Geno ransomware: what it is and how to remove it

From our report of Sep 2020 · not reviewed since

More from our earlier report on Geno ransomware

• To ensure that no incoming files get encrypted, you must delete ransomware from your computer.
• In some cases, ransomware or other threats might seriously damage Windows systems to the point that the OS needs to be reinstalled.

From our report of Sep 2020 · not reviewed since

Geno ransomware - a Djvu ransomware variant that will blackmail you to pay for file decryption tool

Geno ransomware is another dangerous virus that specializes in money extortion.

Upon infiltration, the infection would scan the computer for predetermined file types, and then encrypt all data using a powerful RSA encryption algorithm. Due to this process, pictures, music, documents, databases, archives, and other files will be marked with .geno extension and will no longer be accessible to victims.

Once the encryption is complete, the Geno file virus will drop a _readme.txt text file, which can be accessed by using Notepad or another text-reading program. In the note, malware developers explain to users what happened to their files and what steps do they need to take in order to recover them.

According to hackers, victims need to contact them via gorentos@bitmessage.ch or gorentoshelp@firemail.cc emails and then pay a ransom of $980 or $490 in Bitcoin for the Geno ransomware decryptor.

Geno ransomware belongs to one of the most prominent crypto-malware families out there - STOP/Djvu, which was the first release back in December 2017. Since then, cybercriminals behind the strain have released over 240 variants; examples include Boop, Oonn, Vari, Nile, and many others.

Malware also has a long history when it comes to its development and decryption possibilities. Since all variants released prior to August 2019 became decryptable thanks to Emsisoft security researchers, cybercriminals were forced to update the encryption method to make it more secure - they began using RSA cipher instead of a less reliable AES.

When it comes to Geno virus file recovery, options are very limited, although victims should not immediately give up and pay the attackers. The latter would only encourage threat actors to produce more threats and infect more victims, and there is no guarantee that they will keep the promise and send the required decryption key.

While file encryption and the infection of the virus are two separate procedures (meaning that you will not be able to open .geno files after you eliminate the malware), it is very important to remove Geno ransomware from the system as it may be bundled with data-stealing modules, continue to encrypt the incoming files or be installed along with other dangerous malware such as AZORult banking trojan.

Geno ransomware removal can be performed relatively easily as long as a reliable security application is used. Only after you terminate the infection, you can attempt to recover .geno files, which might be possible even without backups in some rare cases. For more information, check the data recovery section below.

From our report of Sep 2020 · not reviewed since

Geno ransomware operation and file encryption explained

Geno ransomware targets Windows operating systems (Windows 7/8/10, 64/32-bit) ran by home users exclusively, which means that criminals are asking for a relatively small amount of ransom but going for a large volume of infections. For that, threat actors use software cracks and similar illegal installers, placing them on various torrent or similar dangerous sites.

One sample of Geno file virus was spotted being spread under the name of 36a9.exe, which is detected under the following names, according to Virus Total:

Once one such malicious executable is launched, the malware begins the infection process to prepare the system for a successful file encryption process. For example, Geno virus disables Windows Startup repair and deletes Shadow Volume Copies to prevent users from using automated recovery tools. Also, the malware modifies Windows registry to be able to launch with each machine boot.

During this time, Geno ransomware will modify Windows "hosts" file and insert the URLs of well-known security websites that would help users with malware elimination and data recovery, 2-spyware.com being among them. To revert these changes, users should navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ directory and delete the file altogether (Windows will recreate a clean version automatically).

Next, the Geno virus will attempt to contact its Command & Control server, where a unique key should be retrieved to lock all the data. During the encryption process, users will be shown a seemingly harmless Windows update popup window - this is done in order to prevent victims from canceling the encryption process before it is fully complete.

Ransomware targets the most common file types, including .jpg, .mp4, .doc, .zip, and many others, although it will skip system and most of the executable files. After the data locking is complete, users will be shown the following ransom note (_readme.txt):

As evident, crooks are doing everything to make users pay the ransom. While they are initially correct about data needing a unique decryption key for recovery, there might be other possibilities of recovery, as paying criminals is costly and risky.

• Trojan:Win32/Ymacco.AAD3
• Trojan.Ransom.Stop
• Gen:Variant.Midie.74833
• Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT
• Mal/Generic-S
• A Variant Of Win32/Kryptik.HFUY
• Generic.mg.84174a142d30afe6, etc.

From our report of Sep 2020 · not reviewed since

Encrypted .geno files: correct steps to take

Many users are baffled after they notice that their files are no longer accessible after the Geno ransomware infection.

Most have not even heard of ransomware before. Therefore, there are plenty of misconceptions about the infection, encryption, and recovery process, as many are unaware of how crypto-malware works.

Therefore, many victims might believe that they can recover .geno files as soon as they perform a full system scan with anti-malware software. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth, as security software is only designed to terminate computer infections and can not revert the file changes made by ransomware. In other words, even if you remove Geno ransomware infection, you will not be able to open compromised data.

Before the virus begins the encryption process, it attempts to contact a remote server to retrieve a unique key that would only work for one victim. In other words, if a key is retrieved from cybercriminals by one person, it can not be used for file recovery from another computer. This makes encryption a much more sophisticated method for money extortion.

However, Djvu variants are known to fail to contact the remote servers to retrieve a unique key. In such a case, the malware uses a hard-coded key, otherwise known as an offline ID, to lock all data.

In case one of the victims acquires this key, all the others who were encrypted with it can recover their data for free. Based on this principle, Emsisoft security researchers created a decryption tool that would help victims in such cases.

If your computer was encrypted with the Geno file virus and an online ID was used, there are very limited possibilities when it comes to data recovery. However, the following can be attempted:

If you want to find a detailed guide on how to perform .geno file extension recovery, check the bottom section of this article.

• Using automated Windows recovery systems in case malware failed to remove Shadow Copies;
• Employing third-party recovery software that could recover at least some portion of the encrypted files.

From our report of Sep 2020 · not reviewed since

Delete Geno ransomware safely and only then attempt data recovery

Geno ransomware removal is a crucial process that every victim who was infected with the virus.

As previously mentioned, malware can often be spread with other malicious programs (data-stealing trojans, for example) or can itself inject modules that would send sensitive information directly to cybercriminals. Besides, the infection will keep encrypting all the incoming files as long as it is present on the device.

However, if you have no backups, you should not immediately remove Geno ransomware from your system. First, make sure you prepare encrypted file backups before you do anything, as the virus elimination process can corrupt data irreversibly. Note that encrypted files do not hold any malicious code and are safe to transfer to another medium.

Once you have backups ready, you can eliminate the Geno file virus using reputable anti-malware software like or . In case malware is tampering with your security tool, you can access Safe Mode with Networking and perform a scan from there.

[GI=method-1]You can enter Safe Mode with Networking by following these instructions:

[GI=method-2]System Restore can sometimes also be useful when trying to eliminate malware from a Windows machine:

While it is not originally designed to retrieve data that was locked by ransomware, it might sometimes be useful.

Attempt to recover .geno files by using Windows Previous Versions

If malware failed to perform certain changes on the infected system, you might be able to recover files one-by-one by using Windows Previous Versions feature.

ShadowExplorer might be able to save your files

ShadowExplorer could automate the recovery process if Shadow Volume Copies were not deleted by the infection.

Use Emsisoft's decryptor

Security researchers from Emsisoft have been actively participating in decryption tool development. As mentioned above, some users might be able to recover all data using the free tool provided by the company.