JapanLocker Ransomware
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| Threat Level: | 100 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 13 |
| First Seen: | October 18, 2016 |
| Last Seen: | March 18, 2022 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The JapanLocker Ransomware is a ransomware Trojan that has been responsible for several attacks in the last month. The JapanLocker Ransomware is designed to target servers mainly, making its attacks particularly devastating when compared to other ransomware threats designed to target individuals or small businesses. The JapanLocker Ransomware has been designed to target 32-bit systems that are associated with Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016 specifically.
Table of Contents
How the the JapanLocker Ransomware Attack Works
When the JapanLocker Ransomware attacks a computer, it encrypts all files that belong to websites, online stores and servers for Web apps. Many other ransomware Trojans are designed to prioritize documents and media files since these are the most likely to have value to the victim. In the case of the JapanLocker Ransomware, which is optimized for attacking servers, it prioritizes databases and index files in its attacks. When these files become inaccessible, entire websites go down, causing considerable inconvenience to these website's users and monetary losses to the websites' owners. PC security researchers have noted that the most common distribution method for the JapanLocker Ransomware is the use of corrupted WordPress plug-ins, as well as compromised add-ons for other online store platforms such as Magento, Volusion and Shopify. In some cases, especially with high- profile targets, the con artists will hack the server directly and infect it with the JapanLocker Ransomware. It is also possible that the JapanLocker Ransomware is distributed using corrupted advertising content designed to bypass automatic filtering systems. Because of this, the best protections against a the JapanLocker Ransomware attack involve being extremely cautious about plug-ins for online platforms, and only using those that are verified to come from reputable sources, and making sure that servers are protected with strong passwords and security software appropriately.
The Files Encrypted by the the JapanLocker Ransomware Become Unaccessible
The JapanLocker Ransomware receives its name because the email address the JapanLocker@hotmail.com is used during the attack. The system administrator is told to contact this email for further information about how the attack has been carried out and the way the ransom should be paid. After the JapanLocker Ransomware attacks a server, the administrator will see the following message:
'LockeD
This Site Has been Locked!
Please Contact To Email the JapanLocker@hotmail.com To Unlock This Site Back.'
There will be a link to a custom message by modifying the main HTML file associated with the victim's website. When the visitor attempts to connect to a website that has been encrypted by the JapanLocker Ransomware, this ransom note is displayed. The owners of the website will no longer have access to the website's content. The JapanLocker Ransomware uses a custom AES-256 encryption algorithm to encrypt all website resources, including data used by MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MariaDB, clearly targeting databases and index files. Once the data has been encrypted by the JapanLocker Ransomware, it cannot be decrypted without access to the decryption key. Because of this, victims that do not have appropriate backups of their website's data will find that they don't have access to their data anymore. In some cases, victims will have no choice but to contact the creators of the JapanLocker Ransomware to receive their data back.
The JapanLocker Ransomware’s Ransom and Recovery
Threats similar to the JapanLocker Ransomware have demanded the payment of $200 USD in the form of the BitCoin cryptocurrency. PC security analysts suspect that the ransom demanded by the JapanLocker Ransomware will vary depending on the volume of data that has been compromised. Essentially, victims that have a lot to lose from the JapanLocker Ransomware attack may have to pay thousands of dollars to recover it. Rather than negotiating with these con artists, PC security researchers strongly urge website owners and administrators to implement good security measures. It is paramount to have regular backups of all data. The best recovery method is to wipe all data from the affected drives, implement a new port configuration, and restore the data from the backup. Ensure that strong anti-malware software is installed and running at all time.
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