Supern0va Ransomware

Posted: October 3, 2012

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:	91

First Seen:	October 3, 2012
Last Seen:	January 21, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Supern0va is a police ransomware Trojan that also includes optional attack functions (such as locking your computer or blocking specific memory processes). Because Supern0va is distributed through malicious online advertisements, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers advise that you keep live anti-malware protection to block Supern0va-downloading exploits that can occur in your web browser – that is, if you're not comfortable with the simple solution of blocking all advertisements entirely. Besides the conveniences that its managing client offers for criminals, Supern0va's attacks are derivative and use fraudulent pop-ups to make you pay a ransom that's supposedly requested by the Sacem National Police or other law enforcement organizations. If you see symptoms of a Supern0va attack, you should delete Supern0va with an anti-malware product right away, along with taking any steps that are needed to regain access to your computer beforehand.

How This Year's April Brought More Problems than Spring Showers

Besides being a Trojan, Supern0va also is a criminally-used product for managing large networks of botnets and their corresponding attacks. Supern0va was first seen in April of 2012 and is most well-known for its primary attack, a police ransomware function that displays a fraudulent Sacem Police alert. As a music rights organization similar to GEMA or the RIAA (the former of which has also been used by Ransirac police ransomware), Sacem is responsible for guarding against illegal music downloads and similar types of broadly-applicable computer crimes. Naturally, the pop-up alert that Supern0va displays after its installation includes an announcement that your PC must be locked due to music copyright-related crimes. However, Supern0va isn't affiliated with Sacem and is far more illegal than the crimes that Supern0va claims have been committed. Other alerts are also possible, such as pop-ups concerning the UK Metropolitan Police.

Supern0va's pop-up demands that you pay a fifty-to-one-hundred Euro fine via Paysafecard or Ukash, and helpfully even lists a few of the stores where you can acquire Supern0va. Supern0va also includes an option to lock Windows during its attack, although, unlike most types of police ransomware, Supern0va doesn't implement this second function by default. Like all ransomware Trojans, Supern0va shouldn't be given in to, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend deleting Supern0va with an anti-malware product of your preference.

The Rest of the Arsenal in Supern0va's Willing Hands

Even though many ransomware Trojans are, with respect to their functions, fairly self-contained, with all of their attacks designed to lock you out of your computer and display fraudulent alerts, Supern0va also includes other capabilities that can be applied on a wide scale. Specifically, SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have noted:

The ability to terminate the processes of arbitrary programs.
Distribution of Supern0va through USB devices and P2P clients.
Installing other PC threats onto your computer.
Uploading/downloading files, which includes the possibility of stealing personal information.

For the most part, Supern0va is a threat to France and United Kingdom-based PC users, although similar police ransomware-based malware can be found targeting other countries, including most of Europe and North America. If you're unable to delete Supern0va with anti-malware software due to said software being blocked, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend using Safe Mode or a USB drive device to disable Supern0va first. Any USB devices should also be scanned to prevent Supern0va from spreading to them.

Supern0va Ransomware

Threat Metric

How This Year's April Brought More Problems than Spring Showers

The Rest of the Arsenal in Supern0va's Willing Hands

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