Note that exploit kits rely on outdated software in order to infiltrate systems, therefore, keeping your operating system and all installed programs up-to-date greatly reduces the risk of infection by ransomware viruses.Īfter successful infiltration, CryptoLocker encrypts files on the infected machine and demands payment of a 300 USD or 300 Euro ransom in order to unblock the computer and decrypt the files. Common sources of exploit kits are infected email messages, malicious websites, and drive-by downloads. The virus is distributed using 'exploit kits', which infiltrate users' computers using security vulnerabilities detected within outdated software. The Daily Swig has reached out to Emsisoft for further comment.CryptoLocker is a ransomware virus created by cyber criminals.

“Be sure to quarantine the malware from your system first, or it may repeatedly lock your system or encrypt files,” the company said in its installation guide (PDF). Responding to the criticism on Reddit, a QNAP representative said it did so to try to “increase protection against DeadBolt”.Ī tool has now been released by Emsisoft that will enable impacted users to decrypt their infected files. QNAP customers complained online that the forced firmware update last week also disabled a number of issues and ultimately left them unable to use the decryption key they received following the ransomware payment. Somewhat unusually, the actors behind the campaign also left a note to the vendor, stating that they would provide details of the vulnerability to QNAP if it paid five bitcoin ($187,000).įor 50 bitcoin ($1.8 million), the attackers said they would provide full vulnerability details and a mass decryption key. Last week, QNAP network-attached storage (NAS) device users reported being infected with DeadBolt, with Censys estimating that nearly 5,000 out of the 130,000 internet-connected devices “exhibited the telltale signs of this specific piece of ransomware”.Ī screenshot of the ransom note seen by The Daily Swig was asking victims to pay 0.03 bitcoin ($1,125) to start the decryption process and regain access to their files.

Tool enables decryption key to work after forced firmware update rendered it uselessĪ decryption key for the DeadBolt ransomware strain has been released, just days after reports surfaced that QNAP devices were being targeted in a new cyber-attack campaign.

Crypto locker decryption tool