A lifetime license for the newly discovered Stampado ransomware is on sale for just $39 on the Dark Web, mainly because of the large number of threats out there, researchers at Heimdal Security warn.
Over the past several months, we’ve seen ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) rising as the latest trend in the malware landscape, allowing anyone to become a cybercriminal, even malicious insiders looking to make a profit. Malware developers are constantly releasing new ransomware variants to keep money flowing, and this has resulted in increased competition and lower prices.
Being aggressively promoted on the Dark Web at only $39 for a lifetime license, which is far less than what other products in the RaaS market go for, the Stampado ransomware is proof of the latest development in the threat segment, Heimdal Security’s Andra Zaharia says.
The malware’s author has published an enthusiastic sales pitch, underlining the cheapness and ease-of-use the offer comes with: “Stampado is a cheap and easy-to-manage ransomware, developed by me and my team. It’s meant two [sic] be really easy-to-use. You’ll not need a host. All you will need is an email account.”
What the ransomware’s author also reveals is that the application offers functionality similar to other crypto-lockers out there and that it offers increased flexibility. The malware can be deployed in multiple formats (exe, bat, dll, scr, and cmd) and its operators can also use binders, packers and crypters for distribution.
Once executed onto compromised computers, Stampado would proceed to encrypt user files and add the .locked extension to them. Its author also says that the malware doesn’t require administrator privileges to infect computers, that victims would have 96 hours to pay the ransom, and that the ransomware would delete a random file every 6 hours if the ransom isn’t paid.
To better promote their product, Stampado’s author also published a video that shows the malware in action and explains how the decryption process works.
Over the past months, ransomware has become a formidable enterprise threat, but that doesn’t mean that businesses can’t do anything about it. However, as Alastair Paterson, CEO and Co-Founder of Digital Shadows, explained in a SecurityWeek column last month, mitigating ransomware threats is a complex operation that “requires a combination of technical and process controls and company-wide engagement – from employees, to executives, to IT security teams.”
