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Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

krebsonsecurity.com

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Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#111

Post by charcircuit »

chisleu wrote: post #95
charcircuit wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but this is a specific safety mechanism, why this is over others?

It's simple for the malware to check. For instance, you don't want to hit a Russian oligarch's laptop w/ ransomware just because his GPS says he is in another country. You don't want to trust the outbound ip because they might be on a VPN, etc. This is more broad and simple and easy. Can you think of a better way?

You could check what language the operating is set to, or the browser bookmarks /history to name a couple.

Checking installed keyboards is somewhat obscure and sounds like something someone cleverly came up with and I'm interested in how is sprea

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#112

Post by charcircuit »

make3 wrote: post #101
charcircuit wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but this is a specific safety mechanism, why this is over others?

convergent evolution

If you look at how it's compiled you can tell if it's using the same code, or if they converged to use similar strategies.

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#113

Post by bigfatkitten »

lelele wrote: post #73
ivan_gammel wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wonder how that works in this era of AI translation Simple translation isn’t enough to show cultural proximity. Patterns of speech are different. You can try to use AI to do the entire conversation, but e.g. Claude will refuse to give you exact phrases, since he is correctly assuming it is a social engineering attack.

Do you mean that one can't use AI to learn a foreign language in its everyday form?

To become achieve everyday competence in a foreign language, you need to actually use it in an everyday context. That means being immersed in the culture where the language is spoken.

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#114

Post by grishka »

As a Russian who removed "winlockers" from so many of my not-so-tech-literate schoolmates' computers in the late 00s, I disagree :D

But those weren't as sophisticated, I suppose. They didn't encrypt files. They only displayed an uncloseable window demanding a payment. Sometimes with hilarious phrasing like "thank you for installing this quick access widget for our adult website".

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#116

Post by petersellers »

anonymars wrote: post #107
Melatonic wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed - like using a non admin account.

How does that protect against ransomware?

Limits the blast radius to only the files that the more limited user has write access to.

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#117

Post by johanneskanybal »

cynicalsecurity wrote: post #52
johanneskanybal wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right tool for the job. Linux for deploying stuff to, Linux or mac for working on the stuff you’ll deploy. Windows for games and everyday use. They’re all superior in their category and it’s too obvious to spend time arguing about.

You don't need Windows for games since ages. Steam games run on Linux.

Not really if you ever tried. Barely playing music, games obviously don’t work if you ever tried playing games. (hint, game x not beeing terrible doesen’t mean ”it works”). like I said at the start this is fairly obvious.

Re: Many ransomware strains will abort if they detect a Russian keyboard installed (2021)

#118

Post by johanneskanybal »

ekianjo wrote: post #57
johanneskanybal wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right tool for the job. Linux for deploying stuff to, Linux or mac for working on the stuff you’ll deploy. Windows for games and everyday use. They’re all superior in their category and it’s too obvious to spend time arguing about.

You can game on Linux for many years now. Windows is mostly mandatory if you play multiplayer games with anticheat

yea pong working on linux doesen’t equal to gaming working on linux. Most games won’t start or play worse.
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