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XYZware Ransomware

Posted: February 21, 2017

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 8/10
Infected PCs: 96
First Seen: February 21, 2017
Last Seen: February 2, 2023
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The XYZware Ransomware is a variant of the MafiaWare Ransomware, a member of a group of Trojans that uses the AES encryption to hold your files hostage in exchange for ransom money. Although the con artists in this campaign use payment methods that are not refundable, preserving backups can help you protect your data from any infection-related damages. Malware experts also recommend using anti-malware software for scanning e-mail attachments and other infection vectors to delete the XYZware Ransomware before it installs itself.

January's Gang Still at Work

As a set of code open to exploitation of any would-be extortionist with enthusiasm for file-based extortion virtually, Hidden Tear has seen significant reuse in the threat community. Even though many of these Trojan campaigns operate independently of one another, sometimes, con artists will upgrade their Trojans or switch to new ones. One of the newest updates in file-encrypting threats malware experts see is with the XYZware Ransomware, a February-detected Trojan that seems to be a replacement or supplement for the MafiaWare Ransomware.

As derivatives of Hidden Tear, both of these Trojans use the AES encryption (128-bit) to lock your files by reordering their internal data into ciphers. Although changes to names or extensions also accompany most attacks of this nature, malware researchers have been unable to verify which name modification the XYZware Ransomware uses. The XYZware Ransomware and other Hidden Tear-related Trojans also generate text files that con artists can use for delivering their ransom demands.

The XYZware Ransomware's authors seem to target recreational-use systems with small ransom fees of 0.2 Bitcoins (221 USD), and also warn that they'll delete the decryption key required for unlocking the files if two days pass without payment. While the details of the encryption algorithm in use are not inaccurate necessarily, malware experts do emphasize that free decryption solutions sometimes are possible for Hidden Tear-based threats like the XYZware Ransomware.

Ending the Profitability of an End of the Alphabet Trojan

Depending on their generosity, paying the XYZware Ransomware's authors their Bitcoin ransom may or may not give you access to a real decryptor that can restore your files to their original formats. However, the Hidden Tear family has had its encryption algorithm broken in the past, leading to the creation of no-charge decryption tools by various entities in the cyber security sector.

For victims who find the above software ineffective, malware experts would advise using non-local backups for restoration whenever possible. The XYZware Ransomware should be assumed, like most versions of Hidden Tear, to have the capacity to delete local backups (such as Windows Shadow Copies) automatically.

Many anti-malware products can identify and remove the XYZware Ransomware, and other Hidden Tear Trojans, on sight. Since this Trojan can cause file damages that aren't simple to revert necessarily, a measure of foresight and conservative Web-browsing behavior offer cheap and time-efficient solutions to its attacks. The XYZware Ransomware's campaign, like any threat attack leveraging extortion as its end game, requires the victim to make various security missteps both initially and after the infection occurs.

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