{
  "family": "ranpax",
  "sample_count": 2,
  "category": "ransomware",
  "description": "Ransomware:Win32/Ranpax is a destructive cryptographic ransomware family. Upon execution, it systematically encrypts critical user data, business documents, databases, and media files across local drives and accessible network shares (`T1486`). It is designed to cause immediate, catastrophic business disruption, holding the organization's data hostage until a cryptocurrency ransom is paid.<br><br><b>Understanding Ranpax (Ransomware Operations)</b><br>To an end-user, a Ranpax infection is immediately devastating: their desktop wallpaper is altered, their files are rendered inaccessible (often appended with a unique extension), and a ransom note (e.g., `DECRYPT_FILES.txt`) appears in every directory. For a security operations center (SOC), this represents a critical, enterprise-wide incident requiring immediate isolation protocols.<br><br><b>Execution and Encryption Mechanics</b><br>Ranpax is typically deployed manually by attackers after they have achieved domain-wide compromise (often via tools like Cobalt Strike or BloodHound). The operators use legitimate administrative tools (like PsExec or Group Policy - `T1569.002`) to deploy the ransomware binary simultaneously to all endpoints. Upon execution, Ranpax immediately attempts to impair defenses by stopping AV services and deleting Volume Shadow Copies (`vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet` - `T1490`) to prevent easy data recovery. It then utilizes strong encryption algorithms (e.g., AES-256 combined with RSA) to rapidly encrypt files, dropping a ransom note containing communication instructions (usually via the Tor network) and a Bitcoin wallet address.<br><br><b>Indicators of Compromise & Impact</b><br>The impact is total operational paralysis and severe financial/reputational damage. Host-based IoCs are glaringly obvious: thousands of files being modified simultaneously, the deletion of Shadow Copies, the presence of ransom notes, and an altered desktop background. EDR telemetry will show massive spikes in file I/O operations (reads/writes) originating from a single, newly dropped executable. Network IoCs may include the ransomware attempting to reach out to Tor gateways or hardcoded C2 IP addresses to register the infection and acquire the public encryption key.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is Ranpax and what threat category does it belong to?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Ranpax is classified as a Ransomware. Documented across security telemetry, it is engineered to execute unauthorized operations, establish persistent footholds on target endpoints, and facilitate malicious campaigns targeting enterprise and individual environments."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Ranpax establish persistence and evade defensive controls?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Ranpax typically establishes persistence through registry run keys, scheduled tasks, or service installations, while evading signature-based antivirus solutions through code obfuscation, memory injection, or anti-analysis sandbox checks."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What are the essential incident response steps for mitigating a Ranpax compromise?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Security teams responding to Ranpax should immediately isolate affected endpoints from the network, perform memory triage to capture volatile forensic artifacts, audit registry and startup persistence mechanisms, revoke exposed user credentials, and restore systems from verified, clean backups."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What cryptographic algorithms and file targeting techniques does Ranpax employ during execution?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Ranpax typically leverages hybrid cryptographic architectures combining symmetric stream or block ciphers (such as AES-256 or ChaCha20) for rapid file encryption with asymmetric algorithms (such as RSA-2048 or Curve25519) to securely protect the session keys. It aggressively targets sensitive file extensions including corporate documents, databases, virtual disks, and backups while systematically executing commands to delete Volume Shadow Copies (vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet) and disable system recovery options."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Are decryptors available for Ranpax, and what is the recommended recovery procedure?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Decryption availability for Ranpax depends on whether security researchers or law enforcement (such as the No More Ransom initiative) have recovered the master private keys or discovered flaws in its key generation routines. Victims should never pay the extortion demand, as payment fuels criminal operations without guaranteeing file restoration. The recommended recovery procedure entails isolating infected hosts, conducting forensic disk imaging, identifying the root access vector, and restoring validated systems from immutable offline backups."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq_count": 5,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1490",
    "T1486",
    "T1489",
    "T1569.002"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1486",
      "name": "Data Encrypted for Impact (The core ransomware payload)",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1490",
      "name": "Inhibit System Recovery (Deleting Volume Shadow Copies via vssadmin)",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1569.002",
      "name": "System Services: Service Execution (Using PsExec for mass deployment)",
      "tactic": "Execution"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1489",
      "name": "Service Stop (Stopping database and AV services before encryption)",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "IMMEDIATELY isolate all affected endpoints from the network (unplug Ethernet, disable Wi-Fi) to halt the spread of encryption to network shares.",
    "Do NOT reboot the machines if possible; capture RAM images, as the encryption keys may still reside in volatile memory.",
    "Identify the 'Patient Zero' and determine the initial access vector (e.g., compromised VPN credentials, phishing) to prevent re-infection.",
    "Engage a specialized Incident Response firm, notify legal counsel, and begin the process of restoring from offline, immutable backups."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not pay the ransom immediately; payment does not guarantee data recovery and funds criminal syndicates. Explore all decryption and backup options first.",
    "Avoid connecting external backup drives to the infected network, as the ransomware will actively seek out and encrypt connected backups."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Healthcare",
    "Critical Infrastructure",
    "Enterprise"
  ],
  "motivation": "Financial Extortion",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ],
  "attack_stage": [
    "defense_evasion",
    "impact"
  ],
  "ecosystem": [
    "windows_pe"
  ],
  "is_emerging": false,
  "target_platforms": [
    "Windows 11",
    "Windows 10",
    "Windows Server 2022",
    "Windows Server 2019"
  ]
}