Ransomware campaign targeting users via fake Windows 10, antivirus update: cyber-security researchers

NEW DELHI: A ransomware campaign is targeting home users by masquerading as software updates via fake Windows 10 and antivirus installs, cyber-security researchers have revealed. The ransomware campaign called Magniber is then demanding $2,500 from victims for unlocking their data, reveals HP threat research team.

"Notably, the attackers used clever techniques to evade detection, such as running the ransomware in memory, bypassing User Account Control (UAC) in Windows, and bypassing detection techniques that monitor user-mode hooks by using syscalls instead of standard Windows API libraries," the team explained.

Even though Magniber does not fall into the category of 'Big Game Hunting', it can still cause significant damage.

"Home users were the likely target of this malware based on the supported operating system versions and UAC bypass. The attackers used clever techniques to evade protection and detection mechanisms," the security researchers noted.

With the UAC bypass, the malware deletes the infected system's shadow copy files and disables backup and recovery features, preventing the victim from recovering their data using Windows tools. The infection chain starts with a web download from an attacker-controlled website. (IANS)

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