After its developers fixed several issues, DeathRansom ransomware is now actively infecting users and encrypting victims’ data.
DeathRansom wasn’t actually crypto-ransomware when attackers first began distributing it. At that time, the threat pretended to encrypt users’ information and appended the .wctc extension onto victims’ files.
Researchers found that they could recover victims’ affected data simply by removing the extension added by this initial variant.
But things changed around November 20, 2019.
According to Bleeping Computer, DeathRansom began encrypting users’ files in earnest. It also stopped appending an extension onto victims’ files at around that time. This means that victims of its newest variants must look for “ABEFCDAB” file marker to determine which files are affected.
The number of victims has slowed since these changes took effect. But a steady stream of new victims suggests that an active distribution campaign is underway.