'.wcry File Extension' Ransomware

Posted: February 14, 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:	8/10
Infected PCs:	16

First Seen:	February 14, 2017
Last Seen:	October 28, 2021
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware is a file-locking Trojan that uses encryption to hold the contents of your PC hostage until you pay its author. Because paying these ransoms doesn't always result in a reciprocal recovery service, malware experts highly encourage that you make periodic backups of any files on your computer. Updated anti-malware software also have the potential to prevent any damage by identifying and deleting the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware in the delivery stage.

Everything You Need to Throw Away Your Money in One Pop-Up

With file-encrypting Trojans becoming more and more of a routine threat for extorting money, malware researchers find a comprehensive range of different social engineering techniques being used to support them. Although the simple act of making a backup and saving it to a safe location can prevent almost all threats of this type from causing any serious data preservation issues, new threats are continuing to target PC users that don't use backups with 'fast and easy' ransoming propositions. For new Trojans like the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware, the threat actor consolidates all the information they want the victim to know inside of a simple notification window.

The '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware's features include:

A Command & Control server-based network connection may notify the threat actor about the infection or transfer pertinent file-unlocking data (such as a decryption key) into his possession. Like many Trojan campaigns, this C&C server abuses the Tor Web-browsing application for its anonymity-enhancing features.
The '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware encrypts and blocks the usage of any files matching its list, which includes audio, movie, document, spreadsheet and slideshow presentation formats, among others. The appending of the '.wcry' extension to every filename gives the user an immediate way of identifying which files are non-working.
The '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware's last feature malware experts note as significant is its interactive notification pop-up, which comprises of a countdown before its ransom doubles, demands for a Bitcoin payment (starting at 0.1, equal to 101 USD) for recovering the enciphered files, and general educational links about cryptocurrency. It also embeds the decryptor link in this window for a streamlined 'pay, wait, and decrypt' experience.

Keeping a Trojan's Authors Crying about Poor Profits

Since malware researchers have yet to note any breakthroughs in decrypting the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware, making regular backups and storing them in secure locations, such as USB devices, offers the readiest recovery solution to its attacks. Early samples of the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware show some signs of imitating Windows tools like the Task Manager, although the threat most likely is installing itself with other names, such as ones reminiscent of workplace documents or memos. PC users should continue monitoring RDP settings and e-mail attachments for attempts to breach workplace systems, and, for recreational computers, scan any suspicious downloads with appropriate security software.

Current anti-malware solutions may need database updates for detecting and removing the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware before it compromises any local files. Although the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware ignores executable files and, as a result, shouldn't damage your essential applications currently, minor changes to its whitelist could cause vastly increased harm to an infected PC. For the moment, malware experts only are seeing the '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware in Windows executable formats, making Windows users at the most risk of ransoming attacks.

Modern, high-tech extortion requires convincing the victim with a combination of applied force and disingenuous bargaining just as much as any 'gun to the head' scenario. Avoiding a situation where you could see a '.wcry File Extension' Ransomware pop-up at all is, by far, the easiest means of defending both your data and the rest of your PC from this Trojan's attacks.

'.wcry File Extension' Ransomware

Threat Metric

Everything You Need to Throw Away Your Money in One Pop-Up

Keeping a Trojan's Authors Crying about Poor Profits

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