HakunaMatata Ransomware
Threat Scorecard
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| Threat Level: | 100 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 4 |
| First Seen: | January 17, 2017 |
| Last Seen: | October 2, 2018 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The HakunaMatata Ransomware is a ransomware Trojan that is used to take the computer users' files hostage and then demand the payment of a large ransom in exchange for their recovery. The HakunaMatata Ransomware is similar to countless other ransomware Trojans that are active in the wild currently. PC security researchers advise computer users to take preventive steps to ensure that their files are well protected from these attacks. Some important steps to take include installing a reliable security program that is fully up-to-date and having backup copies of all files on an external memory device or the cloud.
Table of Contents
How the HakunaMatata Ransomware Infects a Computer
The files infected by the HakunaMatata Ransomware will be marked with the file extension '.HakunaMatata,' a philosophy that became popular in Walt Disney's 'The Lion King' and its subsequent spin-offs. It is not uncommon to find threats like this one that are themed around a popular video game, movie or TV show. The HakunaMatata Ransomware, despite its carefree appearance, does, in fact, carry out a very effective ransomware attack, encrypting the victims' files by using a strong encryption method. The HakunaMatata Ransomware then demands the payment of a large ransom through BitCoins, an anonymous online currency. The most common way in which the HakunaMatata Ransomware is distributed to potential victims is through corrupted email attachments included in spam email messages that are part of a social engineering campaign frequently.
How the HakunaMatata Ransomware Carries out Its Attack
PC security researchers suspect that the HakunaMatata Ransomware is a standalone threat, meaning that it does not seem to be a variant of an already existing threat. The HakunaMatata Ransomware's encryption engine is based on an open source code that was altered by the HakunaMatata Ransomware's authors substantially. The encryption method includes a combination of the RSA and AES encryption to make the victim's files inaccessible completely. The HakunaMatata Ransomware also creates a list of the files encrypted during the HakunaMatata Ransomware attack. In most cases, the HakunaMatata Ransomware is installed in the Temp directory with an executable file that is named randomly. In most cases, the HakunaMatata Ransomware's executable file will be named after a legitimate application, such as Google Chrome or Adobe Reader as a way to confuse computer users attempting to find it or detect its presence on the Windows Task Manager. In computers with large amounts of data, the entire encryption process may take a long time. The HakunaMatata Ransomware targets common file types associated with popular applications, as well as typical media and image file types for audio, music and video files. The files encrypted by the HakunaMatata Ransomware will have the extension '.HakunaMatata' added to their file names, making it very simple to figure out which files have been compromised during the attack. The HakunaMatata Ransomware delivers its ransom note by using the victim's Web browser, which opens a file named 'Recovers files yako.html.' Victims of the HakunaMatata Ransomware are asked to contact the HakunaMatata Ransomware's creators using BitMessage, an online chat service.
Dealing with the HakunaMatata Ransomware and Preventing an Attack
The HakunaMatata Ransomware carries out an effective encryption attack, despite not having strong evasive methods. Data that has been encrypted by the HakunaMatata Ransomware cannot be decrypted currently. Because of this, it is necessary to take preventive measures. The following are some steps computer users can take to minimize the damage in case of a HakunaMatata Ransomware infection:
- Have backups of all files on an external memory device or the cloud to allow quick recovery of any infected files.
- Install a reliable security program that is fully up-to-date. This can help detect the HakunaMatata Ransomware infection before it carries out its attack and can be used to remove the HakunaMatata Ransomware before restoring files from a backup.
- Use an anti-spam filter and take extra care when handling spam email messages, never opening any unsolicited email attachments.
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