A new ransomware family, detected by ESET as CryCryptor, targeted Android users in Canada under the guise of an official COVID-19 contact detection application. 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 malware ransomware.
Both websites are currently down. ESET researchers have developed a decryptor tool for victims of CryCryptor, which is based on a malicious bug.
"The malicious one software CryCryptor περιέχει ένα bug στον κώδικά του που επιτρέπει σε κάθε εφαρμογή που είναι εγκατεστημένη στη «μολυσμένη» device to enable any service provided by the application containing the bug. So we created an application that activates CryCryptor's decryption process,” explained Lukáš Štefanko, who conducted the research.
Starting a business ransomware coincided with the announcement by the Government of Canada to support the 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.
Η οικογένεια CryCryptor βασίζεται σε ανοιχτό κώδικα. “Ειδοποιήσαμε το GitHub, στο οποίο φιλοξενείται ο κώδικας, αλλά δεν έχουν ισχυρό ιστορικό στην αντιμετώπιση κακόβουλων project”, comments Štefanko.
ESET products offer protection against ransomware in the CryCryptor family, detected as Android / CryCryptor.A.
“Besides using a quality mobile security solution, we advise Android users to install apps 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.
