'_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware

Posted: December 9, 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.

Ranking:	6,160
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	13,322

First Seen:	December 9, 2016
Last Seen:	October 15, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts media it finds on your computer to lock you out of using it and then creates messages asking you to contact its e-mail address for help. These attacks almost always are attempts at extorting money from their victims, and may not provide a working data recovery solution necessarily, even if you do pay. Protecting your data by backing it up and protecting your computer with anti-malware tools able to delete the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware are both equally essential prevention measures.

More File-Ransoming Threats Wishing You Happy Holidays

Christmas is always a time of substantial activity for threat authors, who use the occasion to ramp up social engineering-based tactics for distributing their products. The Globe Ransomware family is one possible beneficiary of these tidal shifts in traffic, with a new Trojan using its typical method of encryption to block the files of its victims. The '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware accomplishes the bare minimum of the necessary functions of any file-encrypting Trojan, but, despite that, can block or damage your files without leaving you any realistic recovery options.

Instead of targeting specific directories, the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware scans for and enciphers most files on your PC, but excludes essential folders like 'Windows' and 'Program Files.' All content in non-blacklisted locations that also match the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware's format list receives encoding with 512-bit Blowfish, the algorithm most widely in use by different versions of the Globe Ransomware. Then, the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware appends its e-mail address onto each name, providing victims with a contact point for ransom communications.

The '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware targets most media formats, such as JPG pictures, PDF documents, or MP3 music, but also blocks DLL, DAT, and other files that may be required components of various applications. However, it avoids a program's executable and the OS, meaning that the infected PC should remain operational.

The Problem of E-mailing a Con Artist for Christmas

Although many threats similar to the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware are content with adding an e-mail address and no other information, malware experts can verify this Trojan as also creating additional ransom messages. These Notepad TXT instructions offer few new facts but do give you a second point of contact, if the e-mail address fails.

Like almost every other threat of its category, the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware's campaign is run with the intention of collecting a ransom fee for helping you recover your hostage data. However, threat actors may ignore any requests for help once they take their pay. Casual PC users and business workers who believe their systems at risk should consider strongly backing up their files to removable devices or other sources that they can protect from the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware and other file encryptor Trojans.

The '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware includes multiple files that it may try to misrepresent as being system components. Letting your anti-malware programs delete the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware during a standard system scan can guarantee that you remove all of its files with no unnecessary damage to unrelated content. However, unless you've taken similar precautions for keeping your data safe, the '_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware could be one threat that manages to leave your PC impoverished for the holiday season.

'_morf56@meta.ua_ File Extension' Ransomware

Threat Metric

More File-Ransoming Threats Wishing You Happy Holidays

The Problem of E-mailing a Con Artist for Christmas

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