Centurion_Legion ransomware / virus (Improved Guide)
Centurion_Legion virus Removal Guide
What is Centurion_Legion ransomware virus?
Description of Centurion_Legion virus
Another ransomware type virus has been created and released, and it is named Centurion_Legion. Examples of related viruses include Crysis ransomware, .xtbl virus, VegClass virus and a few others. Just like all these viruses, the new version encrypts all victim’s files and demands ransom. It also appends .centurion_legion_@_aol.com.xtbl file extension to encrypted files. Comparing Centurion_Legion malware to typical ransomware threats, it differs because it does not provide the cost of the decryption key, which can help the victim to restore files. It drops ransom notes (How to decrypt your files.txt and DECRYPT.JPG), which deliver a message from cyber criminals. They say that the victim has to contact crooks via two provided emails – the main one (mailrepa.lotos(@)aol.com), and the second one (goldman0(@)india.com) in case frauds do not respond in 48 hours. Then the victim has to wait for instructions on how to buy the decryption key and decrypt data using it.
This virus is very dangerous as it can corrupt all your files. It uses very sophisticated encryption algorithms, and it combines even three of them. First of all, it encrypts data using the AES-246 cipher, and then it locks the key used for the decryption using RSA cryptography algorithm. What is more, this virus uses Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) mode, which is a technology that makes victim’s files non-decryptable if the user unsuccessfully attempts to decrypt data. Therefore, we do not recommend you to touch or do anything with your files because you might make them impossible to decode. IT experts are trying to discover a decryptor for this ransomware, so we suggest waiting. Meanwhile, you should remove the ransomware from the computer system, and you should do that using a professional malware removal program, for example, FortectIntego. Our advice is not to mess with this virus by yourself because you might do more harm than good.
How does this malware spread?
This virus is distributed using spam e-mail campaigns, which means it tries to break into victim’s computer like Trojan horse. Cyber criminals conceal this threat and make it look like a safe file (usually a document), and send it directly to the victim via email. Do not be fooled; our advice is to stay away from emails that come from unknown senders, and it is very important not to open files attached to them, as this can immediately execute the virus.
We also suggest you to secure your computer in advance and install a good anti-malware program to keep the PC protected from spyware and malware attacks. Remember that you can end up installing a virus just by browsing through infectious Internet sites, and if you are not advanced enough to understand which websites are trustworthy and which ones are not, you can easily download malware into your PC without even realizing it. Bear in mind that crooks do their best concealing viruses and making them look like reliable files or programs, so be careful.
How to remove Centurion_Legion virus from the computer?
Centurion_Legion ransomware is a terrible computer threat, and you do have to protect your computer if you do not want to lose all your files in a few minutes. We strongly advise you to backup your data, even if you have a computer security software and if you avoid visiting untrustworthy websites. You can find instructions on how to backup your files in this post. Data backups come in useful when original data gets lost or corrupted.
If you did not take precautions earlier, and if this virus has encrypted all your records, we suggest you to remove the threat from the computer because now there is nothing much of what you can do. Centurion_Legion removal can be done using the anti-malware software, but the virus might try to stop you from running it. In such case, follow instructions provided below:
Getting rid of Centurion_Legion virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove Centurion_Legion using System Restore
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
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Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
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Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
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Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Centurion_Legion. After doing that, click Next.
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Now click Yes to start system restore.
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Centurion_Legion and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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