History And Evolution Of TeslaCrypt Ransomware The Virus

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TeslaCrypt is an encryption program for files that targets all Windows versions, including Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 7. This ransomware program was first released at the end of February 2015. Once it infects your computer, TeslaCrypt will search for data files and then encrypt them with AES encryption, so that you won't be allowed to open them.



After all your data files are affected, an application will be displayed. It will provide information about how to retrieve the files. The instructions will contain a link that connects to a decryption service TOR site. This site will give you details about the current ransom amount, how many files are encrypted, and how to pay the ransom so your files can be released. The ransom usually starts at $500. It can be paid in Bitcoins. There is a distinct Bitcoin address for each victim.



After TeslaCrypt has been installed on your system, it will create an executable with a random label in the folder %AppData%. The executable is launched and examines your computer's drive letters to find files that can be encrypted. It then adds an extension the name of the file, and then encodes any supported data files it discovers. The name is determined by the version that has affected your system. The program now uses different extensions of files to decrypt encrypted files following the release of the latest versions of TeslaCrypt. Currently, TeslaCrypt uses the following extensions: .ccc, .abc, .aaa, .zzz, .xyz, .exx, .ezz and .ecc. You can make use of TeslaDecoder to decrypt encrypted files for no cost. It obviously depends on the version of TeslaCrypt that's infected your files.



You should be aware that TeslaCrypt will look through all drive letters on your computer to identify files to encrypt. It also includes network shares, DropBox mappings, and removable drives. It only targets network shares ' data files in the event that the network share has been identified as a drive letter on your computer. The ransomware won't encode files on network shares in the absence of a network share mapped as drive letter. Once it has completed scanning your computer, it will erase all Shadow Volume Copies. The ransomware will do this to prevent you from restoring affected files. The version of the ransomware is identified by the application title that appears after encryption.



How does your computer get infected with TeslaCrypt



TeslaCrypt is a computer virus that can be infected if the user visits a compromised site with an exploit kit and outdated software. Hackers hack websites to distribute this malware. They install a special software program, referred to as an exploit kit. This tool exploits vulnerabilities in your computer's programs. Some of the programs whose vulnerabilities are typically exploited are Windows, Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash and Java. Minecraft survival servers Once the exploit tool has successfully exploited the vulnerabilities on your computer it will automatically install and launch TeslaCrypt.



It is crucial to ensure that Windows and all other programs are up to current. It protects your computer from potential security holes that could result in infection by TeslaCrypt.



This ransomware was the very first to actively attack data files utilized by PC video games. It targets game files from games like MineCraft, Steam, World of Tanks, League of Legends and Half-life 2. Diablo, Fallout 3, Skyrim, Dragon Age, Call of Duty, RPG Maker, and many others. However, it has not been established if the game's targets increase the revenue of the malware developers.



Versions of TeslaCrypt and file extensions



TeslaCrypt is updated regularly to incorporate new file extensions and encryption techniques. The initial version encrypts files that have the extension.ecc. The encrypted files, in this instance are not associated with the data files. The TeslaDecoder can also be used to retrieve the original decryption key. If the keys used to decrypt were zeroed out and a partial key was found in key.dat it's possible. The key for decryption can be found in the Tesla request that was sent to the server.



There is a different version that comes with encrypted file extensions of .ecc and .ezz. If the encryption key was not zeroed out, one cannot find the original key. The encrypted files are not linked to the data file. The encryption key can be downloaded from the Tesla request sent to the server.



The original encryption keys for the versions that have extensions file names.ezz or.exx cannot be recovered without the author's private key. If the secret key used to decrypt the data was zeroed out, it will not be possible to recover the decryption keys. Encrypted files with the extension .exx are paired with data files. You can also request a decryption key through the Tesla server.



The version that is encrypted with extension of files .ccc, .abc, .aaa, .zzz and .xyz does not make use of data files and the encryption key is not stored on your computer. It is only decrypted if the victim records the key while it is being transmitted to the server. Decryption key can be retrieved from Tesla request to the server. It is not possible to do this with versions after TeslaCrypt v2.1.0.



Release of TeslaCrypt 4.0



Recently, the developers released TeslaCrypt 4.0 in the month of March. The new version has been updated to fix an issue that caused corrupted files larger than 4GB. It also contains new ransom notes, and does not require encryption of encrypted files. The absence of an extension makes it difficult for users to find out the existence of TeslaCryot and what happened to their files. The ransom notes will be used to create routes for victims. It is impossible to decrypt files without an extension without a purchased key or Tesla's personal key. The files could be decrypted in the event that the victim captured the key as it was being transmitted to the server during encryption.