StupidJapan Ransomware

At the time of research, StupidJapan Ransomware did not look like a fully-developed or active threat. That being said, it exists, and even though the form it currently exists in is pretty much harmless, we cannot know how exactly this threat would evolve. Maybe the next variant of this suspicious infection has an entirely different name, but, for now, let’s stick with the one we are already familiar with. In this report, we discuss what kinds of dangers Windows users could face if this ransomware became a serious threat. We also talk about how to protect the operating system against the invasion of this malware, as well as how to delete it once it slithers in. Hopefully, no one needs to worry about the removal of StupidJapan Ransomware, but since we cannot predict the future, we need to take this threat seriously. Please continue reading the report, and then use the comments section if you want to continue the discussion or if you want to contact our research team with your questions.

According to our research team, StupidJapan Ransomware was coded using the .NET language. The sample tested by our team allowed us to analyze the malicious code, and there is some important information to extract from that. Unfortunately, at this point, we cannot know how this malware could spread across the web. Considering that system vulnerabilities (specifically in remote access channels) and spam emails are usually used for successful distribution of ransomware, we recommend securing your operating system and staying away from suspicious emails. Of course, plenty of other security backdoors could be used to spread this infection, and you need to be cautious about all of them. If StupidJapan Ransomware is dropped and executed successfully, it is possible that it could encrypt your personal files. The sample tested in our internal lab did not do that. As a matter of fact, this infection did not create other files or add a point of execution. It did not even communicate with a remote server via the Internet to obtain an encryption key or other data or commands. In fact, in its current state, the threat does not have any malicious functionality.

What if things changed? If StupidJapan Ransomware acted like a normal ransomware, it should encrypt files and then demand a ransom to be paid in return for a decryption tool, decryption key, or some other allegedly magical tool. When analyzing the code of the threat, we found that it should launch a window with a button entitled “Remove Operating System.” If this button was clicked, a message asking “Are You Remove Operating System? Stupid Man?” should show up. There’s also a claim to have the MBR (master boot record) of the operating system removed, which is a ridiculous, nonsensical statement. The window of StupidJapan Ransomware should also include a message in English, Korean, and Japanese that doesn’t make any sense. At the bottom of the window, an email address (sealocker@daum.net) should be displayed. If by some chance you face StupidJapan Ransomware, do NOT email the attackers and do not pay attention to anything else. The only thing you should focus on is the removal of the threat.

We definitely hope that StupidJapan Ransomware stays in development indefinitely and that Windows users do not have to face this threat ever. Unfortunately, we do not know how things could turn out, and, considering that someone created this threat, we have to also consider the possibility that we might need to delete StupidJapan Ransomware. Not much can be said about the removal of this malware at this point, but if this threat evolves, reliable anti-malware software will be set to remove it automatically. Because the primary task for this kind of software is to protect the operating system against malware, it is important that you install it as soon as possible, even if malware does not exist at this particular time. If the window of the ransomware is currently occupying space on your Desktop, follow the instructions below that might be able to help you delete the threat manually.

StupidJapan Ransomware Removal

N.B. Do not close the ransomware window if you choose to follow these instructions.

1. Tap keys Ctrl+Alt+Delete and choose Start Task Manager.
2. Move to the Processes list.
3. Look for a malicious [unknown name] process and right-click it.
4. Choose Open file location to access the [unknown name].exe file.
5. Go back to the Processes, select the malicious process, and then click End Process.
6. Go to the location of the malicious .exe file, right-click it, and select Delete.
7. Empty Recycle Bin and immediately perform a full system scan using a reliable malware scanner.