Threat Database Trojans Trojan.Shadowlock

Trojan.Shadowlock

By Sumo3000 in Trojans

Threat Scorecard

Popularity Rank: 14,068
Threat Level: 90 % (High)
Infected Computers: 16
First Seen: July 9, 2013
Last Seen: August 7, 2026
OS(es) Affected: Windows

Trojan.Shadowlock Image

The Shadowlock ransomware infection is a dangerous Winlocker that takes over the victim's computer in exchange for a ransom. Shadowlock differs from many other ransomware Trojans in that Shadowlock demands that the victim fill out online surveys in order to generate revenue. While most other ransomware Trojans demand payment through an online payment service like Ukash or MoneyPak, ESG security researchers have noted that many newer ransomware infections are recurring to online surveys and similar scams for a more immediate monetization. There are several advantages to this type of scam. As common Police Ransomware scams become more common and computer users become more educated about these types of attacks, they have started to become less effective. The fact that they incapacitate the infected computer completely also makes them less effective in the long run for making money.

Since Shadowlock and similar ransomware infections allow the computer user access to the infected computer after filling out surveys, inexperienced computer users are less likely to remove these types of infections, despite the damage that they do to the infected computer. It is important to note that you should remove Shadowlock or any ransomware infection on your computer using a reliable anti-malware program. Apart from scamming you and trying to steal your money, Shadowlock and similar threats can expose you to numerous other malware threats, compromise your private data and cause severe performance problems on your computer.

The Traps Behind the Surveys Presented by Shadowlock

The distribution of Shadowlock is often found on underground hacker forums. This infection is advertised as a way to force victims to fill out surveys to unlock their computer. Once a computer has been infected with Shadowlock, this malware infection will display a pop-up window claiming that the victim needs to enter an unlock code in order to gain access to the infected computer. To obtain one of these unlock codes, the victim has to fill out an online survey. While Shadowlock is displaying its pop-up window, the victim cannot access any files or components on the infected computer, including the Start Menu and the Task Manager. System Restore will also not remove Shadowlock. Effectively, Shadowlock takes the victim's computer hostage and refuses to give up control until the computer user fills out online scams.

File System Details

Trojan.Shadowlock may create the following file(s):
# File Name Detections
1. %AppData%\Cores.exe
2. %Temp%\[5 RANDOM LETTERS].exe
3. %AppData%\tmps.tmp

Registry Details

Trojan.Shadowlock may create the following registry entry or registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\"Cores" = "%AppData%\Cores.exe"

Analysis Report

General information

Family Name: Trojan.Upatre.VAD
Signature status: No Signature

Known Samples

MD5: 328a5d9c82763aa0b5b6c9388f43954f
SHA1: c47f6828e5f9b740e5645cf5c06f85bb26a0df05
SHA256: 05F06D6353F6AF373C0E01C0E9F3433F7C766A425281662EC071703117C9DA15
File Size: 42.17 KB, 42174 bytes

Windows Portable Executable Attributes

  • File doesn't have "Rich" header
  • File doesn't have debug information
  • File doesn't have exports table
  • File doesn't have security information
  • File is 32-bit executable
  • File is either console or GUI application
  • File is GUI application (IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_GUI)
  • File is Native application (NOT .NET application)
  • File is not packed
  • IMAGE_FILE_DLL is not set inside PE header (Executable)
Show More
  • IMAGE_FILE_EXECUTABLE_IMAGE is set inside PE header (Executable Image)

File Traits

  • No Version Info
  • x86

Block Information

Total Blocks: 3
Potentially Malicious Blocks: 1
Whitelisted Blocks: 2
Unknown Blocks: 0

Visual Map

0 0 x
0 - Probable Safe Block
? - Unknown Block
x - Potentially Malicious Block

Similar Families

  • Upatre.VAD
  • ZBot.AE

Files Modified

File Attributes
c:\users\user\appdata\local\temp\budha.exe Generic Write,Read Attributes

Registry Modifications

Key::Value Data API Name
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::proxybypass  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::intranetname  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::uncasintranet  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::autodetect RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::proxybypass  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::intranetname  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::uncasintranet  RegNtPreCreateKey
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap::autodetect RegNtPreCreateKey
HKLM\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\notifications\data::418a073aa3bc3475 r� * �/��Y�d�� ��ރ�p ��^�o�DVs}kP~��1��7 ���ﺃee����1(��fe��iUe��rG�se�� RegNtPreCreateKey

Windows API Usage

Category API
Process Manipulation Evasion
  • NtUnmapViewOfSection
Process Shell Execute
  • ShellExecute
Network Wininet
  • HttpOpenRequest
  • HttpQueryInfo
  • HttpSendRequest
  • InternetConnect
  • InternetOpen
  • InternetReadFile
Network Winhttp
  • WinHttpOpen

Shell Command Execution

open C:\Users\Aslfuwhj\AppData\Local\Temp\budha.exe