Malware analysis showed this to be false (the password is actually 128 bytes, not 128 bits). The ransom message states that it uses AES-256 encryption with a 128-bit password. To prevent damage to the operating system (and possibly rendering it unbootable), Alcatraz Locker only encrypts files in the %PROFILES% directory (usually C:\Users).Īlcatraz Locker encrypts files using Windows’ built-in cryptographic functions (Crypto-API): Simply said, the ransomware encrypts whatever it can find and is open for write access. Unlike most other ransomware strains, Alcatraz does not have a list of file extensions that it is interested in. " After encrypting files, a message appears (the message is located in a file called "ransomed.html " on the infected computer’s desktop): Files encrypted by Alcatraz Locker have the extension name ".Alcatraz. Alcatraz LockerĪlcatraz Locker is a ransomware strain that was first seen in the middle of November 2016. We hope the four new decryption tools will help more innocent people affected by these ransomware strains, and brief descriptions of each follow. Since we’ve released the first batch of seven decryption tools, we’ve received many messages from ransomware victims thanking us and telling us that these tools saved their digital lives and/or businesses.
We now have tools to help you recover encrypted files if your computer has been infected with one of these ransomware strains:Īll these tools are free and, when possible, updated as these strains evolve. All the decryption tools are available, together with a detailed description of each ransomware strain. Therefore we're happy to announce that we've released four more ransomware decryption tools for the latest ransomware threats: Alcatraz Locker, CrySiS, Globe, and NoobCrypt. Ransomware has become the new 'It Malware,' with a 105 percent year-over-year increase in attacks. Avast confirms that the key provided to Bleeping Computer decrypts. DHARMA file extension name were previously impossible to decrypt prior to March 2, 2017, when Bleeping Computer shared the decryption key. DHARMA file extensions***įiles encrypted by CrySiS with the.
*** UPDATE from March 2, 2017: Avast's free CrySiS ransomware decryption tool now also decrypts. *** UPDATE from May 18, 2017: Avast's free CrySiS ransomware decryption tool now also decrypts. Instead, unlock your ransomed files using Avast’s ransomware decryptors. We've asked an Avast spokesperson if there's any other kind of user data that's collected and passed on to third parties and will update this story once we receive a reply.Don't pay, and don't despair.
We're glad to see that Avast and AVG are being more transparent about what's going on when you install their free antivirus software. In an earlier email responding to Tom's Guide's questions, an Avast spokeswoman told us that the dialogue box first began to appear for new users in July 2019, and that it will begin to appear for existing users in February 2020. Still, it's another reason to opt out of Avast and AVG's data collection. For example, it's neither hard nor expensive to track individuals by collecting geolocation data from mobile ads. Unfortunately, that is a fairly commonplace occurrence with such data, no matter who collects it. They implied that enough information was transmitted to the end recipient of the data to be able to figure out, for example, who had bought a specific item on Amazon at a given time.
Vice and PC Mag also found that the collected data can be fairly easily de-anonymized in some instances. (We had earlier unchecked two lines on the main installer that had been checked by default: "Yes, install Avast Secure Browser" and "Make AVG Secure Browser my default browser". You should do the same.) The risks of de-anonymization We ran both the Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free installers and were presented with that dialogue box either during or shortly after installation.
with a stripped and de-identified data set derived from your browsing history for the purposes of enabling Jumpshot to analyze markets and business trends and gather other valuable insights," the dialogue box states. "If you allow it, we'll provide our subsidiary Jumpshot Inc. (Image credit: Avast Software/Screenshot by PC Magazine)