How to remove Kitty ransomware

Kitty ransomware – a cryptovirus that renames every encrypted file on users' system with .kitty file marker

Kitty ransomware is one of many crypto-extortion based threats that belong to the well-known ransomware family. Scarab ransomware produced many versions already, and this particular one that appends files using .kitty extensions is one of the more recent releases that came out in Spring 2019. An army grade RSA encryption algorithm^[1] gets used in this ransomware attack and Scarab-Kitty demands for ransom in Bitcoin or DASH cryptocurrency on the ransom note delivered as HOW-TO-RESTORE-FILES.txt file. This is a newly discovered ransomware that can be exceptionally persistent due to the already experienced cybercriminals as developers, and based on the more recent malware detection analysis which shows that only 39 AV engines recognize this threat as malicious.^[2] 

Scarab-Kitty ransomware imitates the Windows security alert in their ransom note because of the first line in the file HOW-TO-RESTORE-FILES.txt which states “! WINDOWS SECURITY ALERT !”. It is rather strange and useless because the following text is about encryption and file restoring, ransom payment methods.

Kitty ransomware virus developers state that your PC was attacked and you should pay for the ability to restore your files. Although, the ransom note contains lines such as “100% guarantee”, you should never trust attackers like these. Paying the ransom should never be considered as an option. Ransomware developers only want your money and when you pay it can end up in permanent data or money loss.^[3]

Developers state the following in Kitty ransomware ransom message:

! WINDOWS SECURITY ALERT !
——————————————–
Your PC was attacked by an unathorized user.
Immediatly change your password, use a minimum of 8 characters in length.

ENCRYPTED / SECURED
——————————————–
All your personal data is safe protected with secure private RSA key (1024 bit).

FILE RECOVERING
——————————————–
To RESTORE all files back to normal state, please follow this few simple steps:

1) S.S service charges a payment for file decryption;
2) After payment being processed, contact us with your unique Serv-ID;
3) Download your personal decryption tool;
4) Run the tool and safe-restore all your files back to normal state.

ATTENTION
——————————————–
! WE STRONGLY NOT RECOMMEND YOU TO USE ANY OTHER DECRYPTION TOOLS – FILES WILL BE LOST !
Only our unique private key decryption tool based on your PC-ID can recover all your files.

We guarantee:

100% Successful restoring all of your files
100% Satisfaction guarantee
100% Safe and secure service
100% Fast and friendly support

As a proof of our trusted service, you can send us 1 file to DECRYPT it for free.
——————————————–

Support e-mail: systemsupport@memeware.net
Payment type: Bitcoin, DASH
Your SERV-ID:
–

Kitty ransomware or any other cryptovirus developers are cybercriminals who start their attack with a file-locking procedure so that the ransom can be demanded from the victim. However, this is not the only functionality this virus has. To make the threat more persistent, developers change startup entries or registry keys and make the malicious script running on the device automatically.

This way every time you reboot the machine, Kitty ransomware starts running its processes and altering the files in system folders and disabling programs related to security or antivirus functions. This is why we offer to enter the Safe Mode with networking before scanning the machine with anti-malware program. 

You need to remove Kitty ransomware as soon as you notice the encrypted data and the ransom note because cybercriminals are not wanting to wait for the payment. After a day or two, your files may get deleted or encrypted again without the possibility to recover them.

Kitty ransomware removal requires help from professional anti-malware tools. As we mentioned before the detection rate for this particular ransomware is not promising. Make sure to choose a program that has this virus in their database. For example, Fortect is based on the Avira engine and can detect this malware.

You need to focus on virus termination and system cleaning when Scarab-Kitty ransomware hits. Data decryption tool for this particular version of Scarab is not developed yet, so you need a completely clean device before you attempt file restoring using data recovery software or backups.

Experts^[4] also always note that Kitty ransomware virus damage may still affect the whole malware elimination process and further performance of your computer, so rebooting the machine in Safe Mode before running a system scan can help achieve the result on the first try. 

Ransomware payload gets on the system in the form of infected file 

There are many ways that cryptographers get distributed online, but the main technique used to spread this type of threats is spam emails with infected files as attachments. Archives, images, PDFs or documents, and databases get attached to safe-looking emails and spread widely on the internet.

Unfortunately, these emails often get disguised as notifications sent from well-known companies or services that contain financial information or any other sensitive data. However, you should note that non-customers are not getting emails with Receipts or Order confirmation as the subject line. 

When the file gets downloaded and opened on the computer, the user receives a suggestion to enable content. When this is done malicious script gets triggered, and cyber infection launched on the system directly. It can be avoided if you choose to scan the file before opening or delete the suspicious email in the first place.

Kitty ransomware elimination requires a full system scan using professional tools

Remember that this is Scarab-Kitty ransomware virus that hails from a family which is already known as a dangerous file-locking cryptovirus. Based on this fact, users need to pay attention to malware termination and get professional tools for help.

To remove Kitty ransomware from the machine completely, you need a reliable anti-malware tool like FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. This is the best option when dealing with this type of cyber infections because during the full system check all related files get deleted and virus damage fixed.

Don't forget that Kitty ransomware removal should be followed by additional system check to make sure that the machine is thoroughly cleaned and it is safe to perform data recovery on the computer. You should check our virus removal tips below too.