XRat Ransomware
Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are assessment reports for different malware threats which have been collected and analyzed by our research team. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards evaluate and rank threats using several metrics including real-world and potential risk factors, trends, frequency, prevalence, and persistence. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are updated regularly based on our research data and metrics and are useful for a wide range of computer users, from end users seeking solutions to remove malware from their systems to security experts analyzing threats.
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards display a variety of useful information, including:
Ranking: The ranking of a particular threat in EnigmaSoft’s Threat Database.
Severity Level: The determined severity level of an object, represented numerically, based on our risk modeling process and research, as explained in our Threat Assessment Criteria.
Infected Computers: The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular threat detected on infected computers as reported by SpyHunter.
See also Threat Assessment Criteria.
| Threat Level: | 100 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 1 |
| First Seen: | August 12, 2016 |
| Last Seen: | January 19, 2023 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The XRat Ransomware is a variant of Xorist, a known ransomware Trojan. The developers of the XRat Ransomware are calling themselves 'Team the Xrat.' The XRat Ransomware is designed to target computer users in Portuguese-speaking locations. Files encrypted by the XRat Ransomware can be identified easily because the XRat Ransomware uses the extension '.C0rp0r@c@0Xr@' to identify them. The XRat Ransomware's ransom note is named 'Como descriptografar seus arquivos.txt' in Portuguese, or 'How to decrypt your files.' The XRat Ransomware changes the victim's Desktop image to a picture of the online group Anonymous. The message instructs computer users to email 'corporacaoXRat@protonmail.com' to receive instructions on how to pay the XRat Ransomware's ransom. Fortunately, there is currently a decryption utility available for victims of the XRat Ransomware, meaning that it is not necessary to interact with these people to recover the files that have been encrypted.
The Rat that Eats Your Money
The XRat Ransomware is an encryption ransomware Trojan. These types of malware threats, which have become increasingly common, are designed to encrypt their victims' files using an advanced encryption algorithm. The XRat Ransomware will target files on all drives detected on the infected computer. The XRat Ransomware holds the files hostage essentially since files that have been encrypted are useless without access to the decryption key. Like other encryption ransomware Trojans, the XRat Ransomware demands the payment of a ransom to recover the encrypted files. Files encrypted by the XRat Ransomware are identifiable easily because the XRat Ransomware changes their extensions. Like other ransomware Trojans, the XRat Ransomware drops files containing instructions on paying the ransom, as well as displaying images on the victim's computer by changing its Desktop Wallpaper image. Essentially, these are the XRat Ransomware.s ransom notes. The XRat Ransomware takes the victim's files hostage in exchange for ransom. Fortunately, it is now possible to decrypt the files through the use of a publicly available decryption tool.
According to the XRat Ransomware's ransom note, victims of this attack must email the threat developers to receive the decryption key and instructions on how to pay the ransom. Supposedly, if the decryption key is entered incorrectly five times, or if an anti-malware program is used to remove the XRat Ransomware, then the files will be damaged irreversibly. There is no truth to this and that there is no need to pay the XRat Ransomware ransom.
Protecting Your Computer from Threats Like the XRat Ransomware
There is no method in particular that has been associated with the XRat Ransomware. However, PC security analysts suspect that the XRat Ransomware may be distributed using corrupted email attachments that may be included in spam email messages. Because of this, an important part of preventing the XRat Ransomware attacks is ensuring that you do not open unsolicited email attachments and that your email client is equipped with a good anti-spam filter capable of detecting and intercepting these kinds of messages before they land in your email inbox.
The best measure you can take to protect yourself from hoaxes like the XRat Ransomware, however, is to have reliable backups of all your files. If you backup your files on an external memory device, then you are essentially immune to the XRat Ransomware attacks and similar encryption ransomware tactics. This is because the con artists will lose any leverage they have over you if you can recover your files from a backup location. Although it is possible to decrypt the files using an available decryption utility, in the case of the XRat Ransomware, most ransomware Trojans are not decryptable this way. Because of this, PC security analysts strongly advise computer users to ensure that their machines and email clients are protected properly by an appropriate security software, that measures are taken when browsing the Web to ensure that high-risk areas are avoided and that all files are properly backed up on an external memory device.
