Skip to main content
Skip to main content
Microsoft Security Intelligence
56 entries found. Displaying page 1 of 3.
Updated on Mar 12, 2016

Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects and removes this threat

This ransomware can stop you from using your PC or accessing your data.

It is a member of the ransomware-as-a-service category of ransomware, and spreads through email, exploit-kits, and other drive-by downloads. As of September, 2016, we have seen this threat use Exploit:HTML/Pangimop (Magnitude) and Rig exploit kits in its campaign in the Asian region (Taiwan and South Korea). We have also seen it distributed in email attachments that contain script-based downloaders, such as those written in javascript (.js), Office VBA (Word documents such as .doc and .rtf), and Windows Scripting File (.wsf). As of October 2016, we have seen Cerber delivered through password-protected email attachments, along with other threats.

Cerber encrypts files using both the RSA and RC4 algorithms, and uses the following encrypted file extensions:

  • .cerber
  • .cerber2
  • .cerber3

It might ask you to pay money (in the form of bitcoins) to a malicious hacker. It can play a text-to-speech or synthesized recording, show a web page, or a plain text document.

Our ransomware FAQ page has more information on this type of threat.

The trend towards increasingly sophisticated malware behavior, highlighted by the use of exploits and other attack vectors, makes older platforms so much more susceptible to ransomware attacks. From June to November 2017, Windows 7 devices were 3.4 times more likely to encounter ransomware compared to Windows 10 devices.

Read our latest report: A worthy upgrade: Next-gen security on Windows 10 proves resilient against ransomware outbreaks in 2017.

Alert level: severe
Updated on Mar 07, 2016

Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects and removes this threat.

This ransomware can stop you from using your PC or accessing your data. It might ask you to pay money to a malicious hacker.

Our ransomware FAQ page has more information on this type of threat.

The trend towards increasingly sophisticated malware behavior, highlighted by the use of exploits and other attack vectors, makes older platforms so much more susceptible to ransomware attacks. From June to November 2017, Windows 7 devices were 3.4 times more likely to encounter ransomware compared to Windows 10 devices.

Read our latest report: A worthy upgrade: Next-gen security on Windows 10 proves resilient against ransomware outbreaks in 2017.

Alert level: severe
Updated on May 30, 2016

Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects and removes this threat.

This ransomware can stop you from using your PC or accessing your data. It might ask you to pay money to a malicious hacker.

Our ransomware FAQ page has more information on this type of threat.

The trend towards increasingly sophisticated malware behavior, highlighted by the use of exploits and other attack vectors, makes older platforms so much more susceptible to ransomware attacks. From June to November 2017, Windows 7 devices were 3.4 times more likely to encounter ransomware compared to Windows 10 devices.

Read our latest report: A worthy upgrade: Next-gen security on Windows 10 proves resilient against ransomware outbreaks in 2017.

Alert level: severe
Updated on Jun 30, 2016
Alert level: severe
Updated on Sep 02, 2016
Alert level: severe
Updated on Sep 06, 2016

Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects and removes this threat.

This ransomware can stop you from using your PC or accessing your data. It might ask you to pay money to a malicious hacker.

Our ransomware FAQ page has more information on this type of threat.

The trend towards increasingly sophisticated malware behavior, highlighted by the use of exploits and other attack vectors, makes older platforms so much more susceptible to ransomware attacks. From June to November 2017, Windows 7 devices were 3.4 times more likely to encounter ransomware compared to Windows 10 devices.

Read our latest report: A worthy upgrade: Next-gen security on Windows 10 proves resilient against ransomware outbreaks in 2017.

Alert level: severe
Updated on Nov 28, 2016
Alert level: severe
Updated on Jan 10, 2017
Alert level: severe
Updated on Jan 11, 2017
Alert level: severe
Updated on Mar 27, 2017
Alert level: severe
Updated on Mar 29, 2017
Alert level: severe
Updated on May 26, 2017
Alert level: severe
Updated on Sep 15, 2023
Alert level: severe
Updated on Mar 21, 2016
Alert level: severe
Updated on May 26, 2016

Windows Defender detects and removes this threat.

This ransomware can stop you from using your PC or accessing your data. It might ask you to pay money to a malicious hacker. See our family description Win32/Cerber.

Our ransomware FAQ page has more information on this type of threat.

The trend towards increasingly sophisticated malware behavior, highlighted by the use of exploits and other attack vectors, makes older platforms so much more susceptible to ransomware attacks. From June to November 2017, Windows 7 devices were 3.4 times more likely to encounter ransomware compared to Windows 10 devices.

Read our latest report: A worthy upgrade: Next-gen security on Windows 10 proves resilient against ransomware outbreaks in 2017.

Alert level: severe
Updated on Oct 12, 2018
Alert level: severe
Updated on Feb 20, 2020
Alert level: severe
Updated on Oct 19, 2020
Alert level: severe
Updated on Oct 21, 2020
Alert level: severe
Updated on Jul 11, 2021
Alert level: severe