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Malspam 2016-07-22 .js in .zip with embedded Locky (campaign: "Financial statement")

Low
Published: Fri Jul 22 2016 (07/22/2016, 00:00:00 UTC)
Source: CIRCL
Vendor/Project: tlp
Product: white

Description

Malspam 2016-07-22 .js in .zip with embedded Locky (campaign: "Financial statement")

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 07/03/2025, 00:25:05 UTC

Technical Analysis

This threat involves a malspam campaign dated July 22, 2016, distributing a malicious JavaScript (.js) file embedded within a ZIP archive. The campaign is identified under the theme "Financial statement," suggesting social engineering tactics targeting recipients with seemingly legitimate financial documents. The embedded JavaScript is designed to deploy the Locky ransomware, a well-known ransomware family that encrypts victims' files and demands payment for decryption. Locky ransomware typically encrypts a wide range of file types, rendering data inaccessible and causing significant disruption. The infection vector relies on users opening the malicious ZIP attachment and executing the JavaScript, which then downloads and installs the ransomware payload. Although the campaign is dated and the severity is marked as low, the Locky ransomware historically caused widespread damage globally. The campaign's threat level is rated 3 (on an unspecified scale), with no known exploits in the wild beyond the malspam distribution. The lack of affected versions or patches indicates this is a malware distribution campaign rather than a vulnerability in software. The campaign's reliance on user interaction (opening attachments and enabling scripts) limits its automatic spread but does not diminish its potential impact on untrained users or organizations with insufficient email filtering and endpoint protections.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, this ransomware campaign poses risks primarily through data encryption leading to loss of access to critical files, operational disruption, and potential financial losses due to ransom payments or recovery costs. Financial and administrative departments are likely primary targets given the "Financial statement" theme, increasing the risk of impact on financial data integrity and availability. Organizations with inadequate email security, endpoint protection, or user awareness training are particularly vulnerable. The campaign could lead to downtime, loss of sensitive financial information, and reputational damage. Additionally, if backups are insufficient or compromised, recovery may be costly and time-consuming. Although the campaign is from 2016 and severity is low, similar tactics remain relevant, and organizations that have not updated defenses or trained staff remain at risk from variants or similar ransomware campaigns.

Mitigation Recommendations

To mitigate this threat effectively, European organizations should implement advanced email filtering solutions that detect and quarantine suspicious ZIP attachments and JavaScript files, especially those masquerading as financial documents. Endpoint protection platforms should be configured to block execution of unauthorized scripts and monitor for ransomware behaviors such as rapid file encryption. User awareness training must emphasize the risks of opening unsolicited attachments and executing embedded scripts, particularly from unknown or unexpected senders. Network segmentation can limit ransomware spread if infection occurs. Regular, offline, and tested backups of critical data are essential to enable recovery without paying ransom. Organizations should also apply application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to detect emerging ransomware campaigns. Finally, disabling Windows Script Host or restricting its use via group policies can reduce the risk of JavaScript-based malware execution.

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Technical Details

Threat Level
3
Analysis
0
Original Timestamp
1469176338

Threat ID: 682acdbcbbaf20d303f0b504

Added to database: 5/19/2025, 6:20:44 AM

Last enriched: 7/3/2025, 12:25:05 AM

Last updated: 8/14/2025, 4:20:04 PM

Views: 12

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