CryptoCat ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Instructions)

CryptoCat virus Removal Guide

What is CryptoCat ransomware virus?

How much damage CryptoCat virus can inflict?

CryptoCat virus reveals its claws by mercifully infecting any user‘s computer and locking his data. Though the title of the ransomware might arise amusement for some users, you should not take this malware too lightly. It is capable of inflicting severe damage by encoding all your valuable information with an elaborate RSA algorithm. After the process is complete, it presents its requirements. At the moment, the amount of ransom encompasses 1,45 bitcoin which equals 611 dollars. What you should do know is to remove CryptoCat instead of considering to pay the money. If you are familiar with the cases of infamous ransomware, which wheedled out enormous amounts of money, hackers are unlikely to return the files. Thus, focus on CryptoCat virus removal procedure.

While there has been a series of questionable ransomware entitled as batman_good@aol.com, cyber_baba@aol.com or JokeFromMars virus, this file-encrypting malware does not look like a small fry. In fact, the virus manages to infect a system quite easily. Later on, it starts searching for the series of various file formats to encrypt. Within seconds, all your important audio, documents, and image files are encoded, which now bear .cryptocat extensions. When the encryption process is complete, the ransomware rushes to inform you about its misdeed. In your files are locked !.txt file, it lays out its demands. As usual, the virus does not miss the chance to terrify that your files will be deleted unless you pay the ransom. If you want to clarify some subtleties, there are two email addresses provided for you: mls82@hush.ai and mls82@bk.ru. Needless to say, there is a time limit as well – 168 hours or one week for you to recover the files. Thus, eliminate the threat at once. FortectIntego speeds up the process.

CryptoCat virus presents its ransom note

How does the ransomware spread?

The transmission techniques of CryptoCat malware might be as interesting as the virus itself. Since it operates as a stereotypical file-encrypting threat, you might encounter it while surfing torrent sharing domains. However, to boost its revenues, the virus also uses spamming to take its victims by surprise. Thus, if you unexpectedly received the email from the FBI or other official institution, do not make any reckless actions. The hackers try to employ other terror and reach out to your human curiosity to make you open the infected link. Thus, if the message is of alerting origin, verify the sender and only then make the necessary action: either reply or delete the email. Otherwise, enwrapping the infected attachment might enable CryptoCat hijack.

CryptoCat elimination guide

We urge you to remove CryptoCat virus as soon as possible before it finishes encrypting all personal files or transfer confidential data to hackers. Likewise, install FortectIntego or Malwarebytes to confront the ransomware. After the termination process is complete, you can think about the data recovery. If you had a habit to back up your files regularly, then you should not worry. Just recover them by accessing the backup copies. In addition, it would be wiser to keep the files in several locations, for example, on the PC partitions or portable data storage devices. Lastly, if you cannot start CryptoCat removal because your anti-virus is shutdown, recover the access by using the guide displayed below.

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What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of CryptoCat 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
  1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
  2. 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.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list. Windows 7/XP
Windows 10 / Windows 8
  1. Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
    Settings
  2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
    Update and security
  3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
  4. Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
  5. Click Restart now.
    Reboot
  6. Select Troubleshoot. Choose an option
  7. Go to Advanced options. Advanced options
  8. Select Startup Settings. Startup settings
  9. Press Restart.
  10. Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking. Enable safe mode

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:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details.
    Open task manager
  3. Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
  4. Right-click and select Open file location.
    Open file location
  5. Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
    End task
  6. Delete the contents of the malicious folder.

Step 3. Check program Startup

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Go to Startup tab.
  3. Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
    Startup

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:

  1. Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
    Disk cleanup
  2. 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).
  3. Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:

    Temporary Internet Files
    Downloads
    Recycle Bin
    Temporary files

  4. Pick Clean up system files.
    Delete temp files
  5. 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 CryptoCat using System Restore

  • Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
    Windows 7 / Vista / XP
    1. Click Start Shutdown Restart OK.
    2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
    3. Select Command Prompt from the list Select 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'

    Windows 10 / Windows 8
    1. Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
    2. Now select Troubleshoot Advanced options Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
    3. Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window. Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
  • Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
    1. Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter. Enter 'cd restore' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    2. Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again.. Enter 'rstrui.exe' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    3. When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of CryptoCat. After doing that, click Next. When 'System Restore' window shows up, select 'Next' Select your restore point and click 'Next'
    4. Now click Yes to start system restore. Click 'Yes' and start system restore
    Once you restore your system to a previous date, download and scan your computer with FortectIntego and make sure that CryptoCat removal is performed successfully.

Bonus: Recover your data

Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove CryptoCat from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.

If your files are encrypted by CryptoCat, you can use several methods to restore them:

Should I install Data Recovery Pro?

Taking into account that there is no free decrypter released for this virus, Data Recovery Pro might succeed in recovering some of your valuable files.

  • Download Data Recovery Pro;
  • Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
  • Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by CryptoCat ransomware;
  • Restore them.

System Restore Point might be of help

This function gives you time and opportunity to create the copies of the files. Since it reverts the operating system to the previous state, you might find your data still unaffected by the virus. However, make a rush to copy it as the cyber threat is on its way to encrypt the data again!

  • Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
  • Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
  • Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.

Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from CryptoCat 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. 

 

About the author
Julie Splinters
Julie Splinters - Anti-malware specialist

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