SYMBOLCOMMON_NAMEaka. SYNONYMS
win.nitrogen_ransomware (Back to overview)

Nitrogen Ransomware

VTCollection    

This ransomware has much in common with the LukaLocker ransomware. [1](https://streamscan.ai/en/ressources/analyse-du-rancongiciel-nitrogen/) Analysis of the files reveals strong correlations between the Nitrogen, LukaLocker and Cactus families.
These similarities lead us to believe that these ransomware families are administered by the same people, or that the files were developed using a common framework. [2](https://www.glimps.re/en/resource/nitrogen-correlation-with-lukalocker-cactus/)

References
2024-10-01 ⋅ Streamscan ⋅ Streamscan
Analysis of the Ransomware Nitrogen
Nitrogen Ransomware
Yara Rules
[TLP:WHITE] win_nitrogen_ransomware_auto (20260917 | Detects win.nitrogen_ransomware.)
rule win_nitrogen_ransomware_auto {

    meta:
        author = "Felix Bilstein - yara-signator at cocacoding dot com"
        date = "2026-09-17"
        version = "1"
        description = "Detects win.nitrogen_ransomware."
        info = "autogenerated rule brought to you by yara-signator"
        tool = "yara-signator v0.6.0"
        signator_config = "callsandjumps;datarefs;binvalue"
        malpedia_reference = "https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.nitrogen_ransomware"
        malpedia_rule_date = "20260916"
        malpedia_hash = "53a643781c18e08f4a50949af60172d837a0b6f6"
        malpedia_version = "20260917"
        malpedia_license = "CC BY-SA 4.0"
        malpedia_sharing = "TLP:WHITE"

    /* DISCLAIMER
     * The strings used in this rule have been automatically selected from the
     * disassembly of memory dumps and unpacked files, using YARA-Signator.
     * The code and documentation is published here:
     * https://github.com/fxb-cocacoding/yara-signator
     * As Malpedia is used as data source, please note that for a given
     * number of families, only single samples are documented.
     * This likely impacts the degree of generalization these rules will offer.
     * Take the described generation method also into consideration when you
     * apply the rules in your use cases and assign them confidence levels.
     */


    strings:
        $sequence_0 = { 8b8424a01a0000 4431c8 66898424a41a0000 440fb78c24a61a0000 8b8424a01a0000 4431c8 66898424a61a0000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   8b8424a01a0000       | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x560]
            //   4431c8               | add                 eax, 0x5c
            //   66898424a41a0000     | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x560]
            //   440fb78c24a61a0000     | add    eax, 0x5c
            //   8b8424a01a0000       | mov                 word ptr [esp + 0x7c], ax
            //   4431c8               | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x560]
            //   66898424a61a0000     | add                 eax, 0x5d

        $sequence_1 = { 836c243801 f30f6fa424b0000000 4c8b4c2428 f30f6f8c24f0000000 f7d8 f30f6f9c2430010000 f30f6fb424d0000000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   836c243801           | jle                 0x26c
            //   f30f6fa424b0000000     | cmp    dword ptr [ebp - 0xc], 0
            //   4c8b4c2428           | jne                 0x21f
            //   f30f6f8c24f0000000     | mov    dword ptr [ebp - 0xc], 1
            //   f7d8                 | jmp                 0x22c
            //   f30f6f9c2430010000     | jg    0x1d7
            //   f30f6fb424d0000000     | dec    eax

        $sequence_2 = { 660f6ec8 0fb705???????? 660f62c3 660fc40d????????01 660f6ed0 660fc415????????01 48b82c00270036002e00 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   660f6ec8             | sub                 esp, 0x20
            //   0fb705????????       |                     
            //   660f62c3             | dec                 eax
            //   660fc40d????????01     |     
            //   660f6ed0             | lea                 eax, [0x609c4]
            //   660fc415????????01     |     
            //   48b82c00270036002e00     | dec    eax

        $sequence_3 = { 83c608 83c309 663335???????? 66331d???????? 4183c30a 4183c20b 6644331d???????? }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   83c608               | inc                 ecx
            //   83c309               | add                 eax, 4
            //   663335????????       |                     
            //   66331d????????       |                     
            //   4183c30a             | inc                 cx
            //   4183c20b             | movd                mm2, ecx
            //   6644331d????????     |                     

        $sequence_4 = { 83c005 83c205 664489b4247e560000 448d4905 0fb70d???????? 6689442438 0f11842450560000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   83c005               | inc                 esp
            //   83c205               | xor                 eax, ecx
            //   664489b4247e560000     | mov    word ptr [esp + 0x1c6c], ax
            //   448d4905             | inc                 esp
            //   0fb70d????????       |                     
            //   6689442438           | movzx               ecx, word ptr [esp + 0x1c6e]
            //   0f11842450560000     | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x1c60]

        $sequence_5 = { 01ca 8850ff c1ea08 4939c7 75ec 31c0 31d2 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   01ca                 | mov                 esi, ecx
            //   8850ff               | inc                 esp
            //   c1ea08               | mov                 ecx, eax
            //   4939c7               | movdqu              xmm4, xmmword ptr [edx]
            //   75ec                 | movdqu              xmm5, xmmword ptr [edx + 0x10]
            //   31c0                 | dec                 eax
            //   31d2                 | lea                 eax, [esp + 0x60]

        $sequence_6 = { 83c231 663315???????? 6689542450 8b942470780000 83c232 663315???????? 6689942464780000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   83c231               | pinsrw              mm4, edi, 1
            //   663315????????       |                     
            //   6689542450           | inc                 ecx
            //   8b942470780000       | add                 ecx, 8
            //   83c232               | add                 edx, 4
            //   663315????????       |                     
            //   6689942464780000     | dec                 eax

        $sequence_7 = { 8b8424c01a0000 4431c8 66898424c81a0000 440fb78c24ca1a0000 8b8424c01a0000 4431c8 66898424ca1a0000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   8b8424c01a0000       | movzx               edx, word ptr [esp + 0x1394]
            //   4431c8               | mov                 eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x1380]
            //   66898424c81a0000     | add                 eax, 8
            //   440fb78c24ca1a0000     | mov    eax, dword ptr [esp + 0x1380]
            //   8b8424c01a0000       | add                 eax, 8
            //   4431c8               | xor                 eax, edx
            //   66898424ca1a0000     | mov                 word ptr [esp + 0x1394], ax

        $sequence_8 = { 66899c249c5f0000 6644899c249e5f0000 f30f6fa424905f0000 6644899424a05f0000 6644898c24a25f0000 6644898424a45f0000 66898c24a65f0000 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   66899c249c5f0000     | mov                 word ptr [esp + 0x458], bx
            //   6644899c249e5f0000     | mov    word ptr [esp + 0x4154], bx
            //   f30f6fa424905f0000     | inc    sp
            //   6644899424a05f0000     | mov    dword ptr [esp + 0x4156], ebx
            //   6644898c24a25f0000     | xor    eax, 0x63
            //   6644898424a45f0000     | mov    word ptr [esp + 0x413a], ax
            //   66898c24a65f0000     | movzx               eax, word ptr [esp + 0x20]

        $sequence_9 = { c705????????01000000 4883c010 488905???????? e8???????? 488b05???????? 488b15???????? 4c8d05292d0400 }
            // n = 7, score = 100
            //   c705????????01000000     |     
            //   4883c010             | add                 ebp, 7
            //   488905????????       |                     
            //   e8????????           |                     
            //   488b05????????       |                     
            //   488b15????????       |                     
            //   4c8d05292d0400       | mov                 edi, dword ptr [esp + 0x1d40]

    condition:
        7 of them and filesize < 2590720
}
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