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New Ransomware Written Entirely In JavaScript (scmagazine.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Security researchers have discovered a new form of ransomware written entirely in JavaScript and using the CryptoJS library to encode a user's files. Researchers say the file is being distributed through email attachments, according to SC Magazine, which reports that "Opening the attachment kicks off a series of steps that not only locks up the victim's files, but also downloads some additional malware onto the target computer. The attachment does not visibly do anything, but appears to the victim as a corrupted file. However, in fact it is busy doing its dirty work in the background. This includes deleting the Windows Volume Shadow Copy so the encrypted files cannot be recovered and the ransomware is set to run every time Windows starts up so it can capture any new information."
"It's a little bit unusual to see an actual piece of ransomware powered by a scripting language," one security executive tells the magazine, which suggests disabling e-mail attachments that contain a JavaScript file.
"It's a little bit unusual to see an actual piece of ransomware powered by a scripting language," one security executive tells the magazine, which suggests disabling e-mail attachments that contain a JavaScript file.
What has it been, maybe three decades of this kind of thing? At some point, do we expect people to develop enough technical literacy to avoid this kind of problem?
Note that I'm not saying it is the user's fault. It is the fault of the people writing the ransomware, pure and simple. But it's like walking through the bad part of Philly at night flashing bling all over and being visibly drunk. Yes, it's the muggers fault when you get mugged... but it is still worth pointing out that maybe your choices made your risk be higher than it had to be.. That is not "victim blaming". It's victim helping.
Since malware has been around for a long time, it's pure wishful thinking to imagine it's going away any time soon. So, you have to protect yourself.
Running executable and/or scripted email attachments from NigerianPrice204@notmalware.ng or ThisIsBeckyFromAccounting@No.Really is not how you protect yourself. It's been 30+ years of this. The details change, but the problem remains. Maybe it's time for people to start learning.