1. Initial Access

Objective: Gain entry into the target environment.

• Attack Vectors:
  • Compromised Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Credentials: Attackers exploit weak or reused passwords or use brute force to gain access.
  • Phishing Emails: Social engineering attacks deliver malicious links or attachments to unsuspecting users.
  • Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Unpatched software vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems or services are exploited to gain entry.
• Examples:
  • Exploiting a vulnerable VPN service.
  • Delivering malware through phishing emails containing infected attachments.

2. Persistence

Objective: Maintain access to the compromised systems.

• Attack Vectors:
  • Creating Backdoors: Installing persistent malware like remote access tools (RATs).
  • Abusing Built-in Tools: Leveraging PowerShell or scheduled tasks to reinfect the system after removal.
• Examples:
  • Creating new admin accounts.
  • Deploying malicious scripts to execute on system boot.

3. Privilege Escalation

Objective: Gain elevated permissions to access sensitive data or critical systems.

• Attack Vectors:
  • Stealing Credentials: Using tools like Mimikatz to extract admin credentials.
  • Exploiting Misconfigurations: Abusing weak security settings to escalate privileges.
• Examples:
  • Extracting hashed passwords from memory.
  • Exploiting unsecured service permissions.

4. Lateral Movement

Objective: Move across the network to identify and access high-value targets.

• Attack Vectors:
  • RDP Abuse: Using stolen credentials to log into other systems.
  • Exploiting Shared Resources: Accessing shared drives and files across the network.
• Examples:
  • Copying ransomware payloads to multiple machines.
  • Identifying backup servers for encryption.

5. Data Exfiltration

Objective: Steal sensitive data for extortion or sale on the dark web.

• Attack Vectors:
  • Automated File Transfers: Using FTP or HTTP to upload data to attacker-controlled servers.
  • Cloud Storage Abuse: Exfiltrating data through misconfigured or compromised cloud environments.
• Examples:
  • Encrypting and stealing customer records or proprietary files.

6. Encryption and Impact

Objective: Deploy ransomware and disrupt operations.

• Attack Vectors:
  • Mass Encryption: Using ransomware to lock files and render systems unusable.
  • Tampering with Backups: Deleting or encrypting backup data to increase ransom pressure.
• Examples:
  • Encrypting critical databases and issuing ransom demands.
  • Disabling recovery systems to prolong downtime.

Visualized Attack Path

1. Initial Access → Weak RDP Credentials, Phishing, Vulnerabilities.
2. Persistence → Backdoors, Built-in Tools Exploitation.
3. Privilege Escalation → Credential Theft, Exploiting Misconfigurations.
4. Lateral Movement → Network Exploitation, Shared Resources Abuse.
5. Data Exfiltration → Automated Transfers, Cloud Misuse.
6. Encryption and Impact → Mass Encryption, Backup Tampering.

Stopping the BianLian Threat: A Multifaceted Approach to Stop Data Theft and Ransomware Attacks

How Warden Stops BianLian Ransomware Threats

Warden provides comprehensive protection against BianLian ransomware by leveraging advanced security technologies designed to neutralize every stage of the ransomware lifecycle. Here’s how Warden addresses the key threats posed by BianLian:

1. Initial Access Prevention

• Warden’s Default Deny Technology ensures that only explicitly authorized applications can execute. This blocks unauthorized software, including malicious tools that BianLian uses for initial access via compromised RDP credentials.
• Phishing-resistant due to Warden’s ability to stop unknown or known malicious files from impacting your systems. Regardless of the masking, countermeasures or cloaking methods used by the criminals, their malicious files will be stopped before impacting your systems.

2. Restricting Persistence

• Kernel API Virtualization prevents malicious scripts and unauthorized PowerShell commands from interacting with critical OS components. This stops BianLian from establishing persistence.
• Advanced Memory Protection detects and blocks memory-resident malware that attempts to evade traditional detection methods.

3. Disrupting Data Theft and Encryption

• File and Data Control through Data Lose Prevention (DLP) technology restricts unauthorized access to sensitive files, preventing exfiltration and encryption attempts by ransomware.
• Network Activity Monitoring detects and halts unusual data transfer patterns indicative of data theft.

4. Securing Privileged Accounts

• Warden enforces the Principle of Least Privilege, ensuring that malicious files or unknown files can not be executed due to the Kernel API Virtualization.
• If accounts were compromised, they would not be allowed to execute code that has not been already approved.

5. Incident Response and Recovery

• Warden’s Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) module provides deep visibility into endpoint activities, enabling rapid detection and containment of malicious behaviors.
• Built-in Backup Integrity Validation ensures that backups are immune to tampering, enabling swift recovery post-incident.

Visualized Attack Path with Warden Countermeasures

1. Initial Access → Weak RDP Credentials, Phishing, Vulnerabilities. → Detected through our EDR Technology
2. Persistence → Backdoors, Built-in Tools Exploitation. →  Detected & Stopped through our EDR & Kernel API Virtualization Technology
3. Privilege Escalation → Credential Theft, Exploiting Misconfigurations. → Detected through our EDR Technology
4. Lateral Movement → Network Exploitation, Shared Resources Abuse. → Detected through our EDR Technology
5. Data Exfiltration → Automated Transfers, Cloud Misuse. → Detected & Stopped through our DLP & EDR Technology
6. Encryption and Impact → Mass Encryption, Backup Tampering. → Detected & Stopped through our Kernel API Virtualization Technology