Trojan:Win32/Usascape

Posted: December 14, 2015

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:	9/10
Infected PCs:	30

First Seen:	December 14, 2015
Last Seen:	October 5, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Trojan:Win32/Usascape is a Trojan that may make harmful changes to your Windows settings for facilitating future attacks, such as creating a backdoor that lets outsiders possess network control over your PC. Although Trojan:Win32/Usascape only has shown any compatibility with Windows systems, its settings changes may prevent data recovery or normal system startups. Malware experts recommend deleting Trojan:Win32/Usascape, like most high-level threats, with your pre-installed anti-malware programs supplemented by the basic security protocols in this article.

Trojan:Win32/Usascape: A Landscape of Broken Windows

Group Policy issues, sometimes seen in the payloads of high-level threats with backdoor or rootkit features, may be exploited by threats for locking PC owners out of their machines. Malware experts previously have covered similar attacks in such different campaigns as Firstsputnik.ru browser hijackers and the JASBUG exploit. December of 2015 has added a new threat to this category: Trojan:Win32/Usascape.

Trojan:Win32/Usascape's means of installation are unidentified, although similar threats have been seen bundling themselves with pirated software downloads, included in spam e-mail attachments or even downloaded via browser scripts forcibly. Whichever means by which the infection occurs, Trojan:Win32/Usascape's proceeds to make modifications to the Windows Group Policy that locks PC's users out of their admin account. Trojan:Win32/Usascape also may delete file information related to the Windows System Restore feature, which may prevent these attacks from being 'rolled back' by their victims.

While malware experts have yet to develop a full list of Trojan:Win32/Usascape's payload, such attempts to lock the owner out of their machine may be preludes to efforts at collecting information, such as passwords, SSNs or credit card details. Although most Trojans avoid destabilizing the underlying operating system, Trojan:Win32/Usascape also has a confirmed history for deleting essential system files, which could cause additional issues.

A Great Escape from Windows Reboot Problems

Although any Trojan:Win32/Usascape infection is a critical security risk for the associated machine, malware experts found current samples of threats incapable of blocking any Windows startups through the Safe Mode environment. Most Windows users can access the Boot Manager menu (and Safe Mode) by tapping F8 during a reboot. For Windows systems where this command is unavailable, booting from a USB-based recovery drive can provide the same function. With Safe Mode preventing Windows from launching any unnecessary programs, such as threats, you can scan your computer with whatever anti-malware tools you prefer for removing Trojan:Win32/Usascape.

While the full scope and objectives of Trojan:Win32/Usascape campaign currently are a mystery, malware experts do note that its default behavior makes backing up data an important security step for all Windows users. Keeping spare recovery drives and uploading data to safe locations, such as cloud servers, can help keep Trojan:Win32/Usascape's attacks from causing any irrevocable damage before you disinfect your PC.

Trojan:Win32/Usascape

Threat Metric

Trojan:Win32/Usascape: A Landscape of Broken Windows

A Great Escape from Windows Reboot Problems

Leave a Reply