'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware

Posted: December 29, 2016

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:	22

First Seen:	December 29, 2016
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware is a variant of the black market Stampado Ransomware product. Besides continuing to exploit encryption attacks for blocking a victim's files, the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware also installs itself through bundling with fully-functioning copies of anti-virus software. Despite its innovative installation disguise, most anti-malware products should be capable of detecting and deleting the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware initially, preventing any file loss.

A Tempest in a File Scanner

Although the phrase 'a tempest in a teapot' is used to convey a sense of exaggerated danger, some Trojans use concealed installation methods that are just as unexpected as a storm in a piece of dinnerware. These disguises can include mislabeling corrupted files with the filenames of friendly applications, crafting advertising content to look like update notifications, or, for the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware, even bundling themselves with real, non-threatening software.

The 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware is a new release of the Stampado Ransomware most likely by a threat actor paying a premium for a rental or lifelong usage 'pass' of the program. It includes the usual data-encrypting attacks typical to threats of this type, which may block files such as documents or spreadsheets. The last symptom that the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware shows is a pop-up window containing dynamically-generated text with its ransom instructions. Other than offering an e-mail address to contact, the Trojan currently gives no additional information of note to its victims.

The 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware's installation bundle is its most distinctive characteristic. The 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware bundles itself with a third-party distribution of a freeware version of the AVG Antivirus, which installs after the Trojan. Malware experts note that the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware's encryption routine is sufficiently short that, by the time the anti-virus scanner finishes installing itself, many or even all of your files could be under the cipher-based lock.

Calming the Storm in Your Computer's Directories

As a derivative of a previously analyzed threat, the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware can include all of the Stampado Ransomware's past features potentially, including modifying filenames (such as inserting new extensions) or even deleting files. Its threat actor also gives an appearance of experimenting with alternate means of distributing the Trojan, such as disguising it as a Word plugin. Nearly two-thirds of most major AV brands currently detect the variant of the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware in distribution with the AVG anti-virus scanner.

Downloading software only from safe locations and avoiding often-compromised resources, such as piracy-oriented websites, can eliminate or reduce exposure to attacks like the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware's campaign. While the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware does include a real anti-virus application in its installer, due to the risk of harmful modifications, malware experts advise against using it for deleting the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware. As usual, victims will need to search for other software, such as free decryptors, to recover any content that they can't restore from a non-encrypted backup.

Assuming things about the files you're opening based on superficial appearances has never been an entirely good idea, and as the 'ihurricane@sigaint.org' Ransomware demonstrates, double-checking a file for its safety before opening it can never hurt more than it helps.

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:

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 508.9 KB (508907 bytes)
MD5: a7902b621da3e735c9089139e208f412
Detection count: 69
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 29, 2016