Geek's Advice

MPAG ransomware locks files on the computer, demands a ransom

MPAG ransomware is a new malicious ransomware virus created by cybercriminals as a tool to be used in defrauding unsuspecting computer users. This new file-encrypting virus strain is dangerous and belongs to the infamous STOP/DJVU ransomware family. It has the capacity to encrypt files contained in any computer it infects and also appends .mpag extension to the file names respectively. To explain it better, a file that was formerly known as 1.jpg would automatically become 1.jpg.mpag and same will be repeated on all others. While the attack is in progress, some ransom notes referred as _readme.txt will be released in all the folders. These ransom notes contain information sent by the cybercriminals behind the attack, notifying the victim about the situation. They urge the user to get in touch with them and pay the ransom to receive MPAG file decryption tool.

The cybercriminals will go further to claim that the victim’s important files contained in the infected computer, including vital documents, pictures and various data has been comprehensively (encrypted i.e. made unreadable) with the use of very strong and unique encryption key that can’t be bypassed. Therefore, the victim has no other option than to comply with their demands. To facilitate further discussions, they would also drop two email addresses namely: support@sysmail.ch and supportsys@airmail.cc.

Furthermore, they would list their decryption service prices and the terms of payment associated with them. For instance, they will state that it’s very important for the victim to respond within 72 hours/3 days of being notified, and if being able to do so would enable them to leverage their 50% discount option. In other words, instead of paying $980 as ransom fee, they would now be required to pay only $490. However, once the 3 days of “grace” elapses, they would be mandated to pay the full ransom fee.

However, should the victim decide to respond to them, more conditions would be reeled their way; they will be informed to buy cryptocurrency that is worth the value of the ransom fee and transfer it to a wallet address that would be provided by them. The plausible reason why they make use of this medium is due to the anonymity it offers its users. They understand that law enforcement agencies could be in their trail so they do everything possible to evade arrest. To assure the victim of their expertise in decrypting files, they may suggest that samples from the encrypted files should be sent to them for test decryption but will also emphasize that it mustn’t contain information they could perceive as important to the victim.

Whatever they say or the threats, our team of cybersecurity experts strongly advises victims to always observe the FBI’s recommendation with respect to ransom payment, and it unambiguously stated that RANSOM MUST NOT BE PAID. The reason is that paying the ransom does not guarantee you would recover your important files. On the contrary, there is a high chance you would end up losing both your files and money.

Paying the ransom only favors the cybercriminals and encourages them to not just continue in their criminal activities but to also increase their capacity, thus enabling them to inflict more damages on increased number of victims. Cybercriminals extort millions of dollars from their victims globally every year but this unacceptable situation could be stopped or at least minimized to the barest minimum if every victim refuses to pay the ransom.

Also, other Trojans that steal information like VIDAR and AZORULT, among others, are usually dropped by this virus on the already compromised computer. These Trojans are then used in stealing vital information such as banking details, software account login credentials, browser-saved passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, cookies, browsing history, etc. Such relevant information in the hands of cybercriminals can only result in more fraudulent acts like theft and blackmails.

For those whose computer systems have been infected with this new variant of STOP/DJVU malware, you’re advised to remove MPAG ransomware virus as quickly as possible. The recommended safe way to do this is by activating and running genuine antivirus or malware removal software while the compromised computer is set up in Safe Mode with Networking option. You should consider downloading RESTORO which you can use in repairing Windows OS files damaged by the virus.

Ransomware Summary

REMOVE MALWARE & REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware distribution techniques to be aware of

One of the most common ways through which computer users inadvertently infect their systems with any of the STOP/DJVU ransomware variants including MPAG virus is when they download software from malicious online torrents. Cybercriminals usually attach such threats to pirated software copies like “cracks” and key generators which they use in targeting their victims. Therefore, the use of such illegal contents is strongly discouraged. Based on reports made by victims over the years, it became obvious that certain types of pirated software copies are often used by virtual criminals to trigger ransomware attack. They would upload them to malicious online torrents and patiently wait for unsuspecting users to download them to their computers. Some of them are listed below:

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

For those that habitually engage in such dangerous activities, now is the time to stop it to avoid becoming a victim. It may appear like a cheap alternative to get game versions or other types of software for free but you should note that it is not worth the risk because you may likely end up infecting your system with malware. Whatever token you’re asked to pay by the content producers can’t be compared to the humongous ransom fees demanded by cybercriminals and neither would you be at risk of losing sensitive/vital data. Also, such act is regarded as illegal and is punishable by law. Instead, it is safer and ethical to obtain such needs through the right sources as endorsed by the original content developers. By so doing, you will be encouraging them and also helping the industry to grow.

Another ransomware distribution method used by cybercriminals is malicious email attachments, whereby convincing email messages will be created using files such as PDF, XLS or DOCX. They often use these particular files because they allow JavaScript and other macro functions which are required in downloading and triggering of payload in other computers.

The major challenge is how to identify emails sent by cybercriminals considering how they often impersonate others including popular brands like Amazon, eBay, DHL, FedEx, UPS etc. They also attach files with compelling tags like Tracking Details, Invoice or Order Summary among others. On top of that, the attackers may even make use of email spoofing methods in obfuscating the actual address of the senders. These are all gimmicks used by cybercriminals in a desperate attempt to catch their victims unawares. Therefore, computer users should remain vigilant at all times and scrutinize emails before opening them. If such email is odd and doesn’t directly relate to you or your activities then you may as well avoid opening it or any attachment that accompanies it.

On a final note, those that unfortunately became victims of STOP/DJVU ransomware due to ignorance or failure to adhere to the recommendations outlined in this article should not jeopardize their situation further by seeking for solution from dubious websites. At the moment, the only decryption service providers with proven effectiveness are those provided by DiskTuna and Emsisoft. Here is an article on how you can download and use them.

More details concerning the infection

If you’re among those that may want to know the extent to which their computer was compromised during MPAG ransomware attack, this section will come in handy as it explains the technical aspects of it. The first thing the malware does is to launch build.exe or build2.exe executables as well as winupdate.exe. It will then connect to https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json before saving it to geo.json file. This file contains details concerning the victim’s PC, such as its geolocation, time zone, city, zip code, longitude and latitude, and more. Examples of geo.json file are shown below.

It will also create another file that will contain software list, hardware details and would be processed into information.txt.

The next thing the virus will do is to scan the country code it extracted earlier against a list of encryption-exempted countries, namely; The Russian Federation, Ukraine, Syria, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kazachstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. If it realizes that the computer is located in any of the aforementioned countries, it will immediately abort its mission. However, if otherwise, it will retrieve online encryption key from their server and would add it to the victim’s ID before saving them in bowsakkdestx.txt file and also the ID individually to PersonalID.txt file. Displayed below is an example of such files.

In situations where the virus couldn’t retrieve an online encryption key from their server, it will immediately opt for a hardcoded offline key as an alternative. You can decipher if an offline key was used if it contains t1 characters appended to the personal ID. The implication is that you will have a higher chance of decrypting .mpag files going forward. More details about this is provided below this article.

The ransomware will at this point commence full data encryption procedure by scanning every folder and also encrypting each file with Salsa20 before using RSA-2048 code to lock the encryption key. The ransomware also appends .mpag extension to each affected file to make it distinguishable.

Below is a screenshot of the _readme.txt ransom note that is usually left in all the folders.

In completing the entire process, the virus will blacklist certain domains in the Windows HOSTS file in order to prevent the victim from accessing them. Any attempt by the victim to browse them would produce the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error message.

Remove MPAG Ransomware Virus and Restore Your Files

Victims of MPAG ransomware virus should quickly remove it by setting up their computer in Safe Mode with Networking before scanning the system with trustworthy malware removal software. We recommend downloading RESTORO to help restore damaged Windows OS files.

Once MPAG ransomware virus removal is in the past, we also recommend the following steps:

• Report the incident to the relevant law enforcement agency.
• Use any available backup device to restore lost files.
• Change all passwords that were used on the compromised computer.

Above all, remember to take proactive actions, as highlighted in this article, at all times.

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

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STEP 2. REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

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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.

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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.