Meteoritan ransomware / virus (Free Guide) - Tutorial
Meteoritan virus Removal Guide
What is Meteoritan ransomware virus?
How destructive is Meteoritan ransomware?
Meteoritan virus operates as a file-encrypting threat which has come into the daylight a couple of days ago. Due to its references to Poland in its execution files, and similar style of the ransom message, specialists suspect it to be related to Polski or Vortex file-encrypting threats. In comparison with other variations of the same family, the current malware does not seem to be so aggressive. Despite its claims that the virus encodes personal files with the RSA-4096 algorithm, the virus does not encrypt files at all. However, its presence suggests that you should take an immediate action and remove Meteoritan. FortectIntego or Malwarebytes helps you do it properly.
Observing the trends in the virus world, it seems that international hackers are steadily taking over the market. As a result, they manifest delicate and crafty hijack habits[1] which spark interest for experienced IT professionals[2]. In this regard, Meteoritan does not seem to be very intricate, but if it is related to Polski family, the virtual community should prepare to see multiple new emerging variations. Elaborating on this crypto-malware, the hackers expect to earn money from adolescent and perhaps senior Internet users. In where_are_your_files.txt and readme_your_files_have_been_encrypted.txt messages, the crooks present the cliché text. It instructs the victims to contact meteoritan6570@yandex.ru[3]. After sending the ID which is located in METEORITAN.POLAND, the affected users by Meteoritan malware, should receive further information on the payment within 24 hours[4]. This infection might be a beta version of a future crypto-malware, as the further behavior of the ransomware sparks more suspicions. It appends *нет данных* file extension (*no data* in English) to supposedly affected files. Though there is a probability that some of personal files might be really encrypted, in any case, hurry up with Meteoritan removal. 
The transmission preferences of the infection
Meteoritan hijack might have been activated when you clicked on a corrupted email attachment. Note that hackers might pretend to be the officers of an official institution or even the FBI to persuade you into opening the compromised extension. When Google has declared war on email Javascipt attachments, the crooks find new forms and methods to disguise the payload with the ramsomware.exe. Do not open any .zip attachments before verifying the identity of a sender. In addition, protect the computer from exploit kits, and other malware which facilitates the attack of Meteoritan ransomware or another crypto-malware. You should be careful not to click on ads or suspicious links in gaming websites as well[5].
Do I need additional tools to exterminate the malware?
When it comes to crypto-malware or fake versions of such infections, in either case, we do not recommend meddling with it manually. For that reason, we suggest installing a virus elimination utility. Do not forget to update it to remove Meteoritan virus. It is unlikely that the malware will prevent you from deleting it, but in case it does, use the below-displayed instructions. Below the article, we also suggest a couple of programs if a real file-encrypting threat encodes your files. Do not forget that backup copies are one of the viable to recover your files even if ransomware encrypts them.
Getting rid of Meteoritan virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Safe Mode helps to regain access to a computer if a screen locker ransomware plagues the computer.
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 Meteoritan 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.
-
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 Meteoritan. 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.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove Meteoritan 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 Meteoritan, you can use several methods to restore them:
Is Data Recovery Pro useful in decoding files?
It is one of the few alternatives to restore your files and emails in case you did not backup your 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 Meteoritan ransomware;
- Restore them.
Opt for ShadowExplorerto recover encrypted data
It is one of the effective methods to restore the files from shadow volume copies. It is effective only if a virus does not delete the copies beforehand.
- Download Shadow Explorer (http://shadowexplorer.com/);
- Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
- Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
- Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Meteoritan and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ Darknet Marketplaces get Flooded With Ransomware DIY Kits. The Merkle. News and insights.
- ^ David Balaban. Criminals Getting Creative: The Most Unusual Types of Ransomware. Mis-Asia. The home of enterprise IT in Asia.
- ^ Andrew Ivanov. Meteoritan Ransomware. ID ransomware Blogspot. Malware analysis.
- ^ How cryptocurrencies have aided cyber-criminals using ransomware. Vanilla plus. The global voice of Telecoms IT.
- ^ Why we need to stop calling it the ‘year of ransomware’. SecurityBriefAsia. Asia's leading source of security and threat news.