4rw5w Ransomware

Posted: May 25, 2017

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

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
Infected PCs:	33

First Seen:	May 25, 2017
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The 4rw5w Ransomware is a Trojan that blocks your files by editing them with an AES encryption algorithm. Symptomatic conditions of its attacks may include filename changes and pop-up messages, the latter of which ask for Bitcoins to unblock your files. Good anti-malware software may prevent an infection or remove the 4rw5w Ransomware afterward, and malware experts rate this threat as being vulnerable to free decryption solutions.

An Imitation with Flaws in Its Mask

Pretending to make updated variants of the WannaCryptor Ransomware family is becoming a popular fad with some threat actors, albeit with ones who seem to have little or no experience in the practice of designing Trojans particularly. The 4rw5w Ransomware is one of the newest Trojans to join this group, next to campaigns by similar threats, such as the Wana Decrypt0r 3.0 Ransomware and the Wanna Subscribe 1.0 Ransomware. Unlike them, the 4rw5w Ransomware does have a real ability to target, damage, and block a victim's files, although it also has other flaws with its construction.

The 4rw5w Ransomware is more successful at avoiding some security solutions than comparable threats, such as new versions of Hidden Tear. Its payload includes a 'kill switch' to allow the threat actor to terminate the Trojan at will, for testing purposes most probably. The attacks malware analysts are confirming include:

The 4rw5w Ransomware uses the AES encryption to encode documents and other files on your computer, preventing them from opening. The 4rw5w Ransomware protects the encryption against any casual reverse engineering by using a second algorithm, the DES, although this method is less secure than the more favored RSA notably.
The Trojan also makes sure that you can identify what content it's locking by giving them new '.4rwcry4w' extensions, in imitation of the unrelated WannaCryptor Ransomware family.
Unusually, the 4rw5w Ransomware's threat actors chose to use a ransoming pop-up that differs from the standardized format in use by the WannaCrypt group. Besides its different appearance, the window still conveys relevant information, such as its Bitcoin fee, the address of the recipient's wallet, and further details on its non-consensual encryption attack.

Taking Advantage of Identifying the Problem on Your Screen

The 4rw5w Ransomware's authors may be using inaccurate extensions for the sole purpose of adding extra defenses against free file-unlocking solutions. Using the wrong decryption recovery software for the files under encoding by a particular Trojan can cause additional damage and make the documents, pictures and other content truly irretrievable. However, malware experts do note that the 4rw5w Ransomware's AES and DES encryptions are vulnerable to decoding and recommend contacting appropriate anti-malware researchers for help with recovery, for those in need of it.

Pop-ups from the 4rw5w Ransomware may launch along with other attacks, particularly ones that auto-terminate useful applications like the Task Manager. For simpler threats, users can restart their PCs and use the Safe Mode feature to avoid re-launching any threatening software. Alternately, rebooting through a peripheral device may be necessary for gaining access to the security tools best able to delete the 4rw5w Ransomware.

Disseminating false information is part and parcel of campaigns like the 4rw5w Ransomware's file-encrypting attacks. Those who care about what they save on their computers also should care about being able to tell what's attacking it before taking any rash actions.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 71.16 KB (71168 bytes)
MD5: a4dea323d161bdc46be5a3ed9b21a842
Detection count: 73
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 29, 2017