JuicyLemon Ransomware

Posted: June 6, 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:	62

First Seen:	June 6, 2016
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The JuicyLemon Ransomware is a Trojan that uses your hard drive to enact a data hostage scenario by blocking your files. After its attacks, the JuicyLemon Ransomware delivers instructions meant to direct a victim to make payments in exchange for the solution to its encryption payload. Like any ill-minded negotiation, the JuicyLemon Ransomware's authors may not provide anything after taking your money. With that risk upheld, malware experts firmly recommend other forms of protecting your data from the JuicyLemon Ransomware, with removing the JuicyLemon Ransomware by proven anti-malware methods taking priority.

The Lemon Squeezing the Money out of Your PC

The JuicyLemon Ransomware is a recent file encryptor that confirms to some, but not all of the characteristics malware researchers last saw in different versions of Rakhni-based Trojans, such as the Zeta Ransomware. However, its campaign appears to be new to early June of this year, with only a limited quantity of security products capable of identifying the JuicyLemon Ransomware consistently. Regarding its distribution tactics, some evidence indicates the likely collusion of the Angler Exploit Kit.

The JuicyLemon Ransomware, like any conventionally threatening file encryptor, searches your hard drives for files worth ransoming, such as documents automatically. Components of your OS and other, installed programs are unaffected. Content that does fall under the JuicyLemon Ransomware's narrow focus is encrypted with an algorithm yet to be verified by malware experts, making it unusable.

Victims can detect each affected file by the addition of a new string to its name. This extension displays an ID number that most likely plays a part in the decryption process. Although the JuicyLemon Ransomware's threat actors don't deliver a firm ransom demand in the original instructions contained in the Trojan's payload, further communications with them through e-mail typically instigate requests for Bitcoin purchases of their decryptor services. The current ransom fees offered are extremely high (one thousand Euros in Bitcoins), even by the standards of the black market industry the JuicyLemon Ransomware operates within, although they may be an attempt to begin with a strong bargaining point.

The Power to Rid Your Computer of the Sour

Since the JuicyLemon Ransomware most likely is part of the payload of one or more drive-by-download attacks, any initial defenses against this threat should take the form of browser-based security. Update Flash, Java, and other plugins that could be used to install threatening software. Some users also may choose to block scripts or advertising content from possibly threatening sources. In all cases, anti-malware products with active monitoring features should be able to intercept the download and stop it in time.

An installed JuicyLemon Ransomware will encrypt your local data with no display of high-visibility symptoms. Although the JuicyLemon Ransomware's authors do offer a 'free' trial of their decryptor, malware researchers tend to recommend safer and cheaper ways of data recovery, including keeping backups on drives unlikely to be scanned by a Trojan. Even in situations where your data is irrecoverable without third-party assistance, you should consider submitting samples of the JuicyLemon Ransomware to the relevant anti-malware institutions, who may use the information to develop a new decryptor.

Although saving your data may be valuable, prioritizing removing the JuicyLemon Ransomware will help protect the rest of your computer from further attacks. Take any additional precautions you feel are viable (such as reverting to Safe Mode) and scan your machine with any qualified anti-malware program to save the rest of your system, if not necessarily your files.

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:

WebCam.exe

File name: WebCam.exe
Size: 126.97 KB (126978 bytes)
MD5: 5ee28035c56c048580c64b67ec4f2124
Detection count: 98
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 6, 2016