Drive-by ransomware attack demands $120

Researchers at SophosLabs are analysing a new ransomware attack that appears to have hit computer users via a drive-by vulnerability on compromised websites.

Malicious hackers are spreading the ransomware, which encrypts media and Office files on victim’s computers, in an attempt to extort $120. In a nutshell – you can’t access your files because the malicious code has encrypted them (in our observations, the whole file isn’t encrypted – just the first 10% or so), and the hackers want you to pay the ransom if you want your valuable data back.

The attack, which Sophos detects as Troj/Ransom-U, changes your Windows desktop wallpaper to deliver the first part of the ransom message.

The main ransom demand is contained in a text file:

Attention!!!

All your personal files (photo, documents, texts, databases, certificates, kwm-files, video) have been encrypted by…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is a veteran of the anti-virus industry having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent security analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of computer security, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter at @gcluley, on Mastodon at @[email protected], or drop him an email.