Lomix Ransomware

Posted: November 25, 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:	1

First Seen:	November 25, 2016
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Lomix Ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts the files on your PC to block you from opening them. For most attacks, the only high-visibility symptoms are pop-up messages asking you to pay with the Bitcoin currency in return for the decryption key. PCs with anti-malware protection should be able to detect and remove the Lomix Ransomware without giving it the opportunity to harm your local content.

A Trojan Stretching the Definition of 'Safely' to the Limit

Ordinarily, the announcement of your data being 'safely encrypted' is a phrase one associates with banking transactions and other activities that require protection from theft by outside sources. For Trojans like the Lomix Ransomware, the phrase is an attempt to take money through untraceable means after blocking its victim's data. Malware experts saw this Trojan only recently, although a possible relative, the CryptoWire Ransomware, has been active for months previously.

The Lomix Ransomware blocks your local data with an encryption method most likely using an AES-based cipher. Since its method of scanning for files to target most likely filters them according to their sizes, the Lomix Ransomware may be capable of harming wider ranges of content than most file-encrypting threats. After encrypting them and deleting local backup data associated with Windows, the Lomix Ransomware launches its pop-up.

This window is a feature that the Lomix Ransomware shares with the CryptoWire Ransomware, most likely due to separate threat actors using the same (free, 'educational') code resources for building their threats. The most meaningful difference between the two Trojans is that the Lomix Ransomware also provides an e-mail address for communicating with its threat actor, who presumably may send the decryption key after taking a specified payment in Bitcoins. However, malware experts encourage such actions rarely, particularly due to the risks of cryptocurrencies preventing you from recovering money in the case of fraud.

The Less than Visible Risks of a Lomix Ransomware Attack

Although most file-encrypting Trojans deliver attacks with very transparent functions, some threats, including the Lomix Ransomware, harbor additional features that are easier to ignore. Of these, malware experts highlight the Lomix Ransomware's potential for collecting information via keylogging especially or the act of recording your keyboard strokes to a log that it transfers into third-party possession. Some of the Lomix Ransomware's other security issues also encompass suppressing critical error messages, disabling Windows repair features, and making network communications.

As of late November 2016, no decryption tools have been developed specific to the Lomix Ransomware. However, victims may wish to try using multiple-family decryptors to see if the Lomix Ransomware's algorithm is breakable heuristically. A PC owner without a backup on an uninfected drive may have no other options for recovering the encrypted content before removing the Lomix Ransomware.

With threats, what one sees isn't always what one gets, and the reappearance of multi-capable Trojans like the Lomix Ransomware is a sad reminder that con artists often are happy to take whatever they can get.

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: 894.97 KB (894976 bytes)
MD5: 498044dc03c183dba18fd225a174acf6
Detection count: 31
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: November 25, 2016