HakunaMatata Ransomware

Posted: January 16, 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:	9

First Seen:	January 17, 2017
Last Seen:	October 2, 2018
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The HakunaMatata Ransomware encrypts your files and creates messages for extorting Bitcoins in return for the decryption solution. The Trojan's threat actors currently deploy this Trojan against entities in the business sector primarily, most likely using e-mail or brute-forced account access to infect the servers. Good password practices, backup strategies, and anti-malware protection can remove these infection routes, mitigate the encryption damage or remove the HakunaMatata Ransomware outright.

The Trojan with a Name Steeped in Irony

Unprotected entities in the business sector persist as lucrative targets for data-ransoming attacks, such as the file-encrypting campaigns seen by threats like the HakunaMatata Ransomware. While this brand-new Trojan's name translates from Swahili roughly to 'no problems' or 'no worries,' the payload and additional actions by its threat actors give any victims significant problems worth worrying over. Although malware experts can confirm multiple deployments of this Trojan, they have yet to identify if it's an independent Trojan or a variant of a family like the Crysis Ransomware.

Con artists most likely are installing the HakunaMatata Ransomware manually after brute-forcing RDP-enabled systems. At the same time, they may disable security software or dedicated backup apps to prevent those products from mitigating the effects of the Trojan's payload. Once its admins give it full file access, the HakunaMatata Ransomware scans for and encrypts various formats on the servers or hard drives, such as databases, documents or images.

The HakunaMatata Ransomware gives each file thus encoded a '.HakunaMatata' extension (hence its name) and also creates an HTML message in every folder with any encoded content. This last file provides general information on paying the HakunaMatata Ransomware's authors to receive a decryptor, which malware experts can verify is functional in at least one instance. However, the Bitcoin ransom is over one thousand USD in value, and cancellation after the cash transferal is impossible if the threat actors choose to revoke their services.

Getting Back to Business without Ransoming Your Bottom Line

The HakunaMatata Ransomware exhibits all of the earmarks of a Trojan meant for targeting businesses and other organizations with one-of-a-kind and valuable digital data. In light of the increase in brute-force attacks against systems of this description, server admins should consider rotating passwords and disabling RDP features whenever they're not necessary. Proper backup strategies also are useful for cheaply removing any possible damages from the HakunaMatata Ransomware's encryption function.

Because paying the ransom always comes with significant risks, preventing the HakunaMatata Ransomware infections before the locking of files occurs is advisable for any PC users who consider themselves at risk. Active anti-malware protection can help delete the HakunaMatata Ransomware, in cases where this threat gains access by social engineering tactics, such as e-mail attachments or drive-by-downloads from EKs.

Although security software and passive protection have their roles to play in protecting your flies, the HakunaMatata Ransomware campaign also reminds readers that it's harder to protect yourself from bad decisions such as having an easily-guessed password.

HakunaMatata Ransomware

Threat Metric

The Trojan with a Name Steeped in Irony

Getting Back to Business without Ransoming Your Bottom Line

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