Snake
Intelligence Profile
Snake Ransomware is a Golang ransomware reportedly containing obfuscation not typically seen in Golang ransomware. This malware will remove shadow copies and kill processes related to SCADA/ICS devices, virtual machines, remote management tools, network management software, and others. After this, encryption of files on the device commences, while skipping Windows system folders and various system files. A random 5 character string is appended to encrypted files. According to Bleeping Computer, this ransomware takes an especially long time to encrypt files on a targeted machine. This ransomware is reported to target an entire network, rather than individual workstations.
Threat Analysis
Snake is a malware family tracked by threat intelligence researchers and catalogued in the Malpedia dataset. It represents a distinct malicious software lineage with identifiable code characteristics, behaviors, and victimology.
Financially motivated threat actors like Snake prioritize monetary gain through methods such as ransomware deployment, banking trojans, cryptocurrency theft, BEC scams, or credential harvesting for resale on underground markets.
With high sophistication, Snake is capable of targeted intrusions using adapted commodity tools alongside custom implants, maintaining operational security and evading standard detection mechanisms.