computer science

TeslaCrypt

TeslaCrypt is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TeslaCrypt rather than just read about it. In short: TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers.

Key takeaways

TeslaCrypt belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TeslaCrypt to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TeslaCrypt from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers. In its early forms, TeslaCrypt targeted game-play data for specific computer games. Newer variants of the malware also affect other file types. In its original, game-player campaign, upon infection the malware searched for 185 file extensions related to 40 different games, which include the Call of Duty series, World of Warcraft, Minecraft and World of Tanks, and encrypted such files. The files targeted involve the save data, player profiles, custom maps and game mods stored on the victim's hard drives. Newer variants of TeslaCrypt were not focused on computer games alone but also encrypted Word, PDF, JPEG and other files. In all cases, the victim would then be prompted to pay a ransom of $500 worth of bitcoins in order to obtain the key to decrypt the files. Although resembling CryptoLocker in form and function, Teslacrypt shares no code with CryptoLocker and was developed independently. The malware infected computers via the Angler Adobe Flash exploit. Even though the ransomware claimed TeslaCrypt used asymmetric encryption, researchers from Cisco's Talos Group found that symmetric encryption was used and developed a decryption tool for it. This "deficiency" was changed in version 2.0, rendering it impossible to decrypt files affected by TeslaCrypt-2.0. By November 2015, security researchers from Kaspersky had been quietly circulating that there was a new weakness in version 2.0, but carefully keeping that knowledge away from the malware developer so that they could not fix the flaw. As of January 2016, a new version 3.0 was discovered that had fixed the flaw. A full behavior report, which shows BehaviorGraphs and ExecutionGraphs was published by JoeSecurity.

Shut down In May 2016, the developers of TeslaCrypt shut down the ransomware and released the master decryption key, thus bringing an end to the ransomware. After a few days, ESET released a public tool to decrypt affected computers at no charge.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TeslaCrypt

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TeslaCrypt claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TeslaCrypt before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TeslaCrypt ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TeslaCrypt

In research: TeslaCrypt appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TeslaCrypt in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TeslaCrypt is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010s in hacking, 2015 in computing, Blackmail, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TeslaCrypt outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TeslaCrypt in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TeslaCrypt means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TeslaCrypt out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TeslaCrypt in simple terms?

TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers.

Why does TeslaCrypt matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TeslaCrypt?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TeslaCrypt.