Original Advisory

This is an excerpt from the article “Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks” by MSRC Team as on May 12, 2017

Today many of our customers around the world and the critical systems they depend on were victims of malicious “WannaCrypt” software. Seeing businesses and individuals affected by cyberattacks, such as the ones reported today, was painful. Microsoft worked throughout the day to ensure we understood the attack and were taking all possible actions to protect our customers. This blog spells out the steps every individual and business should take to stay protected. Additionally, we are taking the highly unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms that are in custom support only, including Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003. Customers running Windows 10 were not targeted by the attack today.

Details are below. 

• In March, we released a security update which addresses the vulnerability that these attacks are exploiting. Those who have Windows Update enabled are protected against attacks on this vulnerability. For those organizations who have not yet applied the security update, we suggest you immediately deploy Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010.

• For customers using Windows Defender, we released an update earlier today which detects this threat as Ransom:Win32/WannaCrypt. As an additional “defense-in-depth” measure, keep up-to-date anti-malware software installed on your machines. Customers running anti-malware software from any number of security companies can confirm with their provider, that they are protected.

• This attack type may evolve over time, so any additional defense-in-depth strategies will provide additional protections. (For example, to further protect against SMBv1 attacks, customers should consider blocking legacy protocols on their networks).

We also know that some of our customers are running versions of Windows that no longer receive mainstream support. That means those customers will not have received the above mentioned Security Update released in March. Given the potential impact to customers and their businesses, we made the decision to make the Security Update for platforms in custom support only, Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003, broadly available for download (see links below).

Customers who are running supported versions of the operating system (Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016) will have received the security update MS17-010 in March. If customers have automatic updates enabled or have installed the update, they are protected. For other customers, we encourage them to install the update as soon as possible.

This decision was made based on an assessment of this situation, with the principle of protecting our customer ecosystem overall, firmly in mind.

Some of the observed attacks use common phishing tactics including malicious attachments. Customers should use vigilance when opening documents from untrusted or unknown sources. For Office 365 customers we are continually monitoring and updating to protect against these kinds of threats including Ransom:Win32/WannaCrypt. More information on the malware itself is available from the Microsoft Malware Protection Center on the Windows Security blog. For those new to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, this is a technical discussion focused on providing the IT Security Professional with information to help further protect systems.

Further resources:  

• Download English language security updates: Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64, Windows Server 2003 SP2 x86,
  Windows XP SP2 x64, Windows XP SP3 x86, Windows XP Embedded SP3 x86, Windows 8 x86,
  Windows 8 x64

• Download localized language security updates: Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64, Windows Server 2003 SP2 x86, Windows XP SP2 x64, Windows XP SP3 x86, Windows XP Embedded SP3 x86, Windows 8 x86, Windows 8 x64

• General information on ransomware: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/portal/mmpc/shared/ransomware.aspx

• MS17-010 Security Update: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/ms17-010.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions

This is an excerpt from the article “Ransomware” by Malware Protection Center

What does ransomware do? 

There are different types of ransomware. However, all of them will prevent you from using your PC normally, and they will all ask you to do something before you can use your PC.

They can target any PC users, whether it’s a home computer, endpoints in an enterprise network, or servers used by a government agency or healthcare provider. 

Ransomware can: 

• Prevent you from accessing Windows.

• Encrypt files so you can’t use them.

• Stop certain apps from running (like your web browser).

Ransomware will demand that you pay money (a “ransom”) to get access to your PC or files. We have also seen them make you complete surveys. 

There is no guarantee that paying the fine or doing what the ransomware tells you will give access to your PC or files again.

Frequently asked questions 

Is it true that the legal authorities in my area have detected illegal activities in my PC? 

No. These warnings are fake and have no association with legitimate authorities. The message uses images and logos of legal institutions to make the it look authentic.

I cannot access my PC or my files. Should I just go ahead and pay to regain access? 

There is no one-size-fits-all response if you have been victimized by ransomware. There is no guarantee that handing over the ransom will give you access to your files again. Paying the ransom could also make you a target for more malware.

How do I get my files back? 

How to recover your files depends on where your files are stored and what version of Windows you are using.

Before you try to recover files, you should use Windows Defender Offline to fully clean your PC.

For Microsoft Office files stored, synced, or backed up to OneDrive 

• OneDrive creates a version of Microsoft Office files when you save or change the file as part of its security features.

• To see if there are older versions of your file, go to OneDrive on the web. Right-click on a file you want to restore and click Version history.

• OneDrive for Business customers should see the Manage document versions help article on the Office help site.

For files on your PC 

• You need to have turned on File History (in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1) or System Protection for previous versions (in Windows 7 and Windows Vista) before you were infected. In some cases, these might have been turned on already by your PC manufacturer or network administrator.

• Some ransomware will also encrypt or delete the backup versions of your files. This means that even if you have enabled File History, if you have set the backup location to be a network or local drive your backups might also be encrypted. Backups on a removable drive, or a drive that wasn’t connected when you were infected with the ransomware, might still work.

• See the Windows Repair and recovery site for help on how to enable file recovery for your version of Windows.

If you’ve been infected by the Crilock family of ransomware (also called CryptoLocker), you might be able to use the tool mentioned in the MMPC blog:

• FireEye and Fox-IT tool can help recover Crilock-encrypted files

What should I do if I’ve paid?

You should contact your bank and your local authorities, such as the police. If you paid with a credit card, your bank may be able to block the transaction and return your money. 

The following government-initiated fraud and scam reporting websites may also help:

• In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website

• In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

• In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information website

• In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website

• In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website

• In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website

• In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website

• In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website

If your country or region isn’t listed here, we encourage you to contact your country’s federal police or communications authority.  

For general information on what to do if you have paid, see: 

• What to do if you are a victim of fraud

How did message know my IP address? 

Your IP address is not usually hidden, and there are lots of tools online that will get it for you. It’s likely they used such a tool.

How did ransomware get on my PC? 

In most instances ransomware is automatically downloaded when you visit a malicious website or a website that’s been hacked. 

For other ways malware, including ransomware, gets on your PC, see:

• How malware gets on your PC

How do I protect myself against ransomware? 

You should: 

• Install and use an up-to-date antivirus solution (such as Microsoft Security Essentials).

• Make sure your software is up-to-date.

• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments or emails from people you don’t know or companies you don’t do business with.

• Ensure you have smart screen (in Internet Explorer) turned on.

• Have a pop-up blocker running in your web browser.

• Regularly backup your important files.

You can backup your files with a cloud storage service that keeps a history or archive of your files, such as OneDrive which is now fully integrated into Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, and Microsoft Office.

After you’ve removed the ransomware infection from your computer, you can restore previous, unencrypted versions of your Office files using “version history”.

See the question “How do I get my files back?” above for more help on how to use this feature in OneDrive. 

For more tips on preventing malware infections, including ransomware infections, see: 

• Help prevent malware infection on your PC.

How do I remove ransomware from my PC? 

How to remove the ransomware depends on what type it is. 

If your web browser is locked

You can try to unlock your browser by using Task Manager to stop the web browser’s process: 

• Open Task Manager. There are a number of ways you can do this:

• Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and click Task Manager or Start Task Manager.

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

• Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

• In the list of Applications or Processes, click on the name of your web browser.

• Click End task. If you are asked if you want to wait for the program to respond, click Close the program.

• In some workplaces, access to Task Manager may be restricted by your network administrator. Contact your IT department for help.

When you open your web browser again, you may be asked to restore your session. Do not restore your session or you may end up loading the ransomware again.

See the question “How do I protect myself from ransomware” above for tips on preventing browser-based ransomware from running on your PC. 

If your PC is locked 

Method 1: Use the Microsoft Safety Scanner in safe mode

First, download a copy of the Microsoft Safety Scanner from a clean, non-infected PC. Copy the downloaded file to a blank USB drive or CD, and then insert it into the infected PC.

Try to restart your PC in safe mode:

• In Windows 10

• In Windows 8.1

• In Windows 7

• In Windows Vista

• In Windows XP

When you’re in safe mode, try to run the Microsoft Safety Scanner.

Method 2: Use Windows Defender Offline

Because ransomware can lock you out of your PC, you might not be able to download or run the Microsoft Safety Scanner. If that happens, you will need to use the free tool Windows Defender Offline: 

• Download Windows Defender Offline

See our advanced troubleshooting page for more help.

Steps you can take after your PC has been cleaned 

Make sure your PC is protected with antimalware software. 

Microsoft has free security software that you can use:

• If you have Windows 10 or Windows 8.1, your PC comes with antimalware software: Windows Defender.

• If you’re using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you should install antimalware software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.

• You can update Microsoft security software on our updates page.

If you don’t want to use Windows Defender or Microsoft Security Essentials, you can download other security software from another company. Just make sure it is turned on all the time, fully updated, and provides real-time protection.

Anshuman Mansingh

Technology Solutions Professional
(Technology Strategist)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anshumanmansingh