Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware

The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware is a ransomware Trojan that disguises itself as a Windows updater. This is a tactic that PC security researchers observed before in the case of the Fantom Ransomware, seen in August 2016. The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware was first observed in April 201, and it is not clear if it is related in some way to this previous ransomware Trojan. The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware carries out a typical ransomware attack, encrypting the victim's files and then demanding the payment of a ransom to deliver the decryption key needed to recover the files.

The Misdeeds of the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware

The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware uses a typical approach seen numerous times in other ransomware Trojans. The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware uses a combination of the AES and RSA encryptions to make the victim's files inaccessible completely. The Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware then delivers the following ransom note to the victim, asking for the payment of 0.02 BitCoin to deliver the decryption key needed to recover the affected files:

'YOUR FILES HAS BEEN ENCRYPTED
Your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key, generated for this computer.
Private decryption key is stored on a secret Internet server and nobody can decrypt your files until you pay and obtain the private key.
Now you have the last chance to decrypt your files.
1. Buy Bitcoin (https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Buying_bitcoins)
2. Send amount of 0.02 BTC to address: 3BsyRz2scfvXcWRaycPoizEH5hAbDmWcpNE
3. Transaction will take about 15-30 minutes to confirm.
4. When transaction is confirmed, send email to us at ransomwareinc@yopmail.com
5. Write subject of your mail with :
'Restore my files ***'
6. Write content of your mail with :
'Bitcoin payment : (YOUR BITCOIN TRANSACTION ID)
Computer Identifier : *** '
7. We will contact you back with your private key.
button [RESTORE]'

From the ransom note, it is clear that the people responsible for the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware attack are not native English speakers. After the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware encrypts the victim's files and demands its ransom payment, many computer users will be tempted to give in and pay. PC security researchers strongly advise against this. The people setting up these attacks may ignore the payments and infect victim's computers repeatedly, creating more threats from the profits gained from the victims' ransom payments additionally. In its attack, the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware will target the following file types, encrypt them and make them inaccessible completely:

.001, .1cd, .3d, .3d4, .3df8, .3fr, .3g2, .3gp, .3gp2, .3mm, .7z, .aac, .abk, .abw, .ac3, .accdb, .ace, .act, .ade, .adi, .adpb, .adr, .adt, .ai, .aim, .aip, .ais, .amf, .amr, .amu, .amx, .amxx, .ans, .ap, .ape, .api, .apk, .arc, .arch00, .ari, .arj, .aro, .arr, .arw, .asa, .asc, .ascx, .ase, .asf, .ashx, .asmx, .asp, .aspx, .asr, .asset, .avi, .avs, .bak, .bar, .bay, .bc6, .bc7, .bck, .bdp, .bdr, .bib, .bic, .big, .bik, .bkf, .bkp, .blob, .blp, .bmc, .bmf, .bml, .bmp, .boc, .bp2, .bp3, .bpl, .bsa, .bsp, .cag, .cam, .cap, .car, .cas, .cbr, .cbz, .cc, .ccd, .cch, .cd, .cdr, .cer, .cfg, .cfr, .cgf, .chk, .clr, .cms, .cod, .col, .cp, .cpp, .cr2, .crd, .crt, .crw, .cs, .csi, .cso, .css, .csv, .ctt, .cty, .cwf, .d3dbsp, .dal, .dap, .das, .dayzprofile, .dazip, .db0, .dbb, .dbf, .dbfv, .dbx, .dcp, .dcr, .dcu, .ddc, .ddcx, .dem, .der, .desc, .dev, .dex, .dic, .dif, .dii, .dir, .disk, .divx, .diz, .djvu, .dmg, .dmp, .dng, .dob, .doc, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .dox, .dpk, .dpl, .dpr, .dsk, .dsp, .dvd, .dvi, .dvx, .dwg, .dxe, .dxf, .dxg, .elf, .epk, .eps, .eql, .erf, .err, .esm, .euc, .evo, .ex, .exif , .f90, .faq, .fcd, .fdr, .fds, .ff, .fla, .flac, .flp, .flv, .for, .forge, .fos, .fpk, .fpp, .fsh, .gam, .gdb, .gho, .gif, .grf, .gthr, .gz, .gzig, .gzip, .h3m, .h4r, .hkdb, .hkx, .hplg, .htm, .html, .hvpl, .ibank, .icxs, .idx, .ifo, .img, .indd, .ink, .ipa, .isu, .isz, .itdb, .itl, .itm, .iwd, .iwi, .jar, .jav, .java, .jc, .jfif, .jgz, .jif, .jiff, .jpc, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpf, .jpg, .jpw, .js, .json, .kdb, .kdc, .kf, .kmz, .kwd, .kwm, .layout, .lbf, .lbi, .lcd, .lcf, .ldb, .lgp, .litemod, .log, .lp2, .lrf, .ltm, .ltr, .ltx, .lvl, .m2, .m2v, .m3u, .m4a, .mag, .man, .map, .max, .mbox, .mbx, .mcd, .mcgame, .mcmeta, .md, .md3, .mdb, .mdbackup, .mddata, .mdf, .mdl, .mdn, .mds, .mef, .menu, .mic, .mip, .mkv, .mlx, .mod, .mov, .moz, .mp3, .mp4, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpqge, .mrw, .mrwref, .msg, .msp, .mxp, .nav, .ncd, .ncf, .nds, .nef, .nfo, .now, .nrg, .nri, .nrw, .ntl, .odb, .odc, .odf, .odi, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt, .odtb .oft, .oga, .ogg, .opf, .orf, .owl, .oxt, .p12, .p7b, .p7c, .pab, .pak, .pbf, .pbp, .pbs, .pcv, .pdd, .pdf, .pef, .pem, .pfx, .php, .pkb, .pkh, .pkpass, .pl, .plc, .pli, .pm, .png, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppd, .ppf, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .prc, .prt, .psa, .psd, .psk, .pst, .ptx, .puz, .pwf, .pwi, .pwm, .pxp, .py, .qbb, .qdf, .qel, .qic, .qif, .qpx, .qtq, .qtr, .r3d, .ra, .raf, .rar, .raw, .rb, .re4, .res, .rev, .rgn, .rgss3a, .rim, .rng, .rofl, .rrt, .rsrc, .rsw, .rte, .rtf, .rts, .rtx, .rum, .run, .rv, .rw2, .rwl, .sad, .saf, .sav, .sb, .sc2save, .scm, .scn, .scx, .sdb, .sdc, .sdn, .sds, .sdt, .sen, .sfs, .sfx, .sh, .shar, .shr, .shw, .sid, .sidd, .sidn, .sie, .sis, .slm, .sln, .slt, .snp, .snx, .so, .spr, .sql, .sqx, .sr2, .srf, .srt, .srw, .ssa, .std, .stt, .stx, .sud, .sum, .svg, .svi, .svr, .swd, .swf, .syncdb, .t12, .t13, .tar, .tax, .tax2015, .tax2016, .tbz2, .tch, .tcx, .text, .tg, .thmx, .tif, .tlz, .tor, .tpu, .tpx, .trp, .tu, .tur, .txd, .txf, .txt, .uax, .udf, .umx, .unity3d, .unr, .unx, .uop, .upk, .upoi, .url, .usa, .usx, .ut2, .ut3, .utc, .utx, .uvx, .uxx, .val, .vc, .vcd, .vdf, .vdo, .ver, .vfs0, .vhd, .vmf, .vmt, .vob, .vpk, .vpp_pc, .vsi, .vtf, .w3g, .w3x, .wad, .war, .wav, .wave, .waw, .wb2, .wbk, .wdgt, .wks, .wm, .wma, .wmd, .wmdb, .wmmp, .wmo, .wmv, .wmx, .wotreplay, .wow, .wpd, .wpk, .wpl, .wps, .wsh, .wtd, .wtf, .wvx, .x3f, .xf, .xl, .xla, .xlam, .xlc, .xlk, .xll, .xlm, .xlr, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xltx, .xlv, .xlwx, .xml, .xpi, .xpt, .xvid, .xwd, .xxx, .yab, .yps, .z02, .z04, .zap, .zip, .zipx, .zoo, .ztmp.

Recovering from a Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware Attack

PC security researchers strongly advise computer users against paying the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware ransom. The best protection against threats like the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware is to have file backups of all files, making it easy to recover from an attack without having to pay a ransom. A reliable security program also can help computer users remove the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware infection itself and intercept the Fake WindowsUpdater Ransomware attack before it finishes encrypting the victim's files.