gdrv.sys

SETTRA Ransomware Deploys MeshAgent and gdrv.sys BYOVD Against Windows Systems

Huntress analysts have identified two separate incidents involving the newly observed SETTRA ransomware targeting Windows environments. The attacks combined the legitimate MeshAgent remote management tool with a Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver technique using gdrv.sys to disable security controls. Victims included a consumer services and retail company hit in July and an industrial organization compromised in September. Initial access occurred through VPN connections or previously stolen credentials, after which operators deployed MeshAgent to maintain persistence and execute commands. Before encryption, the group deleted Windows event logs, disabled system recovery features, removed recovery partitions, and overwrote free disk space. Encrypted files received the .locked or .locked_wip extensions, with the ransomware binary named after the victim domain and ransom notes dropped as RESTORE_FILES.txt.