SmartRansom Ransomware

Posted: May 30, 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:	57

First Seen:	May 30, 2017
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The SmartRansom Ransomware is a Trojan that displays a pop-up with the intention of blocking your access to the desktop and other applications. Although this threat claims to damage your local files, malware experts have yet to see such features in its current build, although its development may be ongoing. Use anti-malware programs to delete the SmartRansom Ransomware before it causes any system access issues, or, if necessary, the simple techniques described in this article to disable it.

Bar Code-Based Ransoms Back in Style

Another screen-locking threat is under analysis since the tail-end of May, with all samples targeting Chinese PC users. Although the SmartRansom Ransomware displays the symptoms most usually associated with attempts to extort Bitcoins or other cryptocurrency-based payments, it makes other requests of its victims, possibly to redirect Web traffic and increase advertising statistics. It also includes 'false advertising' in the same attacks that implies that it's causing more damage to the infected PC than malware experts can confirm.

While the SmartRansom Ransomware samples are detectable under multiple, active names, its threat actors aren't using disguises, such as fake extensions, to hide its executable format or nature as a program. This absence suggests that the means of threat installation are using non-consensual strategies, such as an exploit kit that could load through a compromised site and download the SmartRansom Ransomware automatically.

Once it runs in a Windows environment, the SmartRansom Ransomware displays an image of an Asian model briefly, before switching to its 'lock-screen' message. This note claims that the Trojan is encrypting your 'important' files and tells you to scan the included barcode to pay for the decryption solution. Versions of the SmartRansom Ransomware that malware experts can analyze don't display any file-encoding functions, however, although their pop-ups may block the users interface until they remove it.

The Only Intelligent Thing to Do about the SmartRansom Ransomware

The SmartRansom Ransomware's authors use their 'ransom' methods to provide their victims with Web addresses to Chinese video websites, which seems to be for inflating view statistics. While less immediately damaging to the user than, for example, paying Bitcoins, following the SmartRansom Ransomware's extortion plan remains unnecessary and unsafe potentially. At the same time, its attacks make your computer unusable effectively until you disable or remove the Trojan.

The SmartRansom Ransomware's screen-locking features have no protection from window-closing shortcuts, such as Windows's Alt+F4. However, even with its pop-up closed, the SmartRansom Ransomware may maintain a background memory presence. Malware experts heavily encourage restarting your computer with either a secondary device or the Safe Mode feature before you uninstall the SmartRansom Ransomware with any anti-malware product.

It never is safe to take the word of a Trojan for granted as being honest. Threats like the SmartRansom Ransomware may try to distract the people they attack with flashy photographs and non-traditional ransoming messages, but the digital hostage-taking scenario is just as grounded in deception as always.

SmartRansom Ransomware

Threat Metric

Bar Code-Based Ransoms Back in Style

The Only Intelligent Thing to Do about the SmartRansom Ransomware

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