Erif Ransomware

The Erif Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that can keep documents, images, audio, and other files from opening with its encryption attack. As a component of the famous STOP Ransomware family, it also includes other dangers, such as disabling websites by changing a Windows file's settings. Let your anti-malware programs remove the Erif Ransomware whenever they detect it and save backups on other devices for recovering any non-consensually encrypted media.

Seemingly Permanent Trojans with So-Called Temporary Campaigns

As the STOP Ransomware remains a steadfast and, presumably, profitable entity in the threat landscape, other Ransomware-as-a-Services struggle with competing with its usability and cheapness for deploying. Despite the different names, there are some commonalities in most of its almost innumerable variants, through the Opqz Ransomware,the Maas Ransomware, the Koti Ransomware, the Rezm Ransomware, and the new the Erif Ransomware. For instance, a marked preference for imitating specific and easily-overlookable software files.

Although there are a variety of randomized names for the Erif Ransomware's installer, all of them to date use the 'TMP' or temporary file format in their names. Since TMPs build up naturally through ordinary Windows usage and have few identifying characteristics, the Erif Ransomware's choice is, as usual, good for alleviating suspicion until it can finish its attacks. After doing so, any symptoms are blatant and invasive sufficiently that victims will not doubt the presence of a file-locking Trojan on their computer.

The Erif Ransomware locks files using AES encryption and targets digital media such as, but not limited to, documents, pictures, and music preferentially. After stopping them from opening, it places an identifying 'erif' string in their names and leaves behind a ransom note. The message is a typical one for the STOP Ransomware family, and malware researchers suggest avoiding paying, when possible, instead of recovering from any available backups.

Cleaning Out Windows Junk Data that's Even Trashier than Expected

Manually tracking temporary files is impractical for nearly all Windows users, but there are other means of limiting the Erif Ransomware's propagation. Most file-locking Trojans from the Erif Ransomware's family, referred to as both the STOP Ransomware and the Djvu Ransomware, use several infection methods:

E-mail attachments can carry installers for the Erif Ransomware in fake documents, spreadsheets, etc. In most cases, users with fully-patched software will have adequate protection from download exploits unless they manually enable macros or 'advanced content.'

Torrents and other, frequently-illicit download resources are rife with file-locker Trojans from this family. Users should avoid illicit software and media and scan any files that come from sources with questionable safety.

Exploit Kits also remain extant in the threat landscape and target the user's browser-based vulnerabilities. Installing security patches, in combination with disabling JavaScript and Flash, will counter many Eks.

Final lines of defense against this threat include both backups – for file recovery – and anti-malware tools.

Taking a file at its word can become not too different from embracing a backstabber. Even those paying attention to files' names and extensions should remember that Trojans like the Erif Ransomware can, and will, lie upfront.