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PowerWare Ransomware

Posted: April 5, 2016

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 10/10
Infected PCs: 7
First Seen: April 5, 2016
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The PowerWare Ransomware is a script-based Trojan that holds your files up for ransom. Because the PowerWare Ransomware's body lacks discrete files, it may bypass some security features or services for identifying file-based threats, such as worms. Malware researchers still encourage using anti-malware products for removing the PowerWare Ransomware, as well as Web-oriented security countermeasures for blocking its most likely means of access to your PC.

The Power of Windows Turned Towards Harmful Actions

One can determine a great deal about threatening software from its packaging, such as how greatly its developer prized evasion or code obfuscation over achieving their payload objectives. In most cases, a threat design makes tradeoffs between decisive attack execution and stealth. However, some threats find an ideal compromise implementation, as the PowerWare Ransomware exemplifies. The attacker avoids dropping any new files on the victim's PC, but still delivers the standard features of any file encryption Trojan.

The PowerWare Ransomware's campaign distributes this threat through e-mail messages currently crafted with the formats of fake invoices. The additional details, sent as attached documents, include advanced macro content. Supposedly, the recipient must enable this content to read the details. In reality, enabling the advanced content triggers the scripts for the PowerWare Ransomware, which subverts the Windows Command Prompt, and, with it, the PowerShell.

Through using the PowerShell, a standard Windows feature, the PowerWare Ransomware encrypts files on your computer with nothing more than script commands. Like other forms of ransomware attacks, this encryption prevents you from opening the data, and also may be identifiable via new extensions, such as the 'tax2013' tag.

Subverting the Power Behind an Attempted File Ransom

The PowerWare Ransomware sells information-decrypting services to its victims with a time penalty for failing to pay the 500 USD fee sufficiently promptly. Third parties have yet to develop any working decryptors for the PowerWare Ransomware, which leaves prospective data recovery in the hands of con artists. The hazards of this business proposition cause malware experts to recommend using dependable backup procedures routinely, which can provide unencrypted data sources for restoration, free of charge.

The PowerWare Ransomware's installation may bypass security features targeting corrupted files. Despite that characteristic, the PowerWare Ransomware attacks do require misinformed consent from a victim, which may enable its document macros manually. Refusing to launch this content, and scanning vulnerability-embedding documents before opening them, are straightforward methods for identifying the PowerWare Ransomware, like other e-mail-delivered threats.

The PowerWare Ransomware is inherently specific to the Windows platform and requires Windows components for performing its ransoming payload. Windows users need no unusual security steps to protect themselves from the PowerWare Ransomware campaigns, which currently are using e-mail messages targeting the medical industry. However, its deliberate exploitation of Windows shows that businesses never should take even the basic functions of their preferred operating systems for granted.

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:



fixed.ps1 File name: fixed.ps1
Size: 17.35 KB (17358 bytes)
MD5: 1928d857932f23f2a47e77163cb5eb3c
Detection count: 59
Mime Type: unknown/ps1
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: July 26, 2016
file.exe File name: file.exe
Size: 208.89 KB (208896 bytes)
MD5: 3433a4da9d8794709630eb06afd2b8c1
Detection count: 58
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: July 26, 2016
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