Serpico Ransomware

Posted: August 29, 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.

Threat Level:	10/10
Infected PCs:	35

First Seen:	August 29, 2016
Last Seen:	January 10, 2019
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Serpico Ransomware is a file encrypting Trojan that bases itself on the same code as the DetoxCrypto Ransomware. Although the Serpico Ransomware doesn't rename any attacked files, your encrypted data remains unusable until it, theoretically, is decrypted. These attacks include messages for paying con artists to gain access to a decryptor, but malware experts recommend using standard data recovery techniques, combined with anti-malware products that can remove the Serpico Ransomware.

Your Second Trip to Digital Detox Thanks to a Trojan Serpent

Many threatening software campaigns target relatively predictable regions, such as banking Trojans distributing themselves to areas with substantial financial activity (such as Brazil during the Olympics). Others like the Serpico Ransomware may target other nations seemingly randomly, although their threat actors often have personal motivations for their choices of victims. The Serpico Ransomware campaign uses language local for Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia, which makes it one of the most linguistically narrowly-targeted threats of the year.

The Serpico Ransomware's unusual regional preferences don't correspond to creative choices in code; most of this Trojan derives itself from the previous DetoxCrypto Ransomware, which was most notable for including limited spyware features and a Pokemon-themed extortion image. The Serpico Ransomware's attacks include:

The Serpico Ransomware encrypts slightly over fifty formats of data, including JPG, ZIP, XML, CAB and DOCX. Unlike almost every other file encryption Trojan, the Serpico Ransomware does not make any modifications to their names, which forces PC users to open files one by one to estimate the damage.
The Serpico Ransomware locks the desktop's wallpaper to a ransom-themed image.
Another, strictly aesthetic inclusion is the automated launch of an audio file. PC users may be unable to turn the sound off due to other measures (seen below).
The last, significant symptom of the Serpico Ransomware infection is its advanced HTML pop-up, which provides interactive ransom-paying controls and an explanatory note in Croatian Latin. This pop-up doubles as a lock-screen attack that stops the victim from accessing the desktop or other software.

Cutting the Head Off of a Cyber Serpent with Many Necks

The Serpico Ransomware's ransom note claims that it is a version of the well-known CryptoLocker Trojan. This warning is one that's common to similar campaigns of corrupted file encryption, and but rarely corroborates with reality. Malware experts see no connections between the two threats, and the Serpico Ransomware's most likely, nearest ancestor is the DetoxCrypto Ransomware.

Free decryption for Trojans, even those of notable families, often is unavailable. Malware analysts often document con artists rejecting requests for assistance, even when the victim pays in full. Since many anti-malware solutions show high detection rates for the Serpico Ransomware (albeit as a variant of Perseus), having good security standards can simplify the process of avoiding all file damage from this threat.

PC owners in the noted regions are most likely to need anti-malware solutions able to remove the Serpico Ransomware infections. However, malware experts see very similar attacks ranging across the rest of the world, raising the point that living in a particular area doesn't make you (or your files) safe.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

%USERPROFILE%\Serpico\Serpico.exe

File name: Serpico.exe
Size: 849.92 KB (849920 bytes)
MD5: 20791a1eb2b03a211f48e33ef39f97c6
Detection count: 16
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %USERPROFILE%\Serpico
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 29, 2016

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 3.92 MB (3921408 bytes)
MD5: 829f047ee3ff90e81ad056eb5ba4303c
Detection count: 15
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 29, 2016

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%UserProfile%\Serpico