CoViper
Intelligence Profile
PCRisk notes that CoViper is yet another Coronavirus/COVID-19-themed malware infection, most likely proliferated as a file related to the pandemic. It operates by rewriting the system Master Boot Record (MBR). It does not delete the original, but rather creates a backup and replaces it with a custom MBR.
Typically, malicious software that modifies MBRs do so to prevent the Operating System (OS) from being booted (i.e., started). It also displays a screen-encompassing message, often containing a ransom message - this disables user access to the device.
Threat Analysis
CoViper is a malware family tracked by threat intelligence researchers and catalogued in the Malpedia dataset. It represents a distinct malicious software lineage with identifiable code characteristics, behaviors, and victimology.