CryptoMeister Ransomware

Posted: May 5, 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:	16

First Seen:	May 5, 2017
Last Seen:	August 17, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The CryptoMeister Ransomware is a Trojan that tries to lock your files by encoding them with an encryption algorithm, after which it loads a French-based pop-up. Obeying the pop-up alert's ransoming instructions may not provide you with data recovery, and malware experts discourage it except as a last resort. Updated anti-malware products can protect your PC from this threat by removing the CryptoMeister Ransomware before the encryption routine starts.

Con Artists Turning French Data into Unlawful Earnings

France, once again, is under attack by threat actors who are exploiting common data-locking strategies to make money with the help of PC users under duress. While the new Trojan, the CryptoMeister Ransomware, is highly similar to past ones like the Verrouille Ransomware, it includes a more basic ransoming methodology. However, malware experts can confirm that its most important feature, a file-encrypting attack, is fully operational.

The CryptoMeister Ransomware's distribution is through still unknown methods, with spam e-mail, manual introduction to previously brute-forced systems, and EK-based drive-by-downloads all being potential infection vectors. After compromising your PC, the CryptoMeister Ransomware may terminate memory processes that malware experts associate with prominent Web browsers, such as Chrome or Firefox automatically, in addition to a minority of security and monitoring applications like the Task Manager.

More definitive characteristics of the CryptoMeister Ransomware infections include:

The Trojan encrypts various formats of data according to a list it downloads from its C&C server. Content that it blocks could include spreadsheets, compressed archives, documents or pictures.
The CryptoMeister Ransomware launches a pop-up window after locking the above files. The window includes instructions for paying Bitcoins to the Trojan's authors, which, theoretically, allows the Trojan to run its decryption function after verifying the transaction. For current releases of the threat, malware experts confirm only French language notes.

Since the CryptoMeister Ransomware requests no more than 161 USD in cryptocurrency currently, its authors most likely are issuing it through infection vectors targeting recreational or personal systems, instead of corporate or government ones.

Being Your File-Meister for Free

Since the CryptoMeister Ransomware's campaign is newly dated, significant details remain still under analysis, including any filename edits it might make or which encryption algorithm is being used to lock your files. Freeware decryptors can reverse a Trojan's encryption payload sometimes, and malware experts suggest that users keep external backups as an ideal solution. As always, using Bitcoin allows con artists to accept ransoms without any consequences for failing to deliver the promised decryption services.

Casual use PCs often are compromised by unsafe downloads or exposure to corrupted Web content, the latter of which is subject to mitigation by using cautious Web-browsing settings. Standard anti-malware products also include various levels of protection from both drive-by-download attacks and disguised downloads that could include this threat in them. Prevention is advisable since deleting the CryptoMeister Ransomware afterward doesn't unlock your encrypted content.

Although English-based Trojans make up the majority of digital extortion campaigns, a regional variant like the French the CryptoMeister Ransomware also isn't particularly unusual. The likelihood that residents of virtually any nation who have money to spend will be subject to attacks like these is high, which skim from your savings to make you rescue what's already yours.

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:

rans0m.exe

File name: rans0m.exe
Size: 176.64 KB (176640 bytes)
MD5: 629feff5503090f01e737c0567811814
Detection count: 24
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 5, 2017

%APPDATA%\rnsm.exe

File name: rnsm.exe
Size: 591.87 KB (591872 bytes)
MD5: 85217894ac89103e2ea0d9cf4657c2af
Detection count: 7
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %APPDATA%
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 17, 2022