V3JS Ransomware

The V3JS Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that holds the user's digital media hostage by encrypting it. Its symptoms include a pop-up alert with English-Polish ransom demands, a timer and a decryption option. Users should reserve backups of their work on other devices for recovering anything that it locks and have a trusted anti-malware product immediately uninstall the V3JS Ransomware from an infected PC.

Polish as the Lingua Franca of a Would-Be Extortionist

A file-locking Trojan's visuals can be misleading, as in the case of the Pethya Zaplat Zasifrovano Ransomware, or informative – and, in some cases, both of the two. With new samples of a Windows Trojan with file-locking features, malware experts can note some likely distribution metrics and some payment history that might help a potential victim dodge the threat. Those who don't and let their files experience the attacks of the V3JS Ransomware will find that most of their media files are at a dead standstill.

Many of the V3JS Ransomware's features are long-standardized throughout the file-locker Trojan industry. It encrypts formats of media that are of possible value to users, such as documents or pictures. However, it doesn't add extensions to the files' names, which is a characteristic of most Trojan families that feature encryption routines. The V3JS Ransomware may be either an amateur or incomplete production, with samples in databases for testing detection rates and obfuscation.

The more intriguing side of the V3JS Ransomware is in its pop-up: an HTA page that resembles a dumbed-down WannaCryptor Ransomware. The Trojan asks for Bitcoins in English and Polish, includes some obvious typos, and provides a wallet – but no known means of contacting the attacker. Since the attacker can't communicate with the victim, paying the ransom serves no purpose; doing so doesn't trigger an auto-decryption feature from the V3JS Ransomware.

Malware experts also point out that the V3JS Ransomware's wallet is in use, but with a variable transaction history suggestive of non-ransoming activity. Most experienced threat actors use temporary, dedicated Bitcoin addresses for their Trojans' campaigns, and the lack of such here is one more element of questionable professionalism.

The Difficulties of Even the Poorest-Programmed Trojans

Encryption security isn't much of a problem for any threat actor capable of Googling basic programming tutorials. Most users shouldn't assume that unlocking or decrypting files ever is possible. Malware experts further see no current vulnerabilities that might lead to a third-party solution in the V3JS Ransomware case. Data recovery usually should involve backups from other storage devices or PCs, which aren't as much at risk of facing deletion, corruption or encryption.

Windows users should guard against infection possibilities from this threat's November-dated campaign comprehensively. Threat actors may drop Trojans like the V3JS Ransomware after infecting systems through e-mail attachments like fake Coronavirus reports, use torrents for randomly-picked victims, or brute-force a network or server's login credentials. Software vulnerabilities from out-of-date builds or the presence of features like Flash or JavaScript always are relevant dangers.

Still, dedicated cyber-security companies should recognize this Trojan as a threat and block installation efforts. Users also may remove the V3JS Ransomware installations through traditional security software.

It's not too typical for a Trojan like the V3JS Ransomware to tip its hand early. Users can anticipate Poland-based attacks and tactics with a file-locking campaign behind them, but it remains to see whether they use the intelligence or ignore it.