Smrss32 Ransomware
Posted: August 12, 2016
Threat Metric
The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:
Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.
Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.
Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.
Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.
% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.
Threat Level: | 10/10 |
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Infected PCs: | 51 |
First Seen: | August 12, 2016 |
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OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The Smrss32 Ransomware is a Trojan that targets and encrypts most data not residing in essential Windows directories, such as the Program Files folder. PC users can identify the Smrss32 Ransomware by its ransom message (which identifies it as a variant of the CryptoWall Ransomware incorrectly) and associated changes to file names. You should remove the Smrss32 Ransomware with the anti-malware products of your choice and use standard data recovery techniques for undoing the impact of its payload.
A Trojan with a Lot of Files on Its Mind
The different methods Trojans use to accomplish otherwise very similar attacks often provide clues into the experience or deployment strategies of their coders. The Smrss32 Ransomware stands out as one of the most 'unconventional' Trojans to perform a by-now-standard attack that encrypts the PC owner's data. Although these threats rarely exceed upper limits of attacking around five hundred data types, malware experts can confirm that the Smrss32 Ransomware's target list includes over six thousand extensions.
The Smrss32 Ransomware derives its name from its attempt at disguising its primary executable as a Windows component. After installing itself, the Smrss32 Ransomware scans for any files matching the above list. However, it excludes many directories associated with Windows installations, including locations that are mandatory for your OS. The Smrss32 Ransomware renames all appropriate content with the 'encrypted' extension and encrypts it by using a currently-unbroken AES algorithm.
Malware analysts note that a Smrss32 Ransomware infection will most likely be high in visibility, due to the placement of redundant copies of its ransom image throughout the PC's file system, as well as on the desktop. The Smrss32 Ransomware asks for approximately 590 USD in Bitcoins value for a decryptor, although PC security researchers are making efforts into providing free options.
Taking the Cheap Way out of Ransoming Your Hard Drive
Most threatening file encryptors require security mistakes on the part of their victims before they can install themselves. This adage is perhaps especially true for the Smrss32 Ransomware, whose campaign is reliant on RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) connections that have been left insecure. Attentiveness to your network security settings should block all known infection vectors for this threat.
While the Smrss32 Ransomware does show many signs of being made by a less-experienced coder, it does use a real encryption algorithm. Backups can offer recovery options that don't require any decryption, and giving samples of the Smrss32 Ransomware and encrypted data to relevant security researchers can speed the process of developing free decryption tools. Malware analysts stress that paying the author of the Smrss32 Ransomware, or any other Trojan of its category, always should be a last resort.
Current samples of the Smrss32 Ransomware do include some limited self-deletion features. Despite that fact, you should use anti-malware products to guarantee the full removal of the Smrss32 Ransomware and the detection of other threats taking advantage of the same vulnerabilities in your security. If you have no interest in repairing potentially thousands of different types of files on your PC, use strong security practices and data-preservation tactics that the Smrss32 Ransomware can't affect.
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