{"id":56499,"date":"2017-02-22T14:05:43","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T20:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=56499"},"modified":"2017-02-22T14:05:43","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T20:05:43","slug":"google-chrome-users-baited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/google-chrome-users-baited\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Chrome Users Are Being Baited"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Spora Ransomware Targets Chrome Users<\/h4>\n<p>A new ransomware campaign is targeting Google Chrome users.\u00a0 If Chrome users visit a compromised site, an alert will pop up prompting the user to &#8220;update&#8221; a Chrome font\u00a0extension.\u00a0 The false update claims it need to execute because Hoefler Text is not found.\u00a0 Although this text font is legitimate, the update is not.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56500 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-chrome-ransomware.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"307\" \/><em>Image provided by Forbes, via Proofpoint<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">According to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/leemathews\/2017\/02\/22\/ransomware-attack-pushes-fake-font-update-on-google-chrome-users\/#7306281f4da0\">Forbes<\/a>, researchers have found after users execute the fake update, they become infected with the ransomware variant, Spora.\u00a0 Although this ransomware variant is similar to other variants, it does have a few features that set it apart.\u00a0 First, it is able to function while your PC is offline.\u00a0 Spora also leaves certain critical data files untouched, solely to keep the PC somewhat functional in order to receive payment for the encrypted files.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Decryption options are also a bit different than traditional ransomware variants.\u00a0 Most variants make a lump\u00a0sum ransom demand to get your files back.\u00a0 Forbes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/leemathews\/2017\/01\/12\/spora-is-the-highly-sophisticated-future-of-ransomware\/2\/#7100d3632fe3\">reports <\/a>Spora has alternative payment options.\u00a0 Victims can pay $30 per file for decryption or\u00a0$79 for complete decryption.\u00a0 In order for the infection to be removed from the PC, victims also need to pay and additional\u00a0$20.\u00a0 And, for the low price of $50 you can prevent any future Spora infections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spora Ransomware Targets Chrome Users A new ransomware campaign is targeting Google Chrome users.\u00a0 If Chrome users visit a compromised site, an alert will pop up prompting the user to &#8220;update&#8221; a Chrome font\u00a0extension.\u00a0 The false update claims it need to execute because Hoefler Text is not found.\u00a0 Although this text font is legitimate, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":55106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4949,5000],"tags":[631,4363],"class_list":["post-56499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ransomware","category-ransomwarewar","tag-google-chrome","tag-ransomware"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Google Chrome Users Are Being Baited<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Spora ransomware is targeting Google Chrome users with a fake font update. 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