'+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware

The '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware is a Trojan that uses encryption to block your media until you agree to pay a ransom. While samples of this threat and related ones are limited, malware analysts can confirm that the Trojan's payload is targeting Russian speakers primarily, although encryption may damage any file, regardless of the system's language settings. Having recent backups to restore and protecting the PC with professional anti-malware programs can help victims save any files and remove the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware expediently.

The Assassin that Gets Paid by the Victim

Thanks to its unique policies on handling cyber misconduct, Russia has often been a place of relative safety for threat actors, as long as they aim their campaigns at other targets. However, the nation isn't immune to the same types of offenses plaguing the rest of the world's PCs, which is a theme malware experts find repeating with threats like the Globe Imposter 2.0 Ransomware, the Scarab Ransomware, the CryptoViki Ransomware and the particularly new the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware. Other characteristics these threats share are encryption-based, file-blocking behavior and related attempts to extort money.

Although the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware is verifiable as having a working encryption functionality, malware experts have yet to determine which algorithm is in use or which formats the Trojan is locking. These data-encoding attacks most often block content such as documents, spreadsheets, archives, and pictures, although targeted campaigns may subvert the output of more specialized software, such as 3D modeling applications. Following the traditions of many, similar threats, the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware adds its threat actor's mailing address to the end of the name, both to help victims identify the hostage media and promote ransom negotiations.

The '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware also generates a ransom note that, similarly, redirects any readers (in Russian) to the e-mail for paying a non-specific ransom. While malware experts can't confirm other features from this threat, Trojans with file-encryption features often display symptoms such as resetting the desktop's wallpaper, deleting the Shadow Copy backups, and disabling related security or database programs.

Crimping a Data Killer's Line of Work

Since samples of this threat are in demand, victims of the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware infections may wish to provide uploads of the Trojan and non-sensitive, encrypted files to security researchers for additional analysis. Malware experts can't verify any chance of free decryption being possible, for now, and recommend having backups to keep your media from being damaged by the encryption process permanently. Avoid using potentially incompatible decryption tools on the only copies of any locked content, since doing so can cause irreversible data corruption.

The '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware is likely of using infection methods targeting Russian speakers, which can include fake torrent downloads, e-mail attachments, and drive-by-download attacks instigated through browser vulnerabilities. Comprehensive anti-malware tools can block most of these attacks when given the opportunity to scan incoming files. Although they may remove the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware after its installation safely, anti-malware products can't reverse any encryption-based file conversions.

Russia may not be as safe as it once was for PC users with careless Web-browsing habits, but the dangers that the '+ assaassin@meta.ua File Extension' Ransomware represents are no different from those also faced by the rest of the world. In the modern world, which country you live in may not be as important as whether or not you know how to protect your computer and the files you save on it necessarily.