TrumpLocker Ransomware

Posted: February 22, 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:	171

First Seen:	February 22, 2017
Last Seen:	May 2, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The TrumpLocker Ransomware is a modified version of VenusLocker, a Trojan that encodes your files so that it can require a Bitcoin ransom in exchange for unlocking them. Its attacks are most remediable directly by using backups that you can restore over any encrypted media and appropriate security protocols to block the threat's installation attempts. No free decryption services for this Trojan exist currently, but various anti-malware products are capable of removing the TrumpLocker Ransomware from your system.

Electing File-Encoding Threats Straight to Your Desktop

Although it's been months since the VenusLocker Ransomware has made new headlines, new developments in its family appear to be occurring thanks either to the original threat actors or a third-party with access to the same code. The TrumpLocker Ransomware, as a Trojan for 2017 branded appropriately, includes some minor updates to its ransoming communications and pop-ups but, in other aspects of its payload, functions identically to the VenusLocker Ransomware. Both Trojans encrypt a range of file formats and exploit their blocking of them to extort money.

The TrumpLocker Ransomware's installation methods are, as of yet, unidentified, but it does require network connectivity, both for downloading its encryption key and loading the configuration settings for its ransom messages. After it receives the encryption data, the TrumpLocker Ransomware scans for files matching one of two lists of whitelisted formats and encrypts them, as long as they aren't in blacklisted directories (such as the Windows folder).

Malware experts also can confirm that the TrumpLocker Ransomware carries over the partial encryption method of the VenusLocker Ransomware that lets the Trojan encode a set number of bytes for some files, while others experience a full encoding. No matter how the Trojan locks each file, it encrypts their full names and gives them new extensions ('.TheTrumpLockerp') that overwrite the old ones. This change obscures the identity of any locked content, possibly adding more incentive to the ransoms the TrumpLocker Ransomware promotes through its other features.

Escaping a Political Campaign for Bitcoins

The TrumpLocker Ransomware's signature symptom is the temporary, Donald Trump-themed pop-up image that it displays after it locks your files. The pop-up is a preliminary for the TrumpLocker Ransomware's more permanent desktop-hijacking feature, as well as Notepad and HTA files, all of which offer information related to unlocking your content in return for Bitcoins. Since victims can't seek refunds after making Bitcoin transfers to these people's digital wallet, the TrumpLocker Ransomware's admin has no motivation for providing the technical support these instructions promise.

The TrumpLocker Ransomware's payload takes into account the presence of the Shadow Volume Copies and deletes them, preventing you from recovering your data through the Windows default safeguards. However, external backups are highly reliable methods of retrieving your encrypted media. Malware experts also note that a victim theoretically disabling network connectivity immediately after an infection could prevent the TrumpLocker Ransomware from downloading the data it uses for locking your files.

It takes little effort for old threatening software to renew its relevance in the current cyber security landscape. Lest PC users think that it's safe to drop their guard, con artists like those managing the TrumpLocker Ransomware still are seeking easy ways of making money even if the only way they can do so it is by keeping you from using your files.

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:

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 924.16 KB (924160 bytes)
MD5: c6210a32147375a819ddfb586230ddd1
Detection count: 32
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 28, 2017

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\TheTrumpLocker