"Dormant" Ransomware Makes Victims Worldwide

Main Locker Screen

This week, the world of computers with a new ransomware variant infected become infected systems which quietly and suddenly became active on 25 May. It is the locker-ransomware which like other kinds of ransomware specimens encrypts files on the system.

According Bleeping Computer is a large number of people worldwide affected by the malware. After the encryption users will see a notification that they have to pay 0.1 bitcoin. That comes with the current exchange rate equivalent to 22 euros. An amount that is one-tenth of what questions ransomware many other instances. In the warning that users get to see is further stated that they should not investigate Locker ransomware or remove, because the private key will be destroyed and the data is no longer decrypt.

Experts, however, that this is just a way to scare people so that they pay the amount requested. Besides the forum Bleeping Computer are also social news site Reddit been several reports of the victims appeared to have the amount paid. It is the low price of 22 euros given as a reason to watch or by paying the files are recoverable. Several victims have thereby know that after the pay could decrypt their files and so got back.

How Locker ransomware exactly spreads is not yet confirmed, but possibly it is a cracked version of Minecraft or sports streaming sites, although e-mail attachments and exploits are mentioned. The ransomware would just delete the Volume Shadow Copies on the C drive. This would be possible through the Volume Shadow Copies of other disks for files that have been encrypted there without paying retrieve .

New Leak Can Crash 115,000 Minecraft Servers

A security researcher has published found vulnerability in Minecraft after nearly two years in 2013, allowing an attacker can certainly crash 115,000 Minecraft servers. Ammar Askar warned on July 28, 2013 Minecraft developer Mojang for a vulnerability in the popular game, more globally than 100 million registered players.

By sending to make a simple package, it was possible to let Minecraft-servers crash. As proof Askar also developed an exploit. Despite repeated attempts to contact an update remained, making the researcher, now almost two years later, has revealed the leak. The original vulnerability was discovered in version 1.6.2. Meanwhile 1.8.3 the latest version and this version is also vulnerable.
Servers

Research by the Shodan search engine that took place in late March this year, shows that worldwide certainly 115,000 Minecraft servers are online. Blog Posting of Askar in which he revealed the vulnerability also provided the necessary attention and brought him back into contact with developer Mojang. The company said work on an update. A previous solution would not have solved the problem, but Askar think Mojang had no solution developed, as he had sent an exploit to test his bug message.

Yet in retrospect, he suggests that he probably should have given the company a final warning before he revealed the vulnerability. "A combination of miscommunication and lack of testing led to this situation. Hopefully it's a good learning experience," says the researcher.

New Ransomware Encrypts Computer Games And iTunes

Researchers have discovered a new form of ransomware that encrypts data from popular computer games like Call of Duty, Minecraft and World of Warcraft, as well as files from iTunes. It is a variant of the Crypto Locker ransomware via a recently patched flaw in Flash Player and a parent leak in IE spreads, let security bromine in a report to know.

For this, use the cyber criminals flash ad banners. An infected banner sends visitors to the website on which it is displayed automatically to another website, where it attempts to infect your computer through vulnerabilities in IE and Flash Player.Remarkably, the banner only users of Internet Explorer and Opera forward.

The attack is successful, the ransomware 185 will encrypt various file extensions. It also includes those stocks of computer games. Something unprecedented as bromine. The ransomware looks for specific games and gaming software directories like Steam, publishers, and development software. What is striking is that there are many "classics" stand between, like Diablo, Fallout 3, Half-Life 2 and WarCraft 3. Also, several online games targeted, including World of Warcraft, Day S, League of Legends and World of Tanks.

Evolution

"Encrypting these games shows an evolution in the crypto-ransomware which cyber criminals focus on niches," said the researchers. According bromine may be that young adults have no important files on their computers and store photos in the cloud. "But most certainly have a Steam account with some games and an iTunes account full of music."

"Even for adults these attacks can be frustrating, as they lose their games with the rest of their personal data." Remarkable about the games that are encrypted that these popular games, but not for games that currently top the list of most played and best-selling games. It is therefore possible that the ransomware maker games has chosen who he likes to play.