How to remove MONTI ransomware

MONTI ransomware infections could be caused by software installations from unofficial sources

MONTI ransomware is a variant of Conti ransomware. The malicious program was created to encrypt users' personal files, like photos, videos, documents, and databases to demand payment for decryption tools. A couple of months ago, the cybercriminals behind Conti ransomware suffered from a data leak.

There is a huge chance that MONTI was replicated by other threat actors from the leaked source codes because of their similarities. When it infiltrates the system, it starts encrypting data. The affected files are appended with an extension consisting of five random characters. Shortly after, a ransom note is generated on the machine.

The ransom note

The full readme.txt ransom note reads as follows:

All of your files are currently encrypted by MONTI strain. If you don't know who we are – just “Google it.”

As you already know, all of your data has been encrypted by our software.
It cannot be recovered by any means without contacting our team directly.

DON'T TRY TO RECOVER your data by yourselves. Any attempt to recover your data (including the usage of the additional recovery software) can damage your files. However,
if you want to try – we recommend choosing the data of the lowest value.

DON'T TRY TO IGNORE us. We've downloaded a pack of your internal data and are ready to publish it on our news website if you do not respond.
So it will be better for both sides if you contact us as soon as possible.

DON'T TRY TO CONTACT feds or any recovery companies.
We have our informants in these structures, so any of your complaints will be immediately directed to us.
So if you will hire any recovery company for negotiations or send requests to the police/FBI/investigators, we will consider this as a hostile intent and initiate the publication of whole compromised data immediately.

To prove that we REALLY CAN get your data back – we offer you to decrypt two random files completely free of charge.

You can contact our team directly for further instructions through our website :

TOR VERSION :
(you should download and install TOR browser first hxxps://torproject.org)

–

YOU SHOULD BE AWARE!
We will speak only with an authorized person. It can be the CEO, top management, etc.
In case you are not such a person – DON'T CONTACT US! Your decisions and action can result in serious harm to your company!
Inform your supervisors and stay calm!

From the ransom note, it seems like the cybercriminals behind MONTI ransomware are targeting businesses. However, that does not mean that no regular home users were infected. The ransom note is a message from the cybercriminals where they state their demands and provide instructions on what to do next.

Of course, the main objective for threat actors is to get paid. The ransom amount is not specified in the note which means it is most likely negotiated privately. They also pressure victims into contacting them immediately and threatening to lead the information if their demands are not met.

We strongly advise you not to contact cyber criminals or pay them. Many previous ransomware attack victims say that they never received the promised decryption tools after sending the money. Although decryption is rarely possible without their help, it is not worth the risk.

Distribution methods

Most of the time, people infect themselves with ransomware by installing “cracked” software^[1] from Torrent websites and peer-to-peer file sharing platforms. Such pages are unregulated so they are the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of malware. It is best to choose official web stores and developer websites.

Another common infection method is email. Threat actors can use social engineering to create convincing letters that look like urgent messages from well-known entities. They include malicious links or infected attachments. We do not recommend opening email attachments from unknown senders.

Most importantly, you should keep your operating system and software updated. Hackers can use software vulnerabilities to deliver their malicious programs. Software developers regularly release security patches – they should be installed as soon as they come out to ensure the security of the system.

Use professional security tools to eliminate ransomware

The critical thing to do is disconnect the affected machine from the local network. For home users, disconnecting the ethernet cable should do the job. If this happened at your workplace, doing that might be complicated, so we have instructions for corporate environments at the bottom of this post.

If you try to recover your data first, it can result in permanent loss. It can also encrypt your files the second time. It will not stop until you remove the malicious files causing it first. You should not attempt removing the malicious program yourself unless you have experience.

Use anti-malware tools like SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes to scan your system. This security software should find all the related files and entries and remove them automatically for you. In some cases, malware is not letting you use antivirus in normal mode, so you need to access Safe Mode and perform a full system scan from there:

Windows 7 / Vista / XP

1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing the 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 10 / Windows 8

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
   
2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
4. Now scroll down to find the Advanced Startup section.
5. Click Restart now.
6. Select Troubleshoot.
7. Go to Advanced options.
8. Select Startup Settings.
9. Click Restart.
10. Press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.

Fix system errors

Performance, stability, and usability issues, to the point where a complete Windows reinstall is required, are expected after a malware infection. These types of infections can alter the Windows registry database, damage vital bootup, and other sections, delete or corrupt DLL files, etc. Once a system file is damaged by malware, antivirus software is not able to repair it. 

This is why FortectIntego was developed. It can fix a lot of the damage caused by an infection like this. Blue Screen errors,^[2] freezes, registry errors, damaged DLLs, etc., can make your computer completely unusable. By using this maintenance tool, you could avoid Windows reinstallation.

• Download the application by clicking on the link above
• Click on the ReimageRepair.exe
  
• If User Account Control (UAC) shows up, select Yes
• Press Install and wait till the program finishes the installation process
• The analysis of your machine will begin immediately
• Once complete, check the results – they will be listed in the Summary
• You can now click on each of the issues and fix them manually
• If you see many problems that you find difficult to fix, we recommend you purchase the license and fix them automatically.

File recovery software

Many people think that they can fix their files with anti-malware tools, but that is not what they are designed for. All the security tools can do is detect suspicious processes in your system and eliminate malicious files. The truth is, that the files can be restored only with a decryption key^[3] or software that only the cybercriminals have.

If you did not back up your data previously, you possibly lost your files forever. You can try using data recovery software, but third-party programs cannot always decrypt the files. We suggest at least trying this method. Before proceeding, you have to copy the corrupted files and place them in a USB flash drive or another storage. And remember – only do this if you have already removed the MONTI ransomware.

Before you begin, several pointers are essential while dealing with this situation:

• Since the encrypted data on your computer might permanently be damaged by security or data recovery software, you should first make backups of it – use a USB flash drive or another storage.
• Only attempt to recover your files using this method after you perform a scan with anti-malware software.

Install data recovery software

1. Download Data Recovery Pro.
2. Double-click the installer to launch it.
3. Follow on-screen instructions to install the software.
4. As soon as you press Finish, you can use the app.
5. Select Everything or pick individual folders where you want the files to be recovered from.
6. Press Next.
7. At the bottom, enable Deep scan and pick which Disks you want to be scanned.
8. Press Scan and wait till it is complete.
9. You can now pick which folders/files to recover – don't forget you also have the option to search by the file name!
10. Press Recover to retrieve your files.