A new ransomware family called “[F]Unicorn” masqueraded as a COVID-19 contact tracing app in order to target Italian users.

On May 25, the the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) from the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) revealed in an advisory that it had received a sample of [F]Unicorn from security researcher JamesWT_MHT.

The sample analyzed by CERT-AgID relied on emails informing users of a PC beta release of Immuni, Italy’s COVID-19 contact tracing app, for distribution. Those attack emails leveraged typoquatting techniques to trick users into clicking on a download link for the advertised app.

Once clicked, the malware showed a fake dashboard that claimed to offer COVID-19 information collected by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. In the background, the email got to work encrypting a user’s data. It then displayed its ransom note in Italian.

[F]Unicorn’s ransom note (Source: Bleeping Computer)

As translated into English by Bleeping Computer:

The long snake on Asceplio’s staff has rebelled, and a new era is about to come!
This is your chance to redeem yourself after years of sins and abuses.
It’s up to you to choose. Within 3 days the pledge to pay you will have to or the fire of Prometheus will cancel your data just as it has wiped out the power of Gods over men. The pledge is only 300 euros, to be paid with Bitcoins at the following address: 195naAM74WpLtGHsKp9azSsXWmBCaDscxJ after you have paid, an email to send us you will. [email protected] the transaction code will be the proof.
After the paid pledge you will receive the solution to put out Prometheus’ fire. Go from
police or calling technicians will be of no use, no human being can help you.

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