Geek's Advice

EUCY ransomware encrypts your files, demands a ransom

EUCY ransomware is actually a dangerous file-encrypting virus that has been noted as belonging to the infamous STOP/DJVU ransomware group. This virus operates by attacking all files contained in any computer it infiltrates and making them unreadable by way of encryption before appending them with .eucy extension to the file names. E.g., a file that was formerly known as 1.jpg automatically becomes 1.jpg.eucy and so on. Also, while the attack is still ongoing, ransom notes known as _readme.txt will be simultaneously released in every folder. Contained in each of the ransom notes are pieces of information notifying the victim about the cyber attack and why one should get ready to pay specific fee as ransom in exchange for EUCY decryption tool the criminals would promise to send across.

The cybercriminals would emphasise that all files including documents, pictures, various data etc., and every other piece of important information as contained in the computer has become compromised and unsuitable for use in any form. Therefore, if the computer user desires to retrieve them, one would have to communicate to the ransomware operators using any of the two emails provided i.e. support@sysmail.ch and helprestoremanager@airmail.cc.

Additionally, they would be emphatic in telling the victim about the exact amount to pay and how payment would have to be made. They will state that price of the so-called decryption tool would depend on how soon they are able to make payment. For instance, victims would be entitled to 50% price slash provided they are able to pay the requested fee i.e. $490 within 72 hours/three days of being notified. However, failure to do so within that period means that means they would have to pay the full fee of $980.

Nevertheless, when the victim contacts the cybercriminals, he will be informed that payment can only be through purchase of cryptocurrency and transfer of same to a wallet address they would make available. The obvious reason why they only accept this medium of payment is due to fear of being tracked down by law enforcement agents should they use any other means. To encourage the victim and influence them to pay the ransom, they often request for parts of the encrypted files so they could offer test decryption services but will warn that no important information should be found in it.

Whatever be the case, our experts advise that victims should abide to FBI’s guidelines as regards to ransom payments which states that on no account should ransom be paid. This decision was taken for various reasons but the main ones are listed below:

• There is no guarantee that encrypted files would be decrypted even after paying huge sums of money as ransom.
• Paying ransom is an endorsement of cybercriminals and their illegal activities.
• More illegal funds in the hands of cybercriminals will enable them to expand their operations and victimize more people.

Worse still, the virus is notorious for releasing some types of Trojans like AZORULT and VIDAR on the already compromised computer for the purposes of stealing crucial information such as banking details, passwords saved on browser, software login details, and cryptocurrency wallets etc. Stealing of such sensitive pieces of information can lead to further problems like blackmails and loss of money.

Once you realize that this variant of STOP/DJVU has infiltrated your computer, the most important step you should take is to remove EUCY ransomware virus without any further delay. This should be done while the infected computer is set up in Safe Mode on Networking to ensure optimal result. It is very important to make use a strong antivirus and if the victim is not sure of any, we advise going for INTEGO Antivirus. If you want, you can also additionally download RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows OS files automatically.

Ransomware Summary

REMOVE MALWARE & REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware distribution techniques every computer should know about

The most common way STOP/DJVU ransomware variants such as EUCY virus are spread is when users try to download software contents from online malicious torrents. The cybercrimnals are known to load malware in certain types of pirated software copies which they upload to online malicious torrents. When unsuspecting users download such dangerous software copies which could be in the form of fake cracks or so-called key generators, they end up triggering ransomware attack. Therefore, it is important for computer users to always stay away from online torrents libraries and never to download such deceptive cracks and other fake license activation tools, some of which are listed below:

• VMware Workstation;
• AutoCad;
• Tenorshare 4ukey;
• Fifa 20;
• Opera browser;
• Corel Draw;
• Adobe Photoshop;
• Cubase;
• Adobe Illustrator;
• League of Legends;
• Internet Download Manager;
• KMSPico (illegal Windows activation tool);
• Various AV software.

For those that have formed the habit of going to online torrent platforms to download pirated software contents illegally, it would be in your best interest to desist from doing so because you’re only making yourself vulnerable for cybercriminals to prey on. Such software contents are harbingers of malware that would eventually make you a victim of ransomware attack. Also, why involve in such dangerous illegality when you can simply pay a token and obtain it genuinely thereby helping the IT industry to grow. Always bear in mind that victims of ransomware often end up losing huge amounts of money as well as important/sensitive data.

Another method used by cybercriminals in distributing ransomware is through malicious email attachments. In this method, they would craft documents using PDF, XLS or DOCX among other similar ones that enable JavaScript or macro functions, and thereafter use them to attach payloads that could be triggered externally in random computers.

The worrisome aspect of it is that trying to tell if a particular email is genuine or laden with malware has become more difficult in recent times. The reason why it is so is because desperate cybercriminals now mirror their own malicious emails to appear very much like random genuine ones sent by individuals or corporate brands like Amazon, FedEx, eBay, DHL etc. and would give the accompanying attachments compelling names that include Invoice, Order Summary, Tracking Details etc. Sometimes, they even decide to make use of email spoofing techniques in deceptively altering the actual sender’s address. Either way, you’re advised to apply caution whenever prior to opening emails and if such email is unexpected and suspicious, you should consider not opening it at all.

Nevertheless, those that are victims already should avoid visiting certain dubious websites that often claim to offer decryption services. Most of such platforms offering STOP/DJVU ransomware are fake and their promoters have ulterior motives to further scam victims of ransomware by distributing other versions like ZORAB. Only the duo of Emsisoft and DiskTuna has decryption tools that have shown promising results in decrypting already encrypted files.

More technical details about the malware

This section provides more information about the technical aspect of EUCY ransomware attack and how much your computer was affected. The first step malware takes following a ransomware attack is to set up build.exe or build2.exe executables and would be accompanied with winupdate.exe (the prompt that displays fake Windows screen). Afterwards, it would make connection with https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json before it saves it in geo.json file. At this point, it will commence information gathering on details concerning the computer, including its geolocation, time zone, zip code, latitude and longitude, and would save them in its geolocation database.

Provided in the image below are examples of geo.json file.

It would also create another file that would contain hardware details, software list and related details, and processes them into information.txt.

At this point, the virus will make a comparison using the country code it just extracted to decipher if it would tally with any of their encryption-exempted countries listed as Russia, Syria, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Kazachstan, and Belarus. If it establishes that such code belongs to any of the countries in their list, it would immediately abort its mission.

However, if it scales through without matching any of them, the ransomware would now extract online encryption key from their server and would merge it with the victims ID before forwarding them to bowsakkdestx.txt file and to PersonalID.txt file. The screenshot displayed below is a typical example such files.

In situations whereby the virus couldn’t extract any online encryption key from their server, it will resort to the use of hardcoded offline key instead. The difference between the online and offline keys is that while the former makes use of unique keys for each victim, the latter would be uniform for all provided they’re victims of same variant of STOP/DJVU ransomware virus. The appearance of t1 characters suffixed to the personal ID of the victim is an indication that offline keys were used and would brighten the chances of decrypting .eucy files someday. Further information about this is provided below.

The ransomware would now commence total data encryption process by scanning every folder and encrypting each file with Salsa20 before locking the encryption using RSA-2048 key.

Shown in the screenshot below is _readme.txt ransom note that would be left in all the folders.

The virus would at this point delete Volume Shadow Copies by making use of the command prompt:

^{vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet}

In completing the process, the virus will blacklist certain domains in the Windows HOSTS file and map them to the localhost IP in order to prevent the victim from having any access to them when seeking for help. Any attempt by the victim to open them will bring up DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error message in the web browser.

Remove EUCY Ransomware Virus and Restore Your Files

Victims of ransomware attack are advised the follow the steps outlined below once they discover that any variant of STOP/DJVU ransomware has infected their computer.

• Remove EUCY ransomware from your PC as soon as possible.
• Report to the nearest government office or regulatory agency responsible for handling such issues.
• Use any backup device to restore lost data.
• Learn possible ways encrypted files could be restored.
• Change all passwords that were used on the compromised PC.

Ensure your computer is set up using the Safe Mode with Networking option before installing any antivirus software to ensure optimal result. Also endeavor to make use of genuine antivirus software at all times. If you’re not sure of which brand to use, you can go for INTEGO Antivirus because it is tested and trusted by our team. However, always remember that being proactive and avoiding habits that would put your computer at risk of being infected with malware is the best measure to take.

Additionally, we recommend ransomware victims to download RESTORO and scan the system to identify and repair virus damage inflicted on operating system files.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system:

STEP 1. REMOVE AUTOMATICALLY WITH ROBUST ANTIVIRUS

REMOVE & PROTECT WITH INTEGO

Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7.. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs.

Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer.

Read full review here.

STEP 2. REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

Read full review here.

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Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.