Temlown ransomware (virus) - Free Guide

What is Temlown ransomware?

Temlown ransomware is a malicious program that asks users to pay for their files

Temlown is a ransomware-type virus that locks personal files and then demands ransom for their return

The Temlown virus belongs to the VoidCrypt ransomware family and was first spotted in late September 2021. Ransomware is a type of malware designed to extort money from innocent users and has been growing as one of the main attack methods in the cybercriminal world. Since malware is not that prevalent, it is yet unknown which methods cybercriminals use for its distribution.

Once installed on a Windows computer, the virus uses a combination of sophisticated AES and RSA encryption algorithms to lock all personal data. This results in all pictures, documents, videos, images, and other files being inaccessible to victims. During this process, all the affected files lose their original icons (they are replaced by blank ones) and have a unique extension appended which look as follows:

• file.jpg.[noitanimodd@gmail.com][MJ-WA9473106825].temlown

Note that the string that follows after the email address differs for each of the users, as it represents a unique ID. This is commonly used by attackers to identify their victims easier.

As soon as the encryption of files is complete, the malware drops a ransom note Read-this.txt, which serves as a message from cybercriminals. Unlike with other malware, ransomware authors do not hide the fact of what has been done to users' computers and instead use these types of notes to inform them about what happened to files and how they are supposed to proceed next if they want to retrieve them.

In this case, crooks demand an unspecified amount of Bitcoins for a decryption tool. They also offer a free trial decryption service, which can only be applied to a file no larger than 1MB. For communication purposes, two emails are provided – noitanimodd@gmail.com and temloown@tuta.io.

We strongly advise you not to pay the ransom, as there is no guarantee you retrieve access to your files. Instead, check all the information below, as we provide alternative methods that could help you recover at least some of your data without paying and risking losing your money.

Malware distribution and how to avoid it

Since Temlown is a relatively new variant of VoidCrypt, it is not clear how the attackers spread it. Most of the time, crooks rely on time-proven methods that simply work the best, although innovation is also something they are inclined to use sometimes. For example, hackers have used the fileless^[1] infection method in the past few years – it proved to be very effective as it is difficult to detect malware that resides in the system's memory.

Luckily, most widespread ransomware strains use more traditional infection methods, and they are relatively easy to avoid. Here are some tips provided by novirus.uk security experts:^[2]

• Backup your personal files;
• Use SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or another reputable software at all times – make sure it is updated as necessary;
• Don't ignore warnings from security software and don't assume it's a false positive;
• Never download software cracks or pirated programs from illegal websites;
• Update all software, including your operating system, as soon as the updates are available;
• Use strong passwords for all your accounts and never reuse them;
• Use official sources to download software.

The ransom note

As already mentioned, ransomware authors typically deliver a ransom note so that users would find out about what happened to their computers and how to proceed next. This increases the chances of victims paying the ransom – which is the main goal of the attackers.

Temlown ransomware delivers a ransom note which goes straight to the point – here's what it says:

All Your Files Has Been Encrypted

You Have to Pay to Get Your Files Back

1-Go to C:\ProgramData\ or in Your other Drives and send us prvkey.txt.key file
2-You can send some file little than 1mb for Decryption test to trust us But the test File should not contain valuable data
3-Payment should be with Bitcoin
4-Changing Windows without saving prvkey.txt.key file will cause permanete Data loss

Our Email:noitanimodd@gmail.com

in Case of no Answer:temloown@tuta.io

According to the message, users have to retrieve the “prvkey.txt.key” file from the local drive and send it to the cybercriminals. Allegedly, if this file were deleted or not sent to cybercriminals, data recovery would be impossible. Also, they highlight that changing anything within the operating system, including performing Temlown ransomware removal, would result in permanent data loss.

Ransom note informs users about what happened to their files

There are many reasons why not to pay malware authors. First of all, it was reported that the VoidCrypt malware family is known to fail in providing the decryption tool, even after the payment. The payments also motivate crooks to create even more versions of malware and spreading it around even more actively – it simply proves that the illegal business model works.

It is true that the locked data requires a unique encryption key that is only accessible to criminals. However, you can never be sure that the decryptor can be retrieved. Therefore, you might be risking not only your files but also your money. Instead of paying, we strongly recommend you remove the Temlown virus from your system and then use alternative methods for data recovery. Follow these steps we provide below.

1. Use anti-malware software

The first step when dealing with ransomware is its termination from the infected system. Because malware might be communicating with the attackers through the internet, you should disconnect your WiFi or Ethernet immediately. You can then try launching SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes security software and scanning your machine fully to remove the infection at once.

Note that in some cases, the virus might interfere with the operation of security software. If that happens, you can bypass this functionality by accessing Safe Mode and performing a full system scan from there. If you need help on how to do that, find the detailed guide at the bottom of this post.

2. Alternative methods for data recovery

There is a huge misconception about ransomware – many people believe that anti-malware software can restore their files back to normal as soon as the scan is performed. Security software is not capable of doing this because it is simply not what it is designed for. Its main goal is to eliminate malicious files from the system and prevent malware from continuing its operations. It can't fix system file damage or decrypt files that were locked by ransomware. In other words, you won't recover .temlown files after you scan your machine with security software.

Another myth that is commonly spread among victims is that the data is corrupted. This is not true (in most cases at least), as the files are unreadable only because they are locked by a unique and complex key made of a long string of alphanumeric characters.

While anti-malware can't retrieve your files, there are few other methods that might be effective. First of all, if you have backups – use them. This is your best line of defense when it comes to ransomware infections, and you can recover easily if you keep your data on secure backups.

Unfortunately, most ransomware victims fail to back up their files and end up losing them (we provide a detailed guide on how to effectively do that at the bottom of this article). Luckily, you are not out of options yet. First, you should try specialized software that focuses on data recovery:

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

Data recovery software might not always work, as it highly depends on many factors. For example, whether malware failed to correctly encrypt files or whether it managed to delete Shadow Volume Copies.^[3] Thus, in some cases, security research finds flaws within the malware's encryption method and creates a free decryptor for victims, although keep in mind that this might take a while.

In some cases, the law authorities can seize the attacker's servers. This always results in victims recovering their files for free. Below you will find links that could be used to find decryption tools online:

• No More Ransom Project
• Free Ransomware Decryptors by Kaspersky
• Free Ransomware Decryption Tools from Emsisoft
• Avast decryptors

3. Repair damaged system components

Once a computer is infected with malware, its system is changed to operate differently. For example, an infection 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 cannot do anything about it, leaving it just the way it is. Consequently, users might experience performance, stability, and usability issues, to the point where a full Windows reinstallation is required.

Therefore, we highly recommend using a one-of-a-kind, patented technology of FortectIntego repair. Not only can it fix virus damage after the infection, but it can also remove malware that has already broken into the system thanks to several engines used by the program. Besides, the application can also fix various Windows-related issues that are not caused by malware infections, for example, Blue Screen errors, freezes, registry errors, damaged DLLs, etc.

• 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.