Koolova Ransomware

Posted: December 27, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	7,918
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	5,162

First Seen:	December 27, 2016
Last Seen:	October 15, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Koolova Ransomware is a file-encrypting Trojan that can lock your data until you fulfill the terms of its ransom. Instead of asking for cash payments, current versions of the Koolova Ransomware ask their victims to read links for cyber security texts. PC users not able to recover their data by any of the other methods recommended in this article may consider submitting to the 'ransom' for getting their files unlocked, but you always should uninstall the Koolova Ransomware with anti-malware tools, in either case.

A Trojan that Only Wants to Help

Hidden Tear, a previously freely-available source of code for file-encrypting threats, has been responsible for many campaigns using their payloads for misappropriated profits. However, not all threat actors operate with the same motivations as the rest of the industry. With the Koolova Ransomware campaign, malware experts see something statistically incredibly rare: a Trojan that uses its payload for the supposed 'benefit' of the victim.

The Koolova Ransomware still uses asymmetric encryption methods for enciphering your files and also may show other symptoms, such as hijacking your desktop with a built-in BMP image or modifying various filenames. What makes the Koolova Ransomware unusual is the ransom its pop-up message requests. Instead of money, such as a Bitcoin payment, the Koolova Ransomware asks you to click two separate links and read the associated articles.

Upon further analysis, malware experts follow the links to a pair of cyber security blogs explaining the nature of file-encrypting Trojans and, specifically, the implementation of the Jigsaw Ransomware campaign. The Koolova Ransomware, which describes itself as being a 'nice' version of the Jigsaw Ransomware, uses two simple Boolean functions to monitor your interactions with the provided links and will generate a decryption key only after you've read them.

The Perils of Unofficial Threat Education

Although the Koolova Ransomware is in mid-development, its ransom message contains warnings of it incorporating the same timer-based, data-deleting feature that threats like the Jigsaw Ransomware have made infamous. Theoretically, it also has the potential to redirect any victims to unsafe websites through links that are disguised to look like the cyber security blog it currently is promoting. No matter how harmless an extortion demand may appear, malware researchers always suggest keeping backups that stop you from needing to consider following a con artist's recommendations on how to save your files.

The Koolova Ransomware most likely is distributing itself through methods targeting participants in risky downloading behavior, such as e-mail attachments, torrents, or freeware bundling. However, most anti-malware products have high detection rates against Hidden Tear-based Trojans and should be able to remove the Koolova Ransomware without its having a chance to block any content.

The blog articles that the Koolova Ransomware promotes are very pertinent further reading for anyone who wishes to see how file-enciphering threats function and make money for their authors. Despite that, no matter how good its author's intentions may be, the Koolova Ransomware is another demonstration of threatening software putting your data at risk for purposes that, at best, are arbitrary.

Keylogger.Koolova

Koolova Ransomware

Threat Metric

A Trojan that Only Wants to Help

The Perils of Unofficial Threat Education

Related Posts

Leave a Reply