Understanding Seto Ransomware – Another Djvu Variant

Seto Ransomware is the brand-new addition to the colossal infamous Djvu Ransomware family that is currently targeting a large number of computer users around the world. Alike it’s other siblings; Seto file virus has been developed to extort money from the victims.

Spam e-mails campaign & fraudulent online advertising are considered to be the chief method of propagation of Seto crypto-virus. Once the system is infected, Seto Ransomware searches the system for the targeted files. When found, it encrypts the files with highly-complex Encryption Algorithm; hence it makes the files inaccessible to the user.

A ransom-demanding note suggests victims to pay ransom to the hackers in exchange of the unique private key & Seto decryption tool. The note claims paying the ransom to be the only possible solution to get the encrypted data back.

Please note that these claims are mere tricks to extort money from the victims. Paying ransom does not always yield positive result.

So, how can one decrypt .Seto files? What are the other possible ways of removing .Seto virus Ransomware from system? How can one prevent Seto file virus from infecting the system.

Read on to find answers to these questions-

Threat Behavior of Seto Ransomware 

The ever-growing infamous Stop Djvu Ransomware family recently got a new member added to it. This recent strain has been named as Seto Ransomware as it adds .Seto extension to the file names after encrypting them.

Just like its siblings, Seto File Virus spreads its infection via various distribution channels such as spam e-mails, online advertising & unreliable software updater.

It doesn’t require any manual help to get installed on the system. Once installed, it searches the system for targeted file types & extensions. When found, Seto uses strong Encryption Algorithms such as RAS (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) & AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to encrypt the files. The encrypted files are instantly made inaccessible to the users & appended with .Seto extension.

A file named image.png might be renamed as “image.png.seto” after encryption.

Some of the files extensions at the target of Seto Ransomware are mentioned below:

• Document files (.docx, .doc, .odt, .rtf, .text, .pdf, .htm, .ppt)
• Audio Files (.mp3, .aif, .iff, .m3u, .m4u, .mid, .mpa, .wma, .ra, .avi, .mov, .mp4)
• Video Files (.3gp, .mpeg, .3g2, .asf, .asx, .flv, .mpg, .wmv, .vob)
• Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .raw, .tif, .gif, .png)
• Backup Files (.bck, .bckp, .tmp, .gho)

Insight into Ransom Note & Amount for Seto File Virus:

Once the files are encrypted, Seto Ransomware drops a ransom-demanding note in every folder that contains .Seto files. The ransom note is a text document named as “_readme.txt”.

This ransom note covers the screen every-time a victims tries to access/open the encrypted file.

The ransom note contains instructions for the victims to get their data decrypted. A unique private key & Seto decrypter is required to restore the data encrypted by the crypto-virus.

The hackers demand a hefty amount of $980 (in Bitcoins) in exchange of the private key & decrypter software. The victims are asked to contact the hackers on gorentos@bitmessage.ch & gorentoshelp@firemail.cc.

The ransom-note promises a discount of 50% on the ransom amount (i.e., $480 in bitcoins) to the victims who contact the hackers within 72 hours of the encryption.

The Text in the Ransom Note Reads as Follows:

Hackers’ Fake Claims

In order to gain the trust of the victims & make them believe that decryption is possible, the hackers offer to decrypt one file for absolutely no cost.

The victims are asked to send one file to the hackers on their e-mail address mentioned in the ransom-note. (The file should not contain any confidential/important information of the victim, the note suggests.)

The decrypted file is sent back to the victim as a proof/guarantee of decryption. Victims are then asked to pay the ransom via payment method suggested by the hackers. Hackers promise to send the private key & decryption software after payment has been made.

However, analysis by the cyber-security experts has shown that contacting the hackers & paying the Ransom amount goes in vain in most of the cases. Hackers often avoid responding the victims after the ransom amount has been received.

Therefore, victims of Stop Djvu Ransomware Variants are advised not to contact the hackers, regardless of the amount asked by hackers. Act wisely & do not let the cyber-criminals extort money.

Impacted users may either download Seto decrypter tool or follow manual removal guidelines to get rid of Seto Ransomware.

Distribution Techniques of Seto Ransomware-

The cyber-criminals use various strategies for malware distribution which include –

1. Software Bundling: Software bundling is the process in which a malicious program is distributed with other free software, to get an unnoticed entry into your computer system. When a user installs a free application, the malicious programs gains a front door entry with the free application, the user has downloaded. Thus, it is a good idea to keep an eye on the installation screens while installing these free applications.
2. Infected Storage Devices: Your system can also get infected by using removable media such as USB hard drives and jump drives without scanning them with an anti-virus.
3. Spam Emails – Spamming is the most economic and common method used for the distribution of such malware. The targeted users get genuine looking emails which contain .doc, .txt, and other similar attachments. These attachments can be named as anything which can grab the user’s attention and triggers him/her to open the attachment. As soon as the user opens this attachment, the malware infects the user’s computer system.
4. Malicious Websites or Malevolent Advertisements: The malicious websites are the ones which are created just for promoting the malware infections. Such websites include but are not limited to porn sites, torrent sites and other free downloading platforms. By visiting such websites, the adware infects the user’s computer without permission. Fake advertisements and updates like Flash player and windows updates which ask the user to update to the latest version are a few examples. When the users click on such links, their computer system gets infected. That is why, it is highly recommended to resist clicking on such links. Also avoid clicking on advertisements offering free stuff such as Win an iPhones, cars or free overseas trips etc.

Download Vipre Malware Remover

How to remove Seto Ransomware infection from the system-

 STEP A: Reboot your system to Safe Mode

To restart the system to Safe Mode with Networking,  if already switched ON then follow the below steps:

STEP B: Delete the suspicious key from the Configuration Settings

1. Type “Msconfig” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. Click on “Services” Tab and click on “Hide all Microsoft services”.
3. Select Seto Ransomware from the list of remaining services and disable it by removing the tick mark from the checkbox and click on Apply button.

STEP C: Remove Malicious Program from Command Prompt

Once the system starts, ensure to use an account with administrative privilege to access Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

After the user enters admin credentials, Command prompt window is displayed wherein you are entitled to enter the below commands:

1. Type the command “sc delete Seto Ransomware” in the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Type “exit” to exit the command prompt and restart the system in safe mode with command prompt.

STEP D: Restore the System Files & Settings

How to prevent Seto Ransomware from infecting your system-

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like Vipre and BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.

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