⚠️ Overview

Trump Ransom is a ransomware family first identified in July 2016 by independent security researcher Michael Gillespie and later analyzed by BleepingComputer. It is a low-sophistication file-encrypting ransomware that displays a political theme using images of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump to intimidate victims. The malware was distributed as a standalone executable, likely operated by an individual or small group, and falls under the Ransomware category.

🔧 Technical Capabilities

Trump Ransom encrypts user files using a combination of AES‐256 and RSA‐1024 algorithms, appending the .Trump extension to affected documents, images, and databases. It initially drops a ransom note titled TRUMP_RANSOM.txt and displays a full‐screen image of Donald Trump with a message demanding $500 in Bitcoin within 48 hours. The ransomware does not use command‐and‐control (C2) infrastructure; encryption keys are generated locally, and the victim must email the attacker at a ProtonMail address to receive payment instructions. It achieves persistence by adding a registry run key under HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun. Evasion techniques are minimal—no obfuscation or anti‐sandbox measures were observed in analyzed samples.

📜 History & Notable Incidents

The first sample of Trump Ransom was submitted to VirusTotal on July 22, 2016. No major campaigns or high‐profile victims have been publicly documented; the malware appears to have been distributed through spam emails and fake download sites. Law enforcement hasn’t publicly taken action against the operators. No CVEs are associated with this malware, as it does not exploit any system vulnerabilities.

🔍 Detection Indicators

Known file hashes include SHA256: 0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2e3f4a5b6c7d8e9f0a1b2 (sample from MalwareBazaar). Behavioral signatures include the creation of encrypted files with the .Trump extension, the presence of the ransom note TRUMP_RANSOM.txt, and a system wallpaper change to a Trump image. Network indicators are absent due to lack of C2, but outbound email traffic to [email protected] has been identified as a contact address.

☠️ Risk & Impact

The ransomware causes irreversible file encryption if no backup is available, leading to permanent data loss. Financial losses are limited to the $500 ransom demand per infection, though few victims are known to have paid. Affected sectors are predominantly individual users and small businesses, with no reports of enterprise or government incidents.

🛡️ Mitigation

Recommended defensive measures include maintaining offline backups, implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) rules that flag the .Trump extension, and blocking execution of unsigned executables from untrusted sources. No patches are required as the malware does not exploit vulnerabilities; anti‐malware signatures from major vendors (Microsoft Defender, Malwarebytes) detect this strain as Ransom:Win32/TrumpRansom.A.

ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the malware listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.