HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware

Posted: November 7, 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:	70

First Seen:	December 6, 2018
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware is a Trojan that tries to block your files by encoding them using an AES-based cipher. Attacks by this threat show few symptoms until after they finish blocking media, although afterward, the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware may create local Web pages with ransoming instructions. All users should ignore these demands and recover through free means, such as a secure backup after they delete the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware with a suitable anti-malware program.

Turning Data into Gibberish, and then, to Profit

Another file-blocking Trojan without close connections to families like EDA2 or Hidden Tear is just beginning to be caught in high numbers: the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware. This threat derives its name from the Mutex it generates as part of its Windows installation and includes many of the usual encrypt-and-extort features that malware experts find in competing Trojans. However, the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware also separates itself by targeting specific nationalities and using an unusual way of marking the media that it holds hostage.

The HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware uses the often-preferred cryptography algorithm of AES to encode files of different formats on the PC, which is an attack that makes the impacted data illegible to their related programs. A majority of file-locking threats will include minor changes to the names of these files, such as appending or prepending customized tags, but the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware overwrites their names completely. The HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware replaces the names of all locked media with random alphanumeric strings, which makes the associated content unidentifiable, in addition to unusable.

The HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware's payload also includes dropping a ransom note specific to German users on the infected PC. This HTML page displays a Bitcoin ransom demand with links to the relevant websites and wallet, as well as a warning to pay within one week. Malware experts can't yet verify whether the threat actors abide by this limitation and delete the decryption key for unlocking the locked files genuinely, although the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware isn't automating this process.

When Reading a Document Goes Wrong, Fast

The HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware's campaign is designing the Trojan's distribution strategy to appeal to the same, German-speaking users that are meant to read its ransom notes. Malware researchers are finding multiple samples using fake 'PDF' extensions and titles claiming that this Trojan's executable is an application for a 'Viktoria Henschel.' These Trojan-dropping tactics are typical of attacks that depend on e-mail attachments for compromising new PCs, which may target both businesses and recreational-use computers.

All users concerned with the long-term safety of their media should save backups of their files to portable devices and cloud services, which can protect them from attacks like the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware's payload. Trojan infections through e-mail-based attacks also are preventable by appropriate anti-malware programs that can detect threats without any regard for fake extensions or icons. While anti-malware products can remove the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware safely, unlocking your encrypted data may require resorting to additional, third-party solutions, or even be impossible.

Where economic power lies, also lies money that cybercrooks have a vested interest in taking for themselves. The double-edged sword of Germany's economy also makes it a battleground for German-specific Trojans like the HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware, who specialize their installation tactics accordingly.

HSDFSDCrypt Ransomware

Threat Metric

Turning Data into Gibberish, and then, to Profit

When Reading a Document Goes Wrong, Fast

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