Just in case you didn’t know it, ransomware is a type of malware that “restricts access to a computer system that it infects in some way, and demands that the user pay a ransom to the operators of the malware to remove the restriction.”
Now feel free to imagine what kind of people could and most likely would access it if it were freely available on Github – and better shouldn’t! Nonetheless a guy named Utku Sen, who apparently lives in Istanbul, released his take on it on Github, which he himself describes as “a ransomware-like file crypter sample which can be modified for specific purposes.”
On Github, Sen warns to only use the code for educational porposes. “Do not use it as a ransomware! You could go to jail on obstruction of justice charges just for running hidden tear, even though you are innocent.” I wonder though how many shady characters and (sorry for the term) script kiddies might take his warning to heart.
The Ransomware features things like:
- The usage of an AES algorithm to encrypt files.
- The encryption key being send to a server.
- Encrypted files can be decrypted in a decrypt program with the appropriate encryption key.
- The creation of a text file on the desktop with a given message.
- A rather small file size (12 KB)
He also states that one needs to have a web server that supports a scripting language like .php and python for it to work.
Let’s just hope that it will not stay there too long …
