Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO

What is Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO infection?

In this post you will certainly locate concerning the meaning of Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO as well as its unfavorable impact on your computer system. Such ransomware are a form of malware that is clarified by on-line scams to demand paying the ransom by a victim.

Most of the cases, Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO ransomware will instruct its victims to initiate funds move for the purpose of counteracting the modifications that the Trojan infection has introduced to the victim’s device.

Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO Summary

These modifications can be as adheres to:

  • Executable code extraction. Cybercriminals often use binary packers to hinder the malicious code from reverse-engineered by malware analysts. A packer is a tool that compresses, encrypts, and modifies a malicious file’s format. Sometimes packers can be used for legitimate ends, for example, to protect a program against cracking or copying.
  • Creates RWX memory. There is a security trick with memory regions that allows an attacker to fill a buffer with a shellcode and then execute it. Filling a buffer with shellcode isn’t a big deal, it’s just data. The problem arises when the attacker is able to control the instruction pointer (EIP), usually by corrupting a function’s stack frame using a stack-based buffer overflow, and then changing the flow of execution by assigning this pointer to the address of the shellcode.
  • Possible date expiration check, exits too soon after checking local time;
  • A process created a hidden window;
  • Creates an excessive number of UDP connection attempts to external IP addresses;
  • The binary likely contains encrypted or compressed data. In this case, encryption is a way of hiding virus’ code from antiviruses and virus’ analysts.
  • The executable is likely packed with VMProtect;
  • Uses Windows utilities for basic functionality;
  • Tries to suspend Cuckoo threads to prevent logging of malicious activity;
  • Exhibits behavior characteristic of Cerber ransomware;
  • EternalBlue behavior. Allows cyber threat actors to remotely execute arbitrary code and gain access to a network by sending specially crafted packets.

    This is has made EternalBlue trick popular with various malware, such as Trickbot, a modular banking trojan, as well as CoinMiner and WannaMine, crypto miners that use the EternalBlue exploit in order to gain access to computing power to mine cryptocurrencies.

  • Generates some ICMP traffic;
  • Collects information to fingerprint the system. There are behavioral human characteristics that can be used to digitally identify a person to grant access to systems, devices, or data. Unlike passwords and verification codes, fingerprints are fundamental parts of user’s identities. Among the threats blocked on biometric data processing and storage systems is spyware, the malware used in phishing attacks (mostly spyware downloaders and droppers), ransomware, and Banking Trojans as posing the greatest danger.
  • Ciphering the papers found on the victim’s disk drive — so the sufferer can no more utilize the information;
  • Preventing routine accessibility to the sufferer’s workstation. This is the typical behavior of a virus called locker. It blocks access to the computer until the victim pays the ransom.
Similar behavior
Related domains
z.whorecord.xyz Ransom.GandCrab/Variant
a.tomx.xyz Ransom.GandCrab/Variant

Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO

The most typical networks whereby Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO Trojans are injected are:

  • By ways of phishing emails;
  • As a repercussion of individual ending up on a resource that organizes a harmful software program;

As soon as the Trojan is efficiently infused, it will certainly either cipher the information on the target’s PC or stop the tool from functioning in a correct fashion – while also putting a ransom note that points out the demand for the sufferers to impact the repayment for the function of decrypting the files or bring back the documents system back to the preliminary condition. In a lot of instances, the ransom note will certainly come up when the client restarts the COMPUTER after the system has actually currently been damaged.

Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO distribution networks.

In different corners of the world, Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO expands by jumps and bounds. However, the ransom money notes and tricks of obtaining the ransom amount may differ depending upon specific local (regional) settings. The ransom notes and methods of obtaining the ransom money quantity may differ depending on particular regional (local) setups.

Ransomware injection

As an example:

    Faulty signals concerning unlicensed software application.

    In particular areas, the Trojans typically wrongfully report having found some unlicensed applications enabled on the target’s gadget. The alert after that demands the individual to pay the ransom money.

    Faulty statements about unlawful content.

    In countries where software piracy is much less prominent, this approach is not as effective for the cyber frauds. Additionally, the Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO popup alert might falsely claim to be originating from a police establishment as well as will certainly report having situated child pornography or other prohibited information on the tool.

    Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO popup alert might falsely declare to be deriving from a law enforcement establishment and will certainly report having located kid porn or other prohibited information on the tool. The alert will in a similar way include a requirement for the customer to pay the ransom money.

Technical details

File Info:

crc32: C403C656md5: 0cd011d52d321badc96738b5642d0ccfname: 0CD011D52D321BADC96738B5642D0CCF.mlwsha1: 47f9b5f7431f8dce527e1002489f85213685110csha256: 559a207d74905447623b6fe524b9e82fa056e184ce32bfb8738ef9db0bd27554sha512: 6bc5e9f92afee90c25d7197df4d88723c841749683a338bbab0c6d4c676d0d51c4c5de0fb3a7c69f19d514ef8850bdd83bb05d30cbe19368ef8bef58abcdfe3fssdeep: 24576:N6z86PhNKPo9rnMogooa8bw+09pIk6i1rgJ1+00:NNQhEPotJFDAQvi1V0type: PE32 executable (GUI) Intel 80386, for MS Windows

Version Info:

CompanyName: Elaborate Bytes AGTranslation: 0x0000 0x04b0

Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO also known as:

GridinSoft Trojan.Ransom.Gen
Bkav W32.AIDetect.malware1
K7AntiVirus Trojan ( 7000001c1 )
Elastic malicious (high confidence)
DrWeb Trojan.Encoder.4691
Cynet Malicious (score: 100)
ALYac MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212
Cylance Unsafe
Sangfor Trojan.Win32.MemScan.39212
CrowdStrike win/malicious_confidence_80% (D)
K7GW Trojan ( 7000001c1 )
Cybereason malicious.52d321
Symantec ML.Attribute.HighConfidence
ESET-NOD32 a variant of Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO
APEX Malicious
Avast Win32:Malware-gen
Kaspersky UDS:Trojan.Win32.Generic
BitDefender MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212
NANO-Antivirus Trojan.Win32.Encoder.ewtkjo
SUPERAntiSpyware Ransom.GandCrab/Variant
MicroWorld-eScan MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212
Tencent Win32.Trojan.Crypt.Jme
Ad-Aware MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212
Sophos ML/PE-A + Mal/VMProtBad-A
BitDefenderTheta Gen:NN.ZexaF.34692.8y0@aW9hQYf
VIPRE Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT
McAfee-GW-Edition BehavesLike.Win32.Generic.dc
FireEye Generic.mg.0cd011d52d321bad
Emsisoft MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212 (B)
SentinelOne Static AI – Malicious PE
Jiangmin Trojan.Generic.dploi
Avira TR/Crypt.XPACK.Gen
eGambit Unsafe.AI_Score_100%
Antiy-AVL Trojan/Generic.ASMalwS.23E8A0A
Microsoft Ransom:Win32/Cerber.K
Arcabit Trojan.Generic.D992C
AegisLab Trojan.Win32.Generic.4!c
GData MemScan:Trojan.GenericKDZ.39212
McAfee Artemis!0CD011D52D32
MAX malware (ai score=99)
VBA32 BScope.Trojan-Ransom.Zerber
Malwarebytes Ransom.Cerber
Panda Trj/GdSda.A
Rising Ransom.Cerber!8.3058 (CLOUD)
Ikarus Trojan-Ransom.Cerber
MaxSecure Trojan.Malware.300983.susgen
Fortinet W32/Generic.A!tr
AVG Win32:Malware-gen
Paloalto generic.ml

How to remove Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO virus?

Unwanted application has ofter come with other viruses and spyware. This threats can steal account credentials, or crypt your documents for ransom.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft1

Run the setup file.

Run Setup.exe
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

Press “Install” button.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Splash-Screen

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scanning

Click on “Clean Now”.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

Are Your Protected?

Full version of GridinSoft

If the guide doesn’t help you to remove Win32/Packed.VMProtect.ACO you can always ask me in the comments for getting help.

References

    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    Security engineer focused on malware behavior, removal workflows, and Windows hardening. Robert reviews threat articles for practical accuracy, checking detection names, symptoms, and cleanup steps before publication.

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