A New Ransomware Strain Spreading Rapidly and Infected More than 100,000 Computers

A new ransomware strain spreading as a result of supply chain attack targeting Chinese users starting from December 1 and infected more than 100,000 computers.

The ransomware not only encrypting the system files, but it is also capable of stealing login credentials of popular Chinese online services such as Taobao, Baidu Cloud, NetEase 163, Tencent QQ, Jingdong, and Alipay.

Velvet security researchers who analyzed the ransomware variant found that the attackers added malicious code to easy language programming software and the malicious code will be injected to various other software compiled with it.

In total more than 50 software poisoned with the malicious code, and the ransomware operators using Chinese social networking Douban for C&C communication. The Ransomware also tracks the details of the software installed on the victim’s computer.

The following are the information collected from Victim machine’s, the ransomware operators primarily targeting Chinese users.

• System version information, current system login username, system login time
  CPU model.
• Screen resolution.
• IP and broadband provider name.
• Software installation information.
• Security software process information.
• Online shopping account login information, email login information, QQ number login information, network disk login information, etc.

Generally, Ransomware authors ask victims to make ransom payments through bitcoins, but with this campaign, the threat actors asked victims to make payment through WeChat payment app. Ransomware operators demand victims to pay a ransom of 110 yuan which is nearly $16.

Decryption tool released by Velvet team, WeChat have closed the account used for collecting ransom payments. Here you can see how to Defend the Ransomware Attack.

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