Crypt0r Ransomware

The Crypt0r Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that can encrypt the data on your computer and keep it from opening. Infections also encompass additional, related attacks, such as removing the user's local backups, collecting other information, and creating Notepad ransom notes. Strong anti-malware security products will remove the Crypt0r Ransomware on sight, although only an unaffected backup can provide a complete guarantee of your files' restoration.

That Smell of Onion Around Your Files

An independent file-locking Trojan, with attacks quite similar to those of the Hidden Tear or the Scarab Ransomware projects, is circulating through the help of unknown infection exploits. Examinations by malware researchers are finding a relatively sophisticated and flexible backend on the program, the Crypt0r Ransomware, which makes use of third-party software for its communications. Outwardly, on the other hand, the Crypt0r Ransomware merely makes unknown amounts of money off of encrypting and blocking others' files.

The Crypt0r Ransomware's fundamental operations are standard: it runs on 32-bit Windows environments (including 64-bit ones) and hides with both fake 'JPG' extensions and names resembling those of the operating system's core processes. After registering a Mutex, it contacts its C&C server through a flexible series of TOR (AKA, the Onion Router) domains and uploads system information that malware experts have yet to isolate. Then, it begins its encryption attack.

The encryption or 'locking' of pictures, archives, documents, and other media takes place through hidden Command Prompts and includes the appending of semi-randomly-generated extensions after any existing ones. The Crypt0r Ransomware also creates a TXT file with its ransom instructions, which offer little more than an e-mail address and an ID for further bartering with the threat actor. It also modifies some Chrome browser files for reasons that aren't yet evident.

Escaping a Data-Ransoming Campaign for Free

Because of its exceptional risks regarding data privacy, the victims of the Crypt0r Ransomware infections should disable all network connections as a first precaution, and proceed with changing passwords and other, account-securing credentials, as is appropriate. While the Crypt0r Ransomware deletes the failsafe Shadow Volume Copies that Windows uses for restoring the files, by default, it has no features concerning deleting external or non-default backups. Saving any media of value to a USB, DVD or cloud server is a straightforward and extortion-free way of preserving your files.

The Crypt0r Ransomware may work as intended, but samples of this threat have been identifiable since early January only. Its infection strategies may abuse any of several methods, such as spam e-mails, torrents or malvertising on a non-secure ad network. The defenses that malware experts recommend implementing as standard include disabling scripts in your browser, scanning all downloads for possible threats, and staying aware of probable tactics, such as fake delivery status updates. Most anti-malware programs are, as is the norm, finding and removing the Crypt0r Ransomware without any issues.

The fact that the Crypt0r Ransomware's attacks are young doesn't make them correspondingly weak or immature. To the contrary, the degree of Web support the Crypt0r Ransomware's author is providing makes this file-locker Trojan one that malware experts anticipate seeing for the rest of the month, or even longer than that.