{
  "family": "shinolock",
  "sample_count": 1,
  "category": "ransomware",
  "description": "<h3>Executive Summary</h3>\nShinolock is a variant of ransomware designed to extort financial payment from victims by encrypting their critical data and demanding cryptocurrency in exchange for the decryption key. It aggressively targets both individual users and enterprise networks, causing severe operational disruption and data loss.\n\n<h3>Technical Execution and Encryption Process</h3>\nShinolock typically gains initial access through compromised Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) instances (due to weak credentials or missing patches) or via malicious spam campaigns.\n\nOnce a foothold is established, Shinolock executes a highly destructive operational flow:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Defense Evasion:</strong> It actively terminates running security software, disables Windows Defender, and halts database services (like SQL) to unlock files for encryption.</li>\n<li><strong>Shadow Copy Deletion:</strong> To prevent easy recovery, Shinolock executes commands (e.g., `vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet`) to destroy local Windows Volume Shadow Copies and backup catalogs.</li>\n<li><strong>Encryption:</strong> It utilizes strong, military-grade encryption algorithms (such as AES-256 combined with RSA) to encrypt a wide range of file types (documents, databases, images). Encrypted files are typically appended with a specific, Shinolock-related extension.</li>\n<li><strong>Extortion:</strong> A ransom note—usually a `.txt` or `.html` file—is dropped into every directory containing encrypted data, providing instructions on how to pay the attackers via Bitcoin or Monero to obtain the decryption tool.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Threat Impact</h3>\nA Shinolock infection represents a catastrophic security failure. Without offline backups, organizations face the total loss of encrypted data, extended operational downtime, and severe reputational damage. Paying the ransom is strongly discouraged by law enforcement, as it funds criminal enterprises and does not guarantee data recovery.\n\n<h3>Resilience and Remediation Strategies</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Immutable Backups:</strong> Maintain robust, offline, and immutable backups. Ensure the backup infrastructure is completely segregated from the primary network to prevent Shinolock from encrypting the backups as well.</li>\n<li><strong>RDP Security:</strong> Secure Remote Desktop Protocol by placing it behind a VPN, enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and strictly limiting access via firewall rules.</li>\n<li><strong>Behavioral EDR:</strong> Deploy EDR solutions configured to automatically block processes that attempt mass file modifications or the execution of `vssadmin.exe` for shadow copy deletion.</li>\n</ul>",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Ransomware.Shinolock",
    "Win32/Shinolock",
    "Trojan-Ransom.Shinolock"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "insufficient_information",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1486",
    "T1490",
    "T1562.001",
    "T1078"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-01T16:06:52Z",
  "type": "Ransomware",
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}