This threat involves the Locky ransomware family, specifically linked with Trickbot malware, as indicated by the references to "Locky" and "Trickbot" in the description. Locky ransomware emerged around 2016 and is known for encrypting victims' files and demanding ransom payments. Trickbot is a modular banking Trojan that has evolved to deliver various payloads, including ransomware like Locky. The mention of "M2M" and "Emailing: 12345678" with an attachment "12345678.7z" suggests a typical infection vector via malicious email campaigns distributing compressed archives containing the malware. The date 2017-10-11 aligns with historical Locky campaigns that used spam emails with .7z attachments to evade detection. The "mac1" and ".asasin" references may relate to internal campaign identifiers or filenames used in the malware distribution. The threat is categorized as malware with ransomware capabilities, but it is marked with a low severity and no known exploits in the wild beyond the initial infection vector. The lack of affected versions and patch links indicates this is not a vulnerability but a malware campaign. The technical details show a moderate threat level (3) and minimal analysis (1), suggesting limited sophistication or impact at the time of reporting. Overall, this is a ransomware malware campaign leveraging Trickbot as a delivery mechanism, primarily spread via email attachments in compressed archives.

For European organizations, the impact of Locky ransomware combined with Trickbot can be significant. Locky encrypts critical files, potentially causing operational disruption, data loss, and financial damage due to ransom payments or recovery costs. Trickbot's modular nature allows it to steal credentials and facilitate lateral movement, increasing the risk of broader network compromise. European entities with extensive email communication and insufficient email filtering are vulnerable to initial infection. The ransomware can affect confidentiality by encrypting sensitive data, integrity by altering files, and availability by denying access to systems. Although the severity is marked low in this report, historically, Locky campaigns have caused widespread disruption across Europe, especially in sectors like healthcare, finance, and government. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests the infection relies on social engineering rather than technical vulnerabilities, meaning user awareness and email security are critical factors. The impact is amplified in organizations lacking robust backup and incident response capabilities.

To mitigate this threat, European organizations should implement advanced email filtering solutions capable of detecting and blocking malicious attachments, especially compressed archives like .7z files. Deploy sandboxing technologies to analyze suspicious email attachments before delivery. Enhance user awareness training focused on phishing and social engineering tactics to reduce the likelihood of users opening malicious emails. Maintain up-to-date endpoint protection with behavioral detection to identify Trickbot and Locky activities. Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if infection occurs. Regularly back up critical data offline and test restoration procedures to minimize ransomware impact. Monitor network traffic for indicators of Trickbot command and control communications. Employ multi-factor authentication to reduce credential theft risks. Finally, establish and rehearse incident response plans tailored to ransomware scenarios to enable rapid containment and recovery.