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Tarocrypt Ransomware

Posted: January 22, 2016

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 8/10
Infected PCs: 42
First Seen: January 26, 2016
Last Seen: November 13, 2022
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The Tarocrypt Ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts the files on your PC to force you into paying a ransom fee for reversing its attacks. Affected files are left unusable until you decrypt them, although the con artists may not necessarily provide this service after receiving any payment. Although removing the Tarocrypt Ransomware and related security threats with anti-malware tools always should take priority, methodical backup strategies also can help prevent the Tarocrypt Ransomware from doing irreparable damage.

When Anonymity Protection Goes Bad

Products like Tor, the anonymous Web-browsing program, usually are developed with goals of improving everyone's quality of life by giving them the freedom to peruse the Internet without reversions of monitoring. Those lofty ideals often may be subverted in reality, and 'The Onion Router' is a recurring example of that cruelty as shown in the continuing efforts of threat authors. One case of a Trojan making use of Tor for bad ends is the Tarocrypt Ransomware, which utilizes it as part of its ransom scheme.

The Tarocrypt Ransomware doesn't install itself, and may enjoy an installation from an exploit kit or as part of the payload of another threat. The Tarocrypt Ransomware uses standard Registry exploits as a means of launching itself automatically, which may be evident in a spike in your disk usage. After its launching, the Tarocrypt Ransomware targets files of various formats within sub-directories of the Users folder, as well as the Documents and Settings folder, and runs them through an encryption process.

Malware experts can confirm that the Tarocrypt Ransomware targets multiple drives, which leaves removable devices equally vulnerable if they're plugged in at the time of the attack. Although the Tarocrypt Ransomware has an expansive list of targets, significant examples include JPGs, DOCs, AVIs, XLS spreadsheets and ZIP files.

The Tarocrypt Ransomware recommends using Tor as a means of communicating with its authors and purchasing a file decryptor for restoring your data. Malware experts also have seen some versions of the Tarocrypt Ransomware using Tor independently, which could be for updating itself, transferring system information or giving a remote attacker a backdoor to your machine.

Taking the Fear of Encryption out of a File Encryptor

The Tarocrypt Ransomware's current ransom message targets themselves towards Russian residents, and the Tarocrypt Ransomware, itself, only is designed for Windows machines. However, threat authors often are noted for taking the time to re-release old Trojans with minor, local modifications, allowing for deployment in entirely new countries with almost no effort. This issue is especially problematic in smaller file encryptors like the Tarocrypt Ransomware, which lacks the global publicity to encourage security companies to work on releasing decryptors for its attacks. When bereft of such tools, the safest course always is to use remote backups and restore any encrypted files as needed.

The Tarocrypt Ransomware represents both a danger to your hard drive's data and a potential network security hole for letting con artists conduct other attacks. No matter how valuable your files are, deleting the Tarocrypt Ransomware and removing any traces of its settings changes from your system should be your first concern. The Tarocrypt Ransomware has no documented, advanced features for avoiding detection or removal, such as rootkit exploits, and should be straightforward for being uninstalled by most anti-malware products.

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