A new malware wiper, named BiBi-Linux, has emerged, targeting Linux systems in destructive attacks against Israeli organizations. The malicious payload was discovered by the Security Joes’ Incident Response team while investigating a network breach in an Israeli organization.
Unlike traditional ransomware, BiBi-Linux doesn’t follow the usual patterns of communication with Command & Control servers or provide ransom notes for negotiation. Instead, it conducts file corruption by overwriting files with useless data, causing damage to both data and the operating system. Currently, only two security vendors can detect BiBi-Linux as malicious, according to VirusTotal.
The malware’s payload, an x64 ELF executable named bibi-linux.out, allows attackers to choose which folders to encrypt via command-line parameters. In cases where it runs with root privileges without a specified target path, it may attempt to delete the entire root directory (‘/’), effectively wiping the compromised device’s operating system. BiBi-Linux uses multiple threads and a queue system for improved efficiency and effectiveness. It overwrites file contents, renaming them with a ransom name and an extension consisting of the ‘BiBi’ string, followed by a number indicating how many times a file has been wiped.
One notable aspect of this malware is its lack of obfuscation, packing, or protective measures, making it easier for malware analysts to dissect and understand. This suggests that the threat actors behind it are more focused on maximizing the impact of their attacks rather than evading detection.
Destructive malware, like BiBi-Linux, has been employed by various threat groups, particularly Russian ones, to target organizations’ systems, as seen in attacks on Ukrainian entities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
