A new family ransomware, which ESET detected as CryCryptor, was targeting Android users in Canada under the guise of an official COVID-19 contact tracing app. ESET prevented the attack.
ESET researchers spotted a tweet announcing the discovery of a new Android banking malware as initially thought, and further investigating the issue identified a malicious ransomware company targeting Android users in Canada.
Using two COVID-19 websites, the cyber crooks behind the malicious enterprise convinced users to download an app that appeared to be the official COVID-19 contact tracing app when in fact it was malicious ransomware.
Both websites are currently down. ESET researchers have developed a decryptor tool for victims of CryCryptor, which is based on a malicious bug.
CryCryptor malware contains a bug in its code that allows any application installed on the "infected" device to activate any service provided by the application containing the bug. So we created an application that activates the CryCryptor decryption process, ”explained Lukáš ftefanko, who conducted the research.
Starting a business ransomware coincided with her announcement governmentof Canada to support development of a national, voluntary coronavirus traceability application called COVID Alert.
"It is clear that the company that uses CryCryptor was designed to take advantage of the official COVID-19 detection application," comments Štefanko.
After shutting down websites, updating security solution vendors and making the free decryptor available, this application is no longer a threat. However, this only applies to a specific version of the CryCryptor family ransomware.
The CryCryptor family is based on open source. "We have notified GitHub, which hosts the code, but they do not have a strong history of dealing with malicious projects," comments Štefanko.
The products by ESET offer protection against ransomware from the CryCryptor family, detected as Android/CryCryptor.A.
“In addition to using a quality mobile security solution, we advise Android users to install applications only from trusted sources such as the official store Google Play store, ”Concludes the ESET researcher.
For more information, read the relevant blog “New ransomware uses COVID-19 tracing guise to target Canada? ESET offers decryptor”At WeLiveSecurity.
