Whycry Ransomware Spotted in the Wild

The SonicWall Threats Research team observed reports of a new variant family of Whycry Ransomware [GAV: Whycry.RSM] actively spreading in the wild.

Whycry encrypts the victims files with a strong encryption algorithm until the victim pays a fee to get them back.

Infection Cycle:

Once the computer is compromised a fake Windows Update Screen will show up, to try and trick targets into leaving their PC running:

The Malware encrypts all personal documents and files it shows the following webpage:

The malware states that your files are encrypted and that you must pay $300 US dollars in the Bitcoin currency for potentially unlocking your files. Also, there is a threat that states that if you turn off your computer you will lose your files, but that threat it’s empty.

During our research we discovered the malware uses a master key for its own decryption:

SonicWall Gateway AntiVirus provides protection against this threat via the following signatures:

• GAV: Whycry.RSM (Trojan)

Security News

The SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team gathers, analyzes and vets cross-vector threat information from the SonicWall Capture Threat network, consisting of global devices and resources, including more than 1 million security sensors in nearly 200 countries and territories. The research team identifies, analyzes, and mitigates critical vulnerabilities and malware daily through in-depth research, which drives protection for all SonicWall customers. In addition to safeguarding networks globally, the research team supports the larger threat intelligence community by releasing weekly deep technical analyses of the most critical threats to small businesses, providing critical knowledge that defenders need to protect their networks.