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Security Operations · Foundational

WannaCry

A 2017 ransomware worm that spread globally through the EternalBlue SMBv1 exploit.

Definition

WannaCry combined ransomware with worm propagation using EternalBlue, an exploit for MS17-010 leaked from the NSA. It infected over 200,000 systems in 150 countries, including the UK NHS, and was attributed to North Korea's Lazarus Group. A researcher halted its spread by registering a kill-switch domain.

Example

Hospitals in the UK diverted ambulances after WannaCry encrypted their systems.

Exam tip

Lesson: patch promptly (MS17-010 was released two months earlier) and disable SMBv1.

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