W32/XDocCrypt.a

Posted: August 14, 2012

Threat Metric

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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.

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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.

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Threat Level:	9/10
Infected PCs:	7

First Seen:	August 14, 2012
Last Seen:	October 18, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

W32/XDocCrypt.a is a virus that infects EXE and Microsoft Office files, temporarily encrypting them before W32/XDocCrypt.a conceals them in a semi-random location with the Hidden attribute. Unlike most viruses, W32/XDocCrypt.a doesn't infect new files immediately after you launch a W32/XDocCrypt.a-infected file – instead, W32/XDocCrypt.a's execution triggers the creation of an infector file that launches only after your PC reboots. Files that are damaged by W32/XDocCrypt.a can be restored with minimal trouble, but W32/XDocCrypt.a should be considered a danger to your PC as long as W32/XDocCrypt.as infecting any files on your hard drive, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers recommend deleting W32/XDocCrypt.a with anti-malware software that's capable of identifying virus-infected files easily.

Why W32/XDocCrypt.a May Deceive Your Eyes, But Not Your Operating System

W32/XDocCrypt.a is a virus that adds its code to files of the types EXE (executable), DOC (Word document) and XLS (Excel spreadsheet). These files are renamed with special unicode characters so that they can be launched as SCR (screen saver) executable files, although they'll continue to display their normal file names, icons and extensions. SpywareRemove.com malware experts note that this simple ruse can be pierced by checking W32/XDocCrypt.a-infected files in the Command Prompt program, which will display the hidden SCR extensions. Windows Explorer also will show the true file type in the 'Type' field, despite the rest of its interface displaying the original file types (EXE, DOC or XLS).

Launching a file that's infected by W32/XDocCrypt.a will cause W32/XDocCrypt.a to drop a shortcut and infector file on your PC in a random APPDATA subfolder. A Registry entry is also created so that this secondary component of W32/XDocCrypt.a launches itself whenever your PC reboots. Finally, the original 'host' file is given a 'Hidden' flag to conceal W32/XDocCrypt.a from your view. Prior to this last function, W32/XDocCrypt.a will encrypt its host file, possibly as a security measure.

Putting an End to W32/XDocCrypt.a's File-Altering Hijinks

W32/XDocCrypt.a's encryption can, if necessary, be removed by anti-encryption utilities and some related security products, since W32/XDocCrypt.a uses a standard (and, fortunately, simple to crack) RC4 algorithm for its encryption attack. Likewise, files that are temporarily concealed with the Hidden flag can be restored to normal once they're located, although you may need to delete W32/XDocCrypt.a before you can access your file-viewing settings and allow them to display Hidden files by default.

As a virus that uses innocent files as hosts and makes substantial alterations to those files, W32/XDocCrypt.a should be removed by anti-malware programs that can disinfect W32/XDocCrypt.a-infected files without harming them. SpywareRemove.com malware experts also emphasize W32/XDocCrypt.a as another reason why you may wish to back up your documents frequently to protect them from damage by PC threats.

W32/XDocCrypt.a can also be detected by aliases such as Trojan.Exprez.B, Virus:Win32/Quervar.B, Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Dorifel.hcl and W32/BadBreak.A.

Technical Details

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\{Value}HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows load = "path to shortcut file"