‘Rensenware’ only returns encrypted files after achieving a high score

A recently discovered ransomware variant called ‘Rensenware’ uses a rather unusual way of asking victims for a ‘ransom’. For example, they have to achieve a score of 200 million points in a Touhou game, which is not easy to say the least.

The ransomware became discovers by the company Malware Hunter Team, which detects different types of malware. It turns out it’s a project by a Twitter user named TVple Eraser, who in his own words put the software together “for fun” and placed it on GitHub. The ransomware does work and only allows decryption of files if victims achieve a score of 200 million points in the game ‘Unidentified Fantastic Object’ at the ‘lunatic’ level.

To check that, the ransomware monitors the game’s process. However, getting the score in the game is a challenge, as shown in the video below. The maker of the ‘rensenware’ has now expressed his regret made and has published a tool to free encrypted files. Then you must have the game on your system. It doesn’t look like he had many casualties. For those who want to protect themselves against the inevitable spam wave with rensenware, a protection tool has actually been created.

The name rensenware is a pun on the title Touhou Seirensen. The warning presented to victims states that ‘Minamitsu Murasa’ has encrypted files on the computer.

Good luck