Want Your Ransomed Files Back? Just Infect Someone Else!



Larry Abrams just reported: "Yesterday a new in-development ransomware was discovered by MalwareHunterTeam called Popcorn Time that intends to give victim's a very unusual, and criminal, way of getting a free decryption key for their files.  With Popcorn Time, not only can a victim pay a ransom to get their files back, but they can also try to infect two other people and have them pay the ransom in order to get a free key.

To make matters worse, there is unfinished code in the ransomware that may indicate that if a user enters the wrong decryption key 4 times, the ransomware will start deleting files. 

In a move that we have not seen with any other ransomware, the ransomware developer offers a "nasty way" for a victim to get a free decryption key by having them help to spread the ransomware. If two people become infected via the victim's "referral" link" and pay the ransom, then the victim will supposedly get a free key. To facilitate this, the Popcorn Time ransom note will contain a URL that points to a file located on the ransomware's TOR server."

Here is how this looks:

Full story at BleepingComputer

 


Topics: Ransomware



Subscribe To Our Blog


Comprehensive Anti-Phishing Guide




Get the latest about social engineering

Subscribe to CyberheistNews