A strange new ransomware locks the files of users until they play a game of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, the massively popular multiplayer shooter that started the Battle Royale craze.
Aptly named PUBG Ransomware, it skips the usual demand of money from hackers, in exchange for taking a break and playing video games.
PUBG Ransomware: Here's How It Works
PUBG Ransomware starts out just like any other ransomware. Once launched, it will encrypt the user's files and folders on the desktop, appending them with a .PUBG extension. The encrypted files will be inaccessible to users.
However, that is where PUBG Ransomware deviates. Traditional ransomware will demand some sort of payment from the victim in exchange for decrypting the files. PUBG Ransomware, however, requires users to play PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
The ransom screen states that players should play PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds for at least an hour before they are able to unlock their files, but it actually only requires 3 seconds. Once the ransomware detects the game running, it will automatically decrypt the encrypted files.
There is actually a second way to unlock the user's files, and that it is to simply enter a certain code that is found on the ransom note. However, that is nowhere near as fun as playing a game of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
What's The Point Of PUBG Ransomware?
The PUBG Ransomware might look like a joke, but it really does encrypt the files of users. Thankfully, getting rid of the lock is really easy, especially for those who are already part of the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds community.
On a more serious note, however, PUBG Ransomware may serve as a reminder for users to maintain reliable security software on their computers and to avoid shady links that may download ransomware. If users are not careful, the next ransomware that they come across might not just be asking for a game of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
'PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' News
PUBG deathmatch games are coming soon to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds through War Mode, which is currently in beta testing. In War Mode, players endlessly respawn after dying, and the way to win is by scoring a total of 80 points through a combination of kills, revives, and takedowns.
The new kind of matches shows PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds expanding beyond the Battle Royale genre that it popularized as it responds to Fortnite. PUBG Corp., the developer of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, will have more time in its hands to deal with the rise in popularity of Fortnite after it eliminates PUBG Mobile clones through legal action.
