Luxnut Ransomware
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| Threat Level: | 100 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 3 |
| First Seen: | June 7, 2017 |
| Last Seen: | September 10, 2021 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The Luxnut Ransomware is an encryption ransomware Trojan that carries out a typical ransomware attack by ciphering the victims' files and then demanding the payment of a ransom in exchange for the decryption key or software required to recover the affected files. The Luxnut Ransomware is based on EDA2, an open source ransomware Trojan that was released for 'educational purpose,' much like the infamous HiddenTear ransomware platform. Con artists have taken these open source ransomware Trojans and used them as a basis for countless ransomware infections that attack computer users around the world. One of the most harmful effects coming out of the release of these open source ransomware platforms is that they have made the development of these threats accessible to any con artist. Before they became popular, there was a significant barrier to the entry of con artists wanting to carry out ransomware attacks, requiring significant resources and knowledge to develop them. Today, most con artists can simply download one of these platforms and create their own variants quite easily, which include the Luxnut Ransomware itself.
Table of Contents
The Ransomware Infection that will Cause a Black-Out on Your Files
The Luxnut Ransomware attack is typical of these infections. Like other EDA2 variants, the Luxnut Ransomware connects to its Command and Control servers and receives configuration information that allows it to encrypt the victim's files and then demand the payment of a ransom. The Luxnut Ransomware carries out a typical version of this attack, which has been seen countless times in other ransomware variants that are active currently. The samples that have been studied of the Luxnut Ransomware are probably still unfinished or under development, and may be released with a different name or outer characteristics. This is because malware researchers spotted the Luxnut Ransomware by monitoring anti-virus scanners online, where con artists may test unfinished versions of their threat to find out if it is capable of evading detection frequently.
How the Luxnut Ransomware Carries out Its Attack
The Luxnut Ransomware's attack is limited to only a handful of file types, while most encryption ransomware Trojans are capable of encrypting a large variety of file types in their attacks. The Luxnut Ransomware will encrypt them using a strong encryption algorithm, then add the file extension '.locked' to any affected file's name. The Luxnut Ransomware will deliver a ransom note to the victim's computer. This ransom note takes the place of the infected computer's desktop image. The Luxnut Ransomware ransom note is a simple text message over a black background. The following text is displayed in the Luxnut Ransomware message:
'Something, somewhere went terribly wrong.'
In most cases, ransomware Trojans like the Luxnut Ransomware will use this ransom message or note to inform the victim of the attack and then demand the payment of a ransom from the computer users. Since this information is not present in the version of the Luxnut Ransomware studied by PC security researchers, it is clear that this version of the Luxnut Ransomware is unfinished. However, variants of the Luxnut Ransomware capable of carrying out a full-scale attack may appear shortly after the first detection of the Luxnut Ransomware and, in its current shape, the Luxnut Ransomware is capable of compromising the victims' files and making them inaccessible, even if the ransom demand is not detailed.
Protecting Your Data from Threats Like the Luxnut Ransomware
The best protection against the Luxnut Ransomware and all other encryption ransomware Trojans is to have file backups. If the victims of ransomware Trojans can restore their files from a backup, then attacks like the Luxnut Ransomware become completely ineffective. In fact, if most computer users had file backups, then these attacks would most likely disappear since they would no longer be practical or profitable. Malware researchers advise computer users to have file backups on the cloud or an external memory device and that steps are taken to ensure that the backups are not attached to the dominant computer to prevent the backups themselves from becoming encrypted in one of these attacks.
