There’s a new ransomware out in the wild that comes with a diabolical twist. Any victim that is infected by the malware is faced with the choice of paying attackers one bitcoin ($772.67) or to help them infect others. It’s one-half affiliate marketing scheme, one-half social experiment, and 100% reflective of the world we live in. Black Mirror needn’t have bothered.
The ransomware is dubbed Popcorn Time, which is probably to say that we’re all part of the audience (sorry, dear reader). Given that the virus is relatively new, it remains to be seen whether it spreads successfully.
This unfortunate innovation was discovered by cybersecurity researchers at MalwareHunterTeam. Popcorn Time locks all of the files on its victim’s hard drive with a firm AES-256 encryption and holds them for ransom. To receive the decryption key, users are expected to either pay the ransom of one bitcoin within 7 days or pass the infected link on to others.
The second choice is described as the “nasty way” by the very developers of the ransomware. If victims choose to take this route, Popcorn Time transmits a link to a URL that takes them to an infected file. The developers say: “If two or more people install this file and pay, we will decrypt your files for free”.
As for the unfortunate victims who find themselves being shaken down by Popcorn Time, most law enforcement agencies have advised against paying the criminals and further funding their malicious activities, according to The Guardian. Obviously, that’s not to say that cybersecurity researchers and law enforcement are recommending passing the virus on to others either. It’s illegal and in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 to intentionally distribute malware. In lieu of finding a third way to clear the ransomware, doing nothing may be the most ethical option, though it means that victims risk losing all of their files.
The good news is that Popcorn Time is still under development and its code is unfinished. That will likely change with time, however. “It is still not perfect, but it’s getting better,” MalwareHunter says. “Infect more to get free key is already unique thing. This system is something you [don’t] see every day.” And if the idea takes off, we could soon see a proliferation of copycats and improved variants of Popcorn Time, as other hackers learn from its failures and “successes.”
As always, the best option is to avoid getting infected by ransomware in the first place. You can do this by staying away from suspicious links and emails, and installing malware security software. And just to be safe, back your files up regularly to the cloud or an external hard drive.
Featured Image: Alexey Boldin / Shutterstock.com
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