Do you know what Arsium Ransomware is?
Arsium Ransomware sounds like a malicious file-encrypting threat, but, in reality, it is a tool that can be used to build such applications. Our researchers who were able to test a few samples report that none of them worked correctly and that they all offered limited functionality that we discuss further in this report. Thus, it looks like threats with this builder might be not that vicious compared to ransomware applications we have teste din the past. To learn more about this builder and what hackers might be able to create with the functionality Arsium Ransomware offers now, we invite you to read the rest of this article. At the end of it, we display instructions showing how to remove a ransomware program that does not drop any data on an infected system except for its installer. No doubt, if a malicious application appears to be more dangerous, it is best to use a reputable antimalware tool.
It is said that Arsium Ransomware was named after its creator’s nickname. Also, reports say that the ransomware builder is offered free of charge on the dark web. The samples tested by our computer security specialists allowed selecting a desired extension and one folder on a victim’s Desktop that the created threat would target. The created ransomware application should encrypt all files located in the targeted folder. Usually, such infections lock data with secure encryption algorithms. It is done to make sure that victims will not be able to access their files and will be forced to look for necessary decryption means. As you see, decrypting data requires a unique decryption key and a decryptor, which are usually both available only to malware’s creators who offer these means to their victims in exchange for money.
As for the chosen extension, it ought to appear at the end of all enciphered files. For instance, if Arsium Ransomware was a ransomware program that encrypted data, the data it affected could have had .arsium extension, e.g., picture.jpg.arsium. Such additional extensions make it easy to recognize enciphered files as you do not have to try opening every file on your computer to find out which ones of them got locked. Most ransomware applications drop documents or open windows containing ransom notes to explain to victims what has happened and how to purchase decryption tools. The sums can vary as some hackers ask for less than one hundred US dollars, while others demand a couple or a few hundreds of US Dollars. However, users who encounter threats like the ones that can be created with Arsium Ransomware should know that dealing with hackers is risky and could end up hazardously.
All things considered, for now, it does not look like Arsium Ransomware could be used to create a vicious ransomware application. The one folder on a victim’s Desktop that the builder allows to pick to encrypt may not even contain important files for which a victim would be willing to pay a ransom. Consequently, it is likely that the builder might be still in development and that we will not see any threats created with it for a while.
As said earlier, the removal guide available below does not necessarily show how to erase Arsium Ransomware’s created malicious application. It explains how to delete any ransomware application that does not drop data on an infected device. Nonetheless, it does not mean we recommend removing such malware on your own, especially if you have no experience. A safer thing to do would be to employ a reputable antimalware tool of your choice.
Erase Arsium Ransomware
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
- Pick Task Manager and check the Processes tab.
- Locate a process belonging to the malware.
- Choose the process and click End Task.
- Exit Task Manager.
- Click Windows Key+E.
- Navigate to the suggested paths:
%TEMP%
%USERPROFILE%Desktop
%USERPROFILE%Downloads - Find a file opened when the device got infected, right-click the malicious file, and select Delete.
- Exit File Explorer.
- Empty Recycle bin.
- Restart the computer.
In non-techie terms:
Arsium Ransomware is a tool that allows building a ransomware application. In other words, it is not a dangerous threat itself, but merely a program that creates malicious file-encrypting programs. As explained in the article, so far it does not look like this ransomware builder has a lot to offer. To be more precise, it provides limited functionality, and receiving a malicious application created with it might not cause victims lots of trouble. Considering there are more advanced ransomware builders, it is possible hackers may choose them instead even though this application is offered free of charge. The removal guide available above shows how one could delete a threat Arsium Ransomware was designed to create. However, the instructions may not work if a malware drops other files besides its installer. It is always better to use a reputable antimalware tool when you do not know what kind of malicious data was placed on your computer. Some infections can even reinstall themselves again if a user does not delete all of their data.