New Ransomware Could Turn Victims into Attackers

Popcorn Time malware

[engine]

Ransomware that could turn its victims into attackers by allowing them free unlocking if they subsequently get other machines infected, and those users pay up.

Any user who finds themselves infected with the Popcorn Time malware (named after, but unrelated to, the bittorrent client) is offered the ability to unlock their files for a cash payment, usually one bitcoin ($772.67/£613.20).

But they also have a second option, described by the developers as “the nasty way”: passing on a link to the malware. “If two or more people install this file and pay, we will decrypt your files for free”. New Ransomware Could Turn Victims into Attackers [theguardian.com]

[lammert]

That's a really shady version of multi-level marketing. :(

Besides the dark side of this, it is positive to read that ransomware creators need this approach to increase their income. They wouldn't do this if the normal track of sending random emails with payload had a high success rate.

As a side note:
A week ago I was at a customer's premises where a live ransomware attack was going on. The sysadmins just rolled back a backup of the previous day and no further harm was done. And no ransom paid :)

[creeking]

a backup? what's this backup thing you speak of?

:)