This week, the SonicWall Capture Labs threat research team analyzed a ransomware that not only encrypts files but also accuses the victim of harboring explicit content on their computer and then threatens to turn it over to authorities if ransom is not paid.
Extortion attacks often come as unsolicited emails, and GoZone has stooped to pretending to find explicit content on victims’ machines to extract payment. This ransomware is written in Go. It is apparent that it uses Chacha20 and RSA encryption packages as evidenced by its strings.
Read more…
Source: SonicWall Capture Labs
Related:
- Nemty Ransomware – Learning by Doing
April 2, 2020
The McAfee Advanced Threat Research Team (ATR) observed a new ransomware family named ‘Nemty’ on 20 August 2019. We are in an era where ransomware developers face multiple struggles, from the great work done by the security community to protect against their malware, to initiatives such as the No More Ransom project that offer some victims a way ...
- Wiper Malware Called “Coronavirus” Spreads Among Windows Victims
April 1, 2020
A new Windows malware has emerged that makes disks unusable by overwriting the master boot record (MBR). It takes its cue from the COVID-19 pandemic, calling itself simply “Coronavirus.” Overwriting the MBR is the same trick that the infamous NotPetya wiper malware used in 2017 in a campaign that caused widespread, global financial damage. Worryingly, according to the ...
- LimeRAT malware is being spread through VelvetSweatshop Excel encryption technique
April 1, 2020
A new campaign is spreading the LimeRAT Remote Access Trojan by harnessing an old encryption technique in Excel files. LimeRAT is a simple Trojan designed for Windows machines. The malware is able to install backdoors on infected machines and encrypt files in the same way as typical ransomware strains, add PCs to botnets, and install cryptocurrency ...
- Marriott hit by second data breach exposing “up to” 5.2 million people
March 31, 2020
Hotel chain Marriott International has today announced that it has been hit by a second data breach exposing the personal details of “up to approximately 5.2 million guests”. The breach, which began in mid-January 2020 and was discovered at the end of February 2020, saw contact details, including names, addresses, birth dates, gender, email addresses and ...
- SilverTerrier: 2019 Nigerian Business Email Compromise Update
March 31, 2020
In 2019, Business Email Compromise (BEC) maintained its rankings as both the most profitable and the most prominent threat facing our customers. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which recently released its annual report, US$1.77 billion in losses were attributed to BEC attacks over the course of 2019. This number ...
- Zeus Sphinx Banking Trojan Arises Amid COVID-19
March 30, 2020
According to researchers Amir Gandler and Limor Kessem at IBM X-Force, Sphinx (a.k.a. Zloader or Terdot) began resurfacing in December. However, the researchers observed a significant increase in volume in March, as Sphinx’s operators looked to take advantage of the interest and news around government relief payments. First seen in August 2015, Sphinx is a modular ...

