TrendMicro Research
LockBit-NG-Dev, might consider a true 4.0 version

LockBit ransomware creators were working on a new version of their file-encrypting malware, called LockBit-NG-Dev, possibly to be known as LockBit 4.0, before law enforcement dismantled their operation this week.

Multiple Versions:
“Security experts said LockBit previously released various versions of its ransomware:”

LockBit version 1.0 was released in January 2020 and originally known as “ABCD” ransomware.

LockBit version 2.0, aka “Red,” was released in June 2021 together with StealBit, the group’s primary data exfiltration tool.

LockBit Linux was released in October 2021 to infect Linux and VMWare ESXi systems.

LockBit version 3.0, aka “Black,” was released in March 2022 and leaked six months later by the group’s disgruntled developer, leading to multiple knockoffs.

LockBit Green was released in January 2023 and heralded as being a major new version, which security experts quickly dispelled, finding it to be a rebranded version of a Conti encryptor.

LockBit next-gen:

Trend Micro provides a JSON configuration file containing relevant execution parameters and operational flags.

The security firm says the new encryptor is in its final development stages, even though it doesn’t have all the features of previous versions, like the ability to spread on breached networks and print ransom notes. However, it already has most of the expected functionality.

It has three encryption modes (using AES+RSA): “fast,” “intermittent,” and “full.” ItIt supports three encryption modes (using AES+RSA), namely “fast,” “intermittent,” “full,” and “intermittent intermittent,” has custom file or directory exclusion, and can randomize the file naming to complicate restoration efforts.

Additional options include a self-delete mechanism that overwrites LockBit’s own file contents with null bytes.

Trend Micro published a detailed analysis of the LockBit-NG-Dev malware, including its configuration parameters.

Source: Trend Micro research