the affected files from opening in any associated applications. As secondary concerns, the Bmtf Ransomware also inserts custom extensions with the user's ID and the threat actor's e-mail address and deletes the Restore Point backups.

The Bmtf Ransomware creates a generic pop-up alert for the victim that sells its ransoming service with few details and a somewhat less-professional TXT with little info other than the address. In all cases, malware researchers recommend backing up media non-locally for recovering and contacting established security researchers for their help as required. Paying the ransom does not always give back an unlocker or decryption code, and some threat actors use the opportunity for even more attacks.

Shredding a Bill for Unasked for Assistance

The Bmtf Ransomware's family is an equal-opportunity threat that can endanger any target that the hiring criminals feel like attacking. Examples include servers with default passwords, users who open e-mail attachments too incautiously or software pirates that download their cracks from torrent networks. In all scenarios, a backup on another device can help with recovery and is the only one hundred percent definite way of retrieving all encrypted files. The encryption process shows few symptoms as it's ongoing, and victims have limited opportunities for catching the Bmtf Ransomware in the middle of its attacks.

Users also can reduce the presence of security holes that solicit attacks by Ransomware-as-a-Service campaigns and other opportunity-feeders inadvertently. Disabling Java, Flash, and JavaScript in web browsers will cripple many of the drive-by-download capabilities of Exploit Kits. Installing security patches and deactivating macro features also removes threat-downloading possibilities from Trojan droppers. Administrators also should avoid default password choices, whether they're generic (as in 'admin123') or brand-specific, such as referencing a hardware manufacturer.

As a blip in the vast spiral of Ransomware-as-a-Services, the lessons of the Bmtf Ransomware teach us no more or less than the very earliest versions of the Crysis Ransomware and others. Those without backup plans are flipping a coin on the future of their data, and landing on heads can be more expensive than imagined.