How to remove Cerber 5 ransomware virus

Cerber 5 virus is out, as well as Cerber 5.0.1 ransomware. What is known about these malicious programs?

The recent release of the Cerber 5 virus is another big leap for the Cerber virus family. Although the hackers have been working on this particular ransomware for quite some time, it has never been as widespread and active as it is right now. And it seems that the cyber criminals are willing to take everything from this success. Although the initial look at the new version of this virus does not give away much information about what has been changed (the virus still uses the .[4 chars] extension to indicate the encrypted files), we can presume that it definitely hasn’t been downgraded. On the opposite, the hackers must have eliminated some of the potential virus vulnerabilities or at least improved the efficiency of the ransom collection. We will keep you updated about this virus as soon as some new significant findings emerge. As for now, we can only urge you to start taking steps towards computer protection if you haven’t done that yet. Also, you should always have some security tool ready, in case you are accidentally infected and need to remove Cerber 5 from the computer. We recommend investing in an acknowledged and professional antivirus software such as FortectIntego.

The new version of Cerber ransomware is practically identical to the previous ones, including Cerber 4.1.5 and Cerber 4.1.6. that have been appearing during this fall. Recently, an ever never version has emerged, and this one appears to be an altered version of the fifth one. First spotted on November 25, 2016, Cerber 5.0.1 virus version is out and ready to attack computer users, so be careful! Cerber 5.0.1 ransomware is currently being analyzed by our research team, but so far no significant changes were noticed. This version seems to be similar to its predecessors – it adds a randomly generated file extension to files and locks them with AES and RSA encryption ciphers. Currently cannot be decrypted using any free data recovery tools.

All of these viruses are currently distributed through the RIG exploit kit which has first been applied for spreading Locky virus around. Nevertheless, while Locky uses the RIG-E version of the exploit, Cerber 5 employs RIG-V (the so-called “VIP” variant of the parasite). Getting back to the similarities between Cerber 5 and other latest virus versions, they are apparent starting with the ransom note that the virus places on the infected computer’s desktop. You can see it below. The fifth version adds .secret file extension to the list of target file types, and skips files smaller than 2,560 bytes in size. 

Your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted by “Cerber Ransomware 5.0.0”!
If you understand all importance of the situation
then we propose to you to go directly to your personal page
where you will receive the complete instructions
and guarantees to restore your files.
There is a list of temporary addresses
to go on your personal page below:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
http://ffoqr3ug7m726zou.b4abvx.top/FEA4-AFFB-5CA1-0091-B992
http://ffoqr3ug7m726zou.lruwth.top/FEA4-AFFB-5CA1-0091-B992
http://fforq3ug7m726zou.onion.to/FEA4-AFFB-5CA1-0091-B992

The note apparently does not give out information about the ransom, nor the payment type. Nevertheless, it can be presumed like in the previous versions, the ransom size varies depending on the amount and importance of the infected files. More detailed data recovery instructions are provided in the README.hta file that the virus also drops on the desktop. If the virus victim decides to pay up, like always, Cerber developers keep things “professional” and redirect the user to a simple and comprehensive payment site. Nonetheless, paying the extortionists is highly unadvisable. It is much safer to carry out the Cerber 5 removal which ensures that the data on the computer will not be encrypted again.

How does this ransomware infiltrate victim’s computer?

Cerber 5 is another version of this malicious virus that is spread around via RIG-V exploit kit. This system infiltration technique is much more effective than spreading infected email attachments around. We mention this not without reason. In fact, spamming is still one of the most widely utilized ways of computer hijacking and Cerber 5 does not step away from it either. But the new exploit kit approach unlocks much more opportunities. The virus does not necessarily have to be downloaded on the computer by the users themselves and can penetrate it through cracks and vulnerabilities found in outdated programs or flawed security software. Needless to say, keeping the system and its applications updates is one of the key features that might help prevent the ransomware infiltration.

Actions to take when Cerber 5 attacks you:

Cerber 5 virus should be eliminated only with a powerful and updated security equipment. Using cracked or pirated software may only make matters worse and damage the computer irreversibly. Thus, it is better not to risk and choose trustworthy tools for the Cerber 5 removal. However, we should warn you that sophisticated software does not necessarily ensure immediate and smooth virus elimination. Some problems may arise with the virus blocking the antivirus scanner from running. This is a common obstacle that the ransomware victims face when trying to free their computers from these parasites. Luckily, our experts have found an effective way to bypass it. You will find these antivirus unblocking steps below.