PEC 2017 Ransomware

Posted: May 5, 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:	12

First Seen:	May 5, 2017
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The PEC 2017 Ransomware is an Italian Trojan that blocks its victims' files and sells the corresponding decryptor through HTML messages. Because the availability of decryption software can vary, malware researchers advise all concerned PC users back their work up to another drive or server to restrict all encryption-related damages. Anti-malware products also may remove the PEC 2017 Ransomware or its disguised installers.

File-Cleaning Taken to a New Level

Terms like 'system cleaner' or 'file cleaner' are ubiquitous but vague descriptors in the software industry and may refer to everything from an anti-malware scanner to a Registry optimizer. Con artists now are starting to use this language to influence the actions of their victims during file-encrypting attacks. This forced evolution of phrasing is just one of several components malware experts confirm in the PEC 2017 Ransomware campaign.

The PEC 2017 Ransomware targets Italian-language systems, both with its payload and its current infection exploits. Threat actors install the PEC 2017 Ransomware by circulating its installer embedded in a threatening RTF text document that they attach to e-mail spam. The fake Europass document installs the PEC 2017 Ransomware (named to look like a language plugin) via a Microsoft Office vulnerability that requests that you update the document with links to external data.

When its installation finishes, the PEC 2017 Ransomware loads a traditional, file-encrypting payload, consisting of scanning files such as documents or pictures and enciphering them with its custom algorithm. Its accompanying symptom, a local Web page that it places on your desktop, requests contact via e-mail to pay for a download of a decryption program that unlocks your files. The threat actor refrains from mentioning the price of the transaction overtly and refers to the decryption app as the 'PEC Cleaner,' giving it a safe-sounding brand name that could influence the victim's willingness to pay.

The Only File Hygiene Worthy of Your Concern

Besides the files refusing to open, they also are detectable by the '.pec' extensions that the PEC 2017 Ransomware appends. However, name modifications don't impact the encryption changes that block the associated file data from being readable by other programs. Although providing the decryption software for download, instead of the decrypting key, is less resource efficient for the threat actors, doing so does allow for additional levels of social engineering manipulation, as noted above.

Unless further efforts by the PC security sector crack the PEC 2017 Ransomware's algorithm, a backup may be the only free data recovery strategy available to its victims. However, the user also must enable the exploit that installs this threat, and open the original document without allowing anti-malware analysis. Standard anti-malware products may detect the PEC 2017 Ransomware or its dropper and delete both of them as threats to your PC.

Threat actors know that the easiest target to 'hack' is the person at the keyboard. Don't mistake pop-ups from con artists for legitimate sources of information; with attacks like the PEC 2017 Ransomware's campaign, they may be tainted springs of bad advice.

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: 47.12 KB (47122 bytes)
MD5: 4b28758126cbbe85f6a32643e00fa047
Detection count: 96
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 5, 2017

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 49.15 KB (49152 bytes)
MD5: cef3a1418ec9b049f578073b901b9881
Detection count: 48
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 5, 2017

file.rtf

File name: file.rtf
Size: 111.8 KB (111806 bytes)
MD5: 51871b441fbbfbda64a1a31e555c97c2
Detection count: 30
Mime Type: unknown/rtf
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 5, 2017