Geek Dashboard

How-To's, Smartphones, News and Reviews

  • Home
  • News
  • Smartphones
    • Android
    • iOS
  • Computers
    • Windows
    • macOS
  • Internet
  • Reviews
You are at Home » News

Don’t Fall Victim to this Android Ransomware that Pretends to be Adult Content

Last Updated on July 31, 2019 by Rahul Krishnan Leave a Comment

Ransomware isn’t new to the tech world. We covered about the earlier WannaCry attack here on GeekDashboard. It affected even government organizations by encrypting the files. The thing about Ransomware is they deny your access to the files and demands a ransom. No one is reported to have received their files back after paying the ransom.

The new one on the web goes by the name Filecoder.C. ESET researchers brought this in the daylight. Even though the number of affected cases is low, the mode of Operandi may attract thousands into installing the ransomware on their devices.

The New Android Ransomware Attempts to Spread to Victims’ Contacts

Image source: bleepingcomputer.com

The new threat to the Android users surfaced online first via Reddit via QR codes and HTML links. Dubbed as Android/Filecoder.C, the ransomware targets devices running on Android 5.1 or higher. The people who deliberately spread this online concealed it as adult content. For the same reason, careless ones fall prey to this trick.

Image source: welivesecurity.com

Once you sideload the infected APK on the device, it will spread itself via text messages to the contacts on your phone. When it is done spreading the threat, it will lock you out of all the files. You will never get to open any of them. It then demands you to pay a ransom of $90 to $100 to regain access. They claim to delete the files after 72 hours.

On dissecting the application, you can see the application uses the following permissions.

android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.READ_CONTACTS
android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
android.permission.SEND_SMS
android.permission.INTERNET

In order to boost the reach, the developers of the ransomware have included 42 languages for the message template. It chooses the language based on what you use on your phone.

The ransomware encrypts text files, images, and videos. However, for some reasons, .apk, .dex, .zip, and .rar files remain untouched. Both JPG and PNG images under 150KB also experience no harms. The files with size over 50 MB also seems like on the safe side. The encrypted files get an extension .seven and become inaccessible.

Image source: welivesecurity.com

ESET researchers found that due to narrow targeting and flaws in both execution of the campaign and implementation of its encryption, the impact of this new ransomware was limited.

If you want to protect yourself from ransomware, you shouldn’t open links sent by strangers. In case such a weird message comes from your acquaintances, contact them to confirm the source. In short, don’t try to open it before you ensure the credibility of the message.

#Android#Internet Security#Privacy#Ransomware
Posted inNews

Spread the Word!

Avatar for Rahul Krishnan

Rahul Krishnan Facebook Twitter

Rahul Krishnan, a wordsmith from Kerala, India is always in lookout for his next article idea. He is a fanatic reader. And, the rumour is that his mom has recently hidden his debit card so that he can't buy books anymore. She doesn't know he has a spare one.

Related articles

News

Earthquake Detection App helps in capturing nearly 400 earthquakes

earth quake detection
News

Lenovo Will Bring Back Moto Razr as a Foldable Smartphone for $1500

Moto Razr
Mobiles

YouTube Not Working on Android? Get a Real Solution Here

How to fix "YouTube app not working on Android" problem.

Comment Policy:

The comments section is aimed to help our readers in case of any questions or you can even appreciate us for our hard work. Every comment is strictly moderated before approving it.

Your name and comment will be visible to the public. Never share your personal information in the comments section.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Over 1,30,286+ Followers

Join to get latest updates from Geek Dashboard

Facebook Twitter Telegram Pinterest YouTube Instagram

Recently Published

  1. Tecno Spark Go (2023) Launched with MediaTek Helio A22 SoC and Dual Cameras in India

  2. Creating Social Media Visuals: 9 Tips, Tricks, and Tools

  3. Hum to Search: 5 Best Music Recognition Apps to Find a Song by Humming

  4. Fire-Boltt Talk Ultra With Bluetooth Calling and 123 Sport Modes Launched in India

  5. Wikolo Super App: Bringing Countless Benefits for Students

Geek Dashboard Placeholder

Download the apps and never miss a story from us

We put a lot effort and resources in writing our articles and we believe it is our responsibility to satisfy your tech hunger. We will keep you filled forever!

  • Get Geek Dashboard App from Google Play
  • Get Geek Dashboard App from Chrome Web Store
Geek Dashboard Logo

At Geek Dashboard, we are dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in technology news, reviews, and how-to guides. From smartphones to laptops, and everything in between, we've got you covered.

Got a Tip? Write In tip@geekdashboard.com

© 2012 - 2023 · Geek Dashboard, product of ikva eSolutions

Blog Advertise About Jobs Contact Privacy Policy Write For Us T&C Office Setup

No dogs were injured while working on this website because we love them