Defender Ransomware

Posted: February 14, 2018

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:	6/10
Infected PCs:	42

First Seen:	April 10, 2024
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Defender Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that uses encryption to keep you from opening content such as documents or images. Since the Defender Ransomware doesn't store the key to its encryption routine, there's no way to retrieve your files directly. Malware experts encourage having backups for recovery purposes and using anti-malware products for uninstalling the Defender Ransomware or keeping it from harming your media.

When Defense Becomes Offensive to Your Files

Not all Trojans come with solutions to their attacks, whether the damage that they cause is trivial or substantial. Some file-locking Trojan infections can cause permanent harm that the user never can undo, either due to errors in the encryption routine, or deliberate malice from the threat actor's part. The Defender Ransomware is one of the most open cases that malware experts can catch of the latter at work.

The Defender Ransomware is circulating its executable with the fake name of Microsoft Malware Protection Command Line Utility, which, when it's legitimate, is a component of the Windows Defender. The Trojan is, as its disguise implies, a Windows-based program, and when running in that environment, encrypts the victim's digital media (documents, pictures, audio, etc.) with an AES algorithm that uses CBC mode. It also adds '.defender' extensions to their names.

One critical difference malware experts stress between the Defender Ransomware, and the average, file-locking Trojan is that the Defender Ransomware doesn't bother saving its encryption key, which is mandatory for decrypting and restoring your files. Without that key, any content that the Defender Ransomware harms is made unusable permanently. The Trojan informs the victim of this fact, along with delivering an ASCII graphic of a brick wall, in an accompanying text note.

Stopping Trojans from Erecting Walls Between You and Yours

The Defender Ransomware downloads many of its components from the Zippyshare free file-hosting service, but network-monitoring utilities can't deliver any decryption solution since the Trojan never uploads its key. Some of these files use the names of prominent gaming cheat utilities, which implies that the Defender Ransomware may install itself through file-sharing networks and illicit downloading websites, along with fake Windows updates. Having browser-based security features and disabling potentially unsafe content, such as Flash, can decrease your PC's risk of attack from these vectors.

Threats like the Defender Ransomware, without any decryption access, at all, are rare among file-locking Trojan campaigns relatively. However, most Trojans with similar attack routines do force their victims into paying for the solution without making any guarantees. Storing your backups in places that malware experts would rate as secure, such as detachable devices, can protect your files from these attacks. Various brands of anti-malware software also may eliminate the Defender Ransomware immediately despite the misleading name of its executable.

While most of the threatening software industry runs on money, the con artists sometimes commit their misdeeds for mischievous purposes purely, as well. The Defender Ransomware is a lesson in how a security mistake isn't always reversible, especially if you're getting your downloads from non-reputable sources.

Defender Ransomware

Threat Metric

When Defense Becomes Offensive to Your Files

Stopping Trojans from Erecting Walls Between You and Yours

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