Usr0 Ransomware

The Usr0 Ransomware is a ransomware Trojan that changes the affected files' extensions to '.the Usr0.' Like most ransomware Trojans, the Usr0 Ransomware is designed to take over a victim's computer by encrypting the victim's files and then demanding that the victim pays a large ransom to receive the means to decrypt the affected files. The Usr0 Ransomware has been associated with the email address Usr0-ransomware-sensorstechforumthe Usr0@riseup.net, where victims are instructed to pay 1.24 BitCoins (approximately $800 USD at the current exchange rate). Since the files that have been encrypted by the Usr0 Ransomware are useless until decrypted, the Usr0 Ransomware takes the victim's files hostage in exchange for ransom. The Usr0 Ransomware drops notes in Russian on the victim's computer. These notes, named 'Важная информация.txt' contain instructions to contact the email address mentioned above and not to tamper with the files that were encrypted by the Usr0 Ransomware. It is clear that the Usr0 Ransomware is designed to target computer users in Russian-speaking countries.

How the Usr0 Ransomware may Spread to Its Victims Machines

The Usr0 Ransomware can be spread in a variety of ways. The most common way in which the Usr0 Ransomware is spread is through the use of corrupted spam email attachments. However, the Usr0 Ransomware also may spread through social media websites, as well as by hacking the victims' computers directly. The Usr0 Ransomware uses a sophisticated attack that prevents it from being intercepted. The Usr0 Ransomware has also been linked to an exploit kit that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the victim's computer to install the Usr0 Ransomware. After the Usr0 Ransomware enters a computer, it may be installed in one of the following Windows directories:

%AppData%
%Roaming%
%Temp%
%Local%
%SystemDrive%

After the Usr0 Ransomware has been installed on the victim's computer, it will search for certain file types and use its strong encryption method to encrypt the victim's files. The following file types have been associated with the Usr0 Ransomware attack:

PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG.

The Usr0 Ransomware will delete Shadow Volume Copies and other system backups that could help computer users recover their files. The Usr0 Ransomware's ransom note contains the following message, written in Russian:

Для того, чтобы узнать, как получить дешифратор, отправте номер {unique ID} в письме на адрес the Usr0@riseup.net.
Ни в коем случае не используйте сторонние дешифраторы, т.к. файлы будет невожно восстановить.
Если Вы решили попробовать восстановить информацию своими силами, то сделайте сначала резервные копии.

The Ransom Note Displayed by the Usr0 Ransomware

According to the ransom note above, victims are warned not to use a decryptor for a different program, since it would damage the files irreparably. Security analysts suspect that Cipher Block Chaining may have been used in the Usr0 Ransomware's encryption, which essentially breaks them if they are modified in the slightest way. Because of this, PC security researchers recommend that computer users take preemptive measures to protect their machines from threats like the Usr0 Ransomware.