{
	"id": "74c04e82-29f6-4d72-9f7d-84d100d41a54",
	"created_at": "2026-04-06T00:12:28.127041Z",
	"updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:21:00.787416Z",
	"deleted_at": null,
	"sha1_hash": "3eb7730cbbffc9cfa9d29470c600cedcbf8abc81",
	"title": "AstraLocker 2.0 ransomware isn't going to give you your files back",
	"llm_title": "",
	"authors": "",
	"file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_size": 117556,
	"plain_text": "AstraLocker 2.0 ransomware isn't going to give you your files back\r\nBy Christopher Boyd\r\nPublished: 2022-06-30 · Archived: 2026-04-05 13:42:01 UTC\r\nReversing Labs reports that the latest verison of AstraLocker ransomware is engaged in a a so-called “smash and\r\ngrab” ransomware operation.\r\nSmash and grab is all about maxing out profit in the fastest time. It works on the assumption by malware authors\r\nthat security software or victims will find the malware quickly, so it’s better to get right to the end-game as\r\nquickly as possible. Adware bundles in the early 2000s capitalised on this approach, with revenue paid for dozens\r\nof adverts popping on desktops in as short a time as possible.\r\nThat smash and grab spirit lives on.\r\nIn a ransomware attack, criminals typically break into a victim’s network via a trojan that has already infected a\r\ncomputer, by exploiting a software vulnerability on an Internet-facing server, or with stolen Remote Desktop\r\nProtocol (RDP) credentials. They then make their way silently to devices and servers where important data is\r\nstored. Anything of value is stolen and sent outside of the network. When the attacker is good and ready,\r\nransomware is deployed, encrypting the files on the machines and rendering them useless. From here, double or\r\neven triple threat extortion (blackmail and the threat of data leakage) is deployed. This careful approach, which\r\ncan sometimes take weeks, allows attackers to stop organisations dead in their tracks and demand multi-million\r\ndollar ransoms.\r\nIt is so successful that almost all major ransomware families are used in this way.\r\nBut AstraLocker is not a major ransomware family, and it doesn’t do this. (These two things may be connected.)\r\nClick to run\r\nIn the attacks observed by Reversing Labs, AstraLocker just arrives and encrypts.\r\nIt starts life as a rogue Word document attachmed to an email. The payload lurking in the document is an\r\nembedded OLE object. Triggering the ransomware requires the victim to double click the icon within the\r\ndocument, which comes with a security warning. As researchers note, this isn’t as slick a process as the recent\r\nFollina vulnerability (which requires no user interaction), or even misusing macros (which some user interaction).\r\nIn its rush to encrypt, AstraLocker still manages to do some standard ransomware things: It tries to disable\r\nsecurity programs; it also stops applications running that might prevent encryption from taking place; and it\r\navoids virtual machines, which might indicate it’s being run by researchers in a lab.\r\nThe sense of this being a rushed job doesn’t stop there.\r\nReaffirming (and then breaking) the circle of trust\r\nhttps://blog.malwarebytes.com/ransomware/2022/07/astralocker-2-0-ransomware-isnt-going-to-give-you-your-files-back/\r\nPage 1 of 2\n\nWhen decryption doesn’t happen, either because of a poor quality decryptor, or because no decryption process\r\nactually exists, the ransomware author’s so-called circle of trust is broken. Too many decryption misfires is bad\r\nfor business. After all, why would victims pay up if there’s no chance of file recovery?\r\nIt’s interesting, then, that the following text is in AstraLocker 2.0’s ransom note:\r\nWhat guarantees?\r\nI value my reputation. If I do not do my work and liabilities, nobody will pay me. This is not in my\r\ninterests. All my decryption software is perfectly tested and will decrypt your data.\r\nSo far, so good…you would think. Unfortunately, there’s a sting in the tail.\r\nThe cost of their decryption software is “about $50 USD”, payable via Monero or Bitcoin. There is some question\r\nas to who the author of this version of AstraLocker is, as the email addresses tied to the original campaign have\r\nbeen replaced. Unfortunately, this is where the circle of trust falls apart.\r\nYou can certainly pay the ransom with no problem whatsoever. That side of things, the making money side, works\r\nperfectly. The getting your files back side of things? Not so much. The new contact email address mentioned\r\nabove is only partially included.\r\nThere is currently no way to ask the ransomware author for the decryption tool. Unless some sort of update is\r\nforthcoming, this is the quickest way you’ll ever lose both your files and $50.\r\nWhether this is by accident or design, the circle of trust here is more of a downward curve.\r\nAbout the author\r\nFormer Director of Research at FaceTime Security Labs. He has a very particular set of skills. Skills that make\r\nhim a nightmare for threats like you.\r\nSource: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/ransomware/2022/07/astralocker-2-0-ransomware-isnt-going-to-give-you-your-files-back/\r\nhttps://blog.malwarebytes.com/ransomware/2022/07/astralocker-2-0-ransomware-isnt-going-to-give-you-your-files-back/\r\nPage 2 of 2",
	"extraction_quality": 1,
	"language": "EN",
	"sources": [
		"Malpedia"
	],
	"references": [
		"https://blog.malwarebytes.com/ransomware/2022/07/astralocker-2-0-ransomware-isnt-going-to-give-you-your-files-back/"
	],
	"report_names": [
		"astralocker-2-0-ransomware-isnt-going-to-give-you-your-files-back"
	],
	"threat_actors": [],
	"ts_created_at": 1775434348,
	"ts_updated_at": 1775791260,
	"ts_creation_date": 0,
	"ts_modification_date": 0,
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