LokiLocker: New Cyber Threat Targets Windows, NCC Alerts 

The Nigerian telecoms watchdog says it has discovered two new cyber threats, with one, LokiLocker, targeting Windows platforms.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the Computer Security Incidents Response Team (CSIRT) set up for the telecoms sector discovered separate cyber threats targeting Windows Platforms and Microtik router.

The first cyber threat is ransomware, ‘Lokilocker’ that can wipe data from all versions of Windows systems or platforms, causing data loss, and denial of service (DoS) that reduces user productivity, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC Director of Public Affairs, says in a statement made available to Technology Times.

“Lokilocker”, the cybersecurity alert says, is a relatively new ransomware that has been discovered by security researchers and belongs to the ransomware family. “Lokilocker operates by encrypting user files and renders the compromised system useless if the victim does not pay the demanded ransom in time.”

To hide the malicious activity, Lokilocker displays a fake window update screen, cancels specific processes and services, and completely disables the task manager, windows error reporting, machine firewall, and Windows Defender of the compromised system.

“Sadly,” Adinde says, “it also has in-built processes that prevent data recovery as it deletes backup files, shadow copies, and removes system restore points.” 

The ransomware also overwrites the user login note and modifies original equipment manufacturer (OEM) information in the registry of the compromised system.

How to Protect Against LokiLocker

The NCC unit advises that “to protect against infections by LokiLocker and similar ransomware, the best rule is to always have a backup copy of your data, which should be stored offline.” 

Additionally, according to CSIRT, “all downloads and email attachments should be opened with caution, even if they are from trusted sites or senders. Users should also ensure their attachments are scanned with an up-to-date antimalware solution before opening.”

The second cyberthreat discovered by the NCC CSIRT is a botnet that targets the Microtik version of routers. 

Thousands of routers from Microtik which have been found to be vulnerable are being used to constitute what has been named one of the largest botnets in history, CSIRT says.

This botnet, NCC CSIRT says, exploits an already-known vulnerability, which allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files and authenticated remote attackers to write arbitrary files, due to a directory traversal vulnerability in the WinBox interface. “The vulnerability which was previously fixed allowed the perpetrators to enslave all the routers and then rent them out as a service.”

“In accordance with new research published by Avast, a cryptocurrency mining campaign taking advantage of the newly disrupted Glupteba botnet as well as the famed Trickbot malicious software was found to have been disseminated by the very same command-and-control (C2) server. 

“The C2 server functions as botnet-as-a-service, which controls nearly 230,000 vulnerable MicroTik routers. The Botnet, however, has been linked to what is now called the “Meris Botnet”, the unit says.

Further, NCC NCC CSIRT says the threat types emanating from the botnet include bypass authentication, data loss, denial of service, remote code execution, sniff password and unauthorized access. “These situations result in dangers to victims of this cyber threat including malware distribution, mining cryptocurrency, thereby increasing the use system resources, remote code execution and data theft.”

To be protected against this botnet, NCC CISRT advises users to update or apply the latest patches to their routers early, set strong router passwords, disable the administration interface of the routers from the public, stay away from illegitimate or cracked software versions of legitimate applications, and use decent antivirus software with in-built web-filtering, and apply the latest patches as soon as they arrive.