CryptoManiac Ransomware

Posted: December 19, 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:	8/10
Infected PCs:	61

First Seen:	November 10, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The CryptoManiac Ransomware is a Python-based Trojan that may delete or encrypt your files, create ransom notes that demand money in exchange for its data-restoring service, or conduct network communications that exploit your PC's resources for illicit acts. Since decryption can be fraudulent or wholly unavailable, all users with data worth protecting, such as documents, should store copies on backup devices. You should delete the CryptoManiac Ransomware with a dedicated anti-malware program with a minimal time delay to compensate for this threat's ongoing damage potential.

The Mania Overtaking Your Files

Python is experiencing significant abuse from threat actors this year, with attacks like the energy sector-sabotaging Triton campaign, the kit-built Cyclone Ransomware, and the smartphone-assaulting CypherPy Ransomware all exemplify the flexibility of that programming platform. Malware experts also are adding another entry into this group of Trojans running on the Windows and Linux-compatible language, the CryptoManiac Ransomware, whose main features are extortionist in nature. However, the CryptoManiac Ransomware also may be hijacking infected PCs for botnet-related harmful actions.

Besides its networking features, which could run background, message-spamming processes for infecting other users, the CryptoManiac Ransomware also handles data encryption, deletion (similarly to the Jigsaw Ransomware), and the displaying of ransom instructions. In more detail, these features include:

The CryptoManiac Ransomware blocks unknown formats of media on your PC by converting them with an AES cipher into encoded versions that other programs can't read. The '.maniac' extension signifies these files versus unlocked ones.
Ransoming messages in several formats give the user directions on paying the CryptoManiac Ransomware's threat actor for the decryption program that could unlock the files. The use of Bitcoin as the currency protects the cybercrooks from any refunds or regulatory intervention.
In keeping with the tradition pioneered by Trojans like the Jigsaw Ransomware, the CryptoManiac Ransomware also maintains a background process for deleting your files on a timer (twenty-five every hour). The Trojan also deletes two hundred and fifty files every time it restarts.

Putting a Maniac Away for Your Protection

For a victim, following the appropriate security protocols can make the difference between the CryptoManiac Ransomware's erasing data permanently or removing the Trojan before any extra damage can happen. Users should avoid rebooting or taking actions for terminating the Trojan's memory processes (such as via Task Manager) without also taking steps to keep it from relaunching. For safety, malware experts recommend using Safe Mode, at a minimum, or booting from a USB device.

Along with its external target-directed networking features, the CryptoManiac Ransomware also causes damage to your files that may be impossible to decode. Cyber-security researchers may find value in any samples of the CryptoManiac Ransomware or locked media that the victims can provide, but backups always are the best way to keep any digital content safe from file-locking threats. Possessing appropriate anti-malware protection also is integral to deleting the CryptoManiac Ransomware before it causes any wide-ranging data loss.

The applicability and ease-of-use of Python make it a useful tool for threat actors who are disinterested in Trojan resources in more unwieldy languages. The CryptoManiac Ransomware is just one of many cases of how easy it can be to destroy data with no effort taken for preserving it.

CryptoManiac Ransomware

Threat Metric

The Mania Overtaking Your Files

Putting a Maniac Away for Your Protection

Leave a Reply