Hidden Tear Ransomware – An Open Source Terror for Windows Operating System
Flog of ransomware is by far today’s biggest computer security concern. Threat actors have stepped into the crypto realm & thrown down the gantlet to antivirus labs hat are still figuring out ways to do away with his challenge.
Ransomware based on open source code, especially variants based on Hidden Tear continue to proliferate to spread consternation among masses and hence reap monetary gains.
The ease of availability and deployment of this open source Ransomware code allows even novice developers to extort victims with this ransomware family. The first few Hidden Tear-based variants didn’t stray far from originals. But it comes as no surprise that the developers of ransomware keep building on the released code with minor tweaks to create improved variants.
HiddenTear Ransomware family leverages AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm to encrypt certain types of files. Originally known as Rijndael, this algorithm is symmetric, that means that encryption and decryption keys are identical for this Ransomware. The key can be 128, 192, or 256 bits long.
Files encrypted by this Ransomware gain a file extension that varies based on its variant. Hidden Tear has an encryption backdoor, i.e. the encryption key is transmitted to attacker’s remote server so that it’s only available to the operator.
To recover the encrypted data, the victim needs to have a specially crafted decryption program and the secret key at their disposal. These two prerequisites are the objects of negotiation, or rather, a bargain between the perpetrator and the user.
Victim is informed about the encryption via a ransom note. The note claims to provide a document with detailed recovery instructions and relevant hyperlinks once the ransom is paid. However victims are recommended not to fall in the trap as they are often ignored once the ransom is paid.
Hidden Tear Ransomware Distribution
Read Full Article :- Click here
Ransomware based on open source code, especially variants based on Hidden Tear continue to proliferate to spread consternation among masses and hence reap monetary gains.
The ease of availability and deployment of this open source Ransomware code allows even novice developers to extort victims with this ransomware family. The first few Hidden Tear-based variants didn’t stray far from originals. But it comes as no surprise that the developers of ransomware keep building on the released code with minor tweaks to create improved variants.
Hidden Tear Ransomware- Threat Behavior
Hidden Tear is the first open- source Ransomware Trojan that targets Microsoft windows operating system. During its release, the Ransomware was advertised as being created “only for educational purposes”. However, these were quickly abused by cyber criminals.HiddenTear Ransomware family leverages AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm to encrypt certain types of files. Originally known as Rijndael, this algorithm is symmetric, that means that encryption and decryption keys are identical for this Ransomware. The key can be 128, 192, or 256 bits long.
Files encrypted by this Ransomware gain a file extension that varies based on its variant. Hidden Tear has an encryption backdoor, i.e. the encryption key is transmitted to attacker’s remote server so that it’s only available to the operator.
To recover the encrypted data, the victim needs to have a specially crafted decryption program and the secret key at their disposal. These two prerequisites are the objects of negotiation, or rather, a bargain between the perpetrator and the user.
Victim is informed about the encryption via a ransom note. The note claims to provide a document with detailed recovery instructions and relevant hyperlinks once the ransom is paid. However victims are recommended not to fall in the trap as they are often ignored once the ransom is paid.
Hidden Tear Ransomware Distribution
Read Full Article :- Click here
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