How to remove ShkolotaCrypt ransomware

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware – cryptovirus targeting Russian-speaking victims that uses RSA and AES encryption algorithms 

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware is the file-locking threat that delivers READ ME!!!.txt file with the ransom note in Russian and demands a thousand rubles in Dash cryptocurrency for the alleged decryption key. The ransom equals to about 0,1 Dash for the file recovery. However, these extortionists can pretend to have the needed decryption key or tool and claim to restore the affected data after the payment, but disappear after the ransom gets paid instead. Although there is no clear relation with other threats, the file marker that ShkolotaCrypt adds to encoded files – .crypted is known in association with CryptoLocker and GlobeImposter. 

Although ShkolotaCrypt ransomware is a threat targeting Russian-speaking victims, this is only based on the ransom note contents. You can become a victim of this cryptovirus no matter the location or language you are speaking. So be aware that paying the ransom is never a good option.

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware infects the system via unprotected configurations or spam email attachments and exploiting particular flaws of the system. The initial ransomware attack stars immediately after the infiltration when this virus starts to scan the machine for files that can get encrypted. 

This virus also checks the location of the infected device to make sure that it is the correct ShkolotaCrypt ransomware target. During this scan, the system is also checked for previous possible file encryptions or malware attacks. Then data is chosen for encryption. Files in more than 60 differen formats get encoded and marked:

• .avi,
• .bmp,
• .doc,
• .docx,
• .gif,
• .jpeg,
• .mp4,
• .mpeg,
• .pages,
• .pdf,
• .png,
• .ppt,
• .pptx,
• .rar,
• .rtf,
• .txt,
• .wmv,
• .xlsx,
• .zip.

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware virus employs RSA-4096 and AES-256 encryption algorithms for this process of making users' data locked and unopenable. Then, the ransom can be demanded, and these criminals claim to have one and an only tool capable of recovering their files. Although these claims may be false, data recovery after such virus attacks is not always possible.

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware developers are criminals who focus on getting your money, so even based on the test decryption that is offered in the ransom note, hackers shouldn't be considered as trustworthy. There is no legitimate proof that those criminals can decrypt your data.

The ransom note that is placed on the desktop and in every fonder with encoded files, ShkolotaCrypt ransomware developers wrote all the information about this attack and payment, decryption possibilities. A text file named READ ME!!!.txt is in Russian, but the translation reads the following:

What happened to my files? 
All your important files were encrypted using strong RSA-4096 and AES-256 algorithms. 
File decryption is possible only with the help of the encryption key stored by us. 
What to do to get the encryption key? 
To obtain the key, you must pay a ransom in the amount of about a thousand rubles (EXACTLY 0.10004672 in the Dash cryptocurrency at Dash address XvW7aLVhJbvqvjnt7zkngBowWRhUi1Xwin ). 
After payment you must send your unique identifier to one of our mailboxes. 
If we see that the payment has been made, we will send you a descrambler and encryption key. 
Where to get the ID? 
Your unique identifier:
㖖 㗌 㕲 㔅 㖉 㕭 㕫 㗅 㖛 㖛 㔦 㕂 㗅 㖦 㖘 㗯 㖟 㗋 㔑 㔑 㔮 㗰 㕽 㕏 㗙 㔩 㗶 㔌 㔌 㕒 㕆 㕩
It was also recorded in your buffer exchange 
Where is the guarantee that after paying the ransom I can recover my files? 
You can send us an email with an identifier one encrypted file up to 5 megabytes. 
We will decrypt it and will send you as proof that we can decrypt your files. 
How to send Dash? 
Dash can be sent using the following monitoring service for exchangers: 
https://www.bestchange.ru/yandex-money-to-dash.html 
Or register on the Payeer website and exchange money for Dash on the stock exchange inside the website: 
https: // payeer. com 
Or you can use itOther cryptocurrency exchanges 
What will happen if I do not pay the ransom? 
You can restore files only by decrypting them. No antivirus office will help you. 
If payment is not made within three days, 20% of the encrypted files will be irretrievably destroyed. 
If payment is not made within seven days, all encrypted files will be destroyed! 
Our email addresses for contacts and questions: 
9ea6e85bd12b@tutanota.com 
t310ea89b4347@protonmail.com 
You can read about RSA and AES algorithms in Wikipedia. 
This file is on your desktop, you can open it again to read this text.

ShkolotaCrypt ransomware creators provide contact emails and all the instructions for paying the ransom. However, we, as other experts^[3] always recommend staying away from contacting attackers and paying the ransom since this is not the method that gives positive results.

You should remove ShkolotaCrypt ransomware instead and clean the machine thoroughly before recovering the data affected by the cryptovirus. You can do that with anti-malware tools and programs like FortectIntego. A full system scan with such programs can indicate all the malicious files and associated applications to help with the thorough virus elimination.

Additionally, you need an automatic ShkolotaCrypt ransomware removal with professional anti-malware tools because various files get installed on the machine and programs added or disabled by this threat. Updater.exe, sharp.pdb., styler.pdb can be found as malicious on the computer.^[4]

Possible ShkolotaCrypt ransomware attack and distribution involves particular WinRar vulnerability

Once the sample of ShkolotaCrypt ransomware virus got analyzed, more details came to light regarding the spreading methods of this crypto malware. WinRar vulnerability that gets exploited by the virus creators. This high-profile vulnerability has been used for more than twenty years, and at the start of 2019, threatened 500 million users all over the world.

This flaw is related to UNACEV2.DLL library that needed an update since 2005. Each time the system gets rebooted ACE archives get unpacked, and attackers assign the place to load the archive file. Once the malicious file comes to the Startup directory, it can launch malicious activities like infiltrating ShkolotaCrypt ransomware on the targeted device.

When WinRAR 5.70 beta 1 was released in January, particular vulnerabilities (CVE-2018-20250, CVE-2018-20251, CVE-2018-20252, and CVE-2018-20253) got fixed, and ACE format was eliminated. However, when people use the older versions, ransomware and other malware can use the flaw to get on the PC. Update the tool to avoid any infections because various malware creators can exploit this flaw.

Common ways of cryptovirus distribution 

Besides all the vulnerability exploitation, breaking through unprotected RDP and other malware, there is a more common method used to deliver malware that locks files and demands payments – spam email campaigns. During these phishing attacks, malicious actors can pack their malicious script on the file and attach that as a document to the notification.

Unfortunately, these emails look legitimate and even safe when criminals make them look like notifications from companies or services like FedEx, eBay, and DHL. These emails state about refunds, shipment details, financial information, and documents attached to the email make sense.

However, once the email is opened, the attachment downloaded to the computer, the malicious script gets triggered when the victim opens that text file or launches the executable. This can directly infect the machine with cryptovirus, any other malware that further spreads ransomware or open the backdoor for the remote attacker.

Terminate ShkolotaCrypt ransomware virus and delete all related files

You need to focus on the ShkolotaCrypt ransomware removal and clean the system thoroughly, so all the files added by the virus developers can be deleted and programs disabled. For that, we always recommend scanning the system thoroughly using professional antivirus programs.

Choose the reliable source of software or official provider of the tool and install FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. Then remove ShkolotaCrypt ransomware, other malicious programs or corrupted and infected files by cleaning the machine fully. This virus can also disable security functions or programs and affect the elimination this way, so enter the Safe Mode before scanning.