M2M - Locky 2017-09-12 : Affid=3, ".lukitus" : "Your Amazon.co.uk order..." / AmazonSignIn.html links
M2M - Locky 2017-09-12 : Affid=3, ".lukitus" : "Your Amazon.co.uk order..." / AmazonSignIn.html links
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The threat described pertains to a variant of the Locky ransomware identified around September 12, 2017, referenced as "M2M - Locky 2017-09-12". Locky ransomware is a well-known malware family that encrypts victims' files and demands ransom payments for decryption. This particular variant appears to use social engineering tactics involving fake Amazon.co.uk order notifications, leveraging phishing emails or messages that include links to a fraudulent "AmazonSignIn.html" page. The use of the ".lukitus" extension suggests that encrypted files are renamed with this suffix, which is consistent with Locky's modus operandi of encrypting files and appending unique extensions. The campaign likely targets English-speaking users in the UK by impersonating Amazon UK, aiming to trick recipients into opening malicious attachments or clicking on links that lead to malware download and execution. Although the severity is marked as low in the provided data, Locky ransomware historically has caused significant disruption. The absence of known exploits in the wild and lack of specific affected product versions indicates this is a malware campaign relying on phishing rather than exploiting software vulnerabilities. The technical details show a moderate threat level (3) and minimal analysis depth (1), suggesting limited available intelligence on this variant. Overall, this is a ransomware threat leveraging social engineering via fake Amazon order notifications to infect victims and encrypt their files.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, especially those operating in or with the United Kingdom, this Locky ransomware variant poses a risk primarily through phishing attacks that could lead to data encryption and operational disruption. The impact includes potential loss of access to critical business data, financial losses due to ransom payments or recovery costs, and reputational damage. Organizations with insufficient email filtering, user awareness, or endpoint protection are particularly vulnerable. While the campaign targets Amazon UK customers, the phishing emails could also reach employees of European companies, potentially leading to internal network infections if the malware spreads laterally. The low severity rating and lack of known exploits in the wild suggest limited active infections, but the threat remains relevant due to the ransomware's destructive capabilities. European organizations in sectors with high reliance on data integrity and availability, such as finance, healthcare, and logistics, could face significant operational impacts if infected. Additionally, the UK’s strategic importance as a major European economy and the phishing theme centered on Amazon UK increase the likelihood of targeting UK-based entities or individuals.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate this threat, European organizations should implement targeted anti-phishing training focusing on recognizing fake order notifications and suspicious links, especially those impersonating well-known brands like Amazon. Email security solutions should be configured to detect and block phishing emails containing malicious attachments or links to fraudulent login pages such as "AmazonSignIn.html". Endpoint protection platforms must be updated to detect and quarantine Locky ransomware variants. Network segmentation can limit lateral movement if an infection occurs. Organizations should maintain regular, tested backups stored offline or in immutable storage to enable recovery without paying ransom. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on email and critical systems reduces the risk of credential compromise from phishing. Monitoring for unusual file renaming patterns (e.g., files ending with ".lukitus") can provide early detection of ransomware activity. Finally, organizations should keep abreast of threat intelligence updates from sources like CIRCL and ECSIRT to respond promptly to emerging variants.
Affected Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland
M2M - Locky 2017-09-12 : Affid=3, ".lukitus" : "Your Amazon.co.uk order..." / AmazonSignIn.html links
Description
M2M - Locky 2017-09-12 : Affid=3, ".lukitus" : "Your Amazon.co.uk order..." / AmazonSignIn.html links
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
The threat described pertains to a variant of the Locky ransomware identified around September 12, 2017, referenced as "M2M - Locky 2017-09-12". Locky ransomware is a well-known malware family that encrypts victims' files and demands ransom payments for decryption. This particular variant appears to use social engineering tactics involving fake Amazon.co.uk order notifications, leveraging phishing emails or messages that include links to a fraudulent "AmazonSignIn.html" page. The use of the ".lukitus" extension suggests that encrypted files are renamed with this suffix, which is consistent with Locky's modus operandi of encrypting files and appending unique extensions. The campaign likely targets English-speaking users in the UK by impersonating Amazon UK, aiming to trick recipients into opening malicious attachments or clicking on links that lead to malware download and execution. Although the severity is marked as low in the provided data, Locky ransomware historically has caused significant disruption. The absence of known exploits in the wild and lack of specific affected product versions indicates this is a malware campaign relying on phishing rather than exploiting software vulnerabilities. The technical details show a moderate threat level (3) and minimal analysis depth (1), suggesting limited available intelligence on this variant. Overall, this is a ransomware threat leveraging social engineering via fake Amazon order notifications to infect victims and encrypt their files.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, especially those operating in or with the United Kingdom, this Locky ransomware variant poses a risk primarily through phishing attacks that could lead to data encryption and operational disruption. The impact includes potential loss of access to critical business data, financial losses due to ransom payments or recovery costs, and reputational damage. Organizations with insufficient email filtering, user awareness, or endpoint protection are particularly vulnerable. While the campaign targets Amazon UK customers, the phishing emails could also reach employees of European companies, potentially leading to internal network infections if the malware spreads laterally. The low severity rating and lack of known exploits in the wild suggest limited active infections, but the threat remains relevant due to the ransomware's destructive capabilities. European organizations in sectors with high reliance on data integrity and availability, such as finance, healthcare, and logistics, could face significant operational impacts if infected. Additionally, the UK’s strategic importance as a major European economy and the phishing theme centered on Amazon UK increase the likelihood of targeting UK-based entities or individuals.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate this threat, European organizations should implement targeted anti-phishing training focusing on recognizing fake order notifications and suspicious links, especially those impersonating well-known brands like Amazon. Email security solutions should be configured to detect and block phishing emails containing malicious attachments or links to fraudulent login pages such as "AmazonSignIn.html". Endpoint protection platforms must be updated to detect and quarantine Locky ransomware variants. Network segmentation can limit lateral movement if an infection occurs. Organizations should maintain regular, tested backups stored offline or in immutable storage to enable recovery without paying ransom. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on email and critical systems reduces the risk of credential compromise from phishing. Monitoring for unusual file renaming patterns (e.g., files ending with ".lukitus") can provide early detection of ransomware activity. Finally, organizations should keep abreast of threat intelligence updates from sources like CIRCL and ECSIRT to respond promptly to emerging variants.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Threat Level
- 3
- Analysis
- 1
- Original Timestamp
- 1505227514
Threat ID: 682acdbdbbaf20d303f0bbb7
Added to database: 5/19/2025, 6:20:45 AM
Last enriched: 7/2/2025, 2:58:08 PM
Last updated: 8/15/2025, 10:00:26 PM
Views: 11
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