How to remove Venom ransomware

Venom ransomware makes users' files impossible to open and demands payment for their return

Venom ransomware is a new strain detected by security vendors and it belongs to the ZEPPELIN ransomware family. The file was flagged by 52 security vendors and 1 sandbox as malicious. When the virus infiltrates the victims' devices, it immediately starts the encryption process using complicated algorithms.^[1]

The affected files get appended with the .venom.[victim_ID] extension, so for example, if a file was previously named picture.jpg after the encryption is complete, it would look like this – picture.jpg.venom.765-3E3-6D8 The icons also change to blank pages so you cannot see the content even in preview mode. If you try to open the damaged files, a prompt appears saying that Windows is unable to open the file.

Shortly after, a ransom note ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED.txt is generated on the user's PC to inform them of what has happened and what they should do if they want to recover the files. This particular ransomware's developers do not specify how much exactly they want for a decryption key^[2] or software.

The ransom note

The full ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED.txt ransom note read as follows:

ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED

***All your data has been compromised. Documents, photos, databases and other important files are encrypted.

***You cannot decipher them yourself! The only method for recovering files is by purchasing a unique private key. Only we can provide you with this key and only we can restore your files.

***The decryption key fee is charged only in bitcoins, we CAN assist in buying bitcoins by giving instructions on how and where to buy.

***In case of non-payment, all data will be put up for auction on the darknet. Beware of data leaks.

***To make sure we have a decryptor and it works, you can send an email to venom@privatemail.com  and decrypt one not important file for free, DO NOT send files containing databases, any XLS / XML documents for the test.

***Beware of dishonest middlemen. as well as buying a decryption key through intermediaries increases the final cost of the key.

***Do you really want to restore your files?
Write to email: venom@privatemail.com
Your personal ID:-

Attention!
 * Do not rename encrypted files.
 * Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
 * Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

As you can see there are plenty of grammar mistakes, so it might be that English is not the developers' native language. The creators try to use scare tactics to prevent users from exploring other options and try to get them to act immediately without thinking.

They ask to be paid in Bitcoin^[3] because it is anonymous. Although, these days cryptocurrency transactions can be easily traced, and criminals still need to expose their identity if they want to transfer money into their bank account. The only option to stay anonymous is to exchange cryptocurrency for online gift cards, but we cannot see how that can be convenient for big sums of money.

We always suggest against contacting the threat actors as they cannot be trusted. Past ransomware victims report that they never heard back after sending the money to criminals, so you risk not only losing your files but your money too. Do not worry about the ransom note and try to follow our guide as closely as possible, to successfully remove the malicious program from your system.

How do I keep my data safe?

You need to take precautionary measures to prevent this from happening again:

• Keep backups of your data on multiple storage devices
• Do not click on unsafe links
• Do not disclose your personal information to strangers or post it on the Internet
• Do not open suspicious email attachments
• Update your operating system and software as frequently as possible
• Have trusted professional security tools in your system to add an additional layer of safety

Start the removal process

The important thing to do is to disconnect the affected machine from the local network as we talked about the dangers of that previously. 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. Manual removal of ransomware is extremely complicated and is suitable for people with advanced IT skills.

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 does not let you use antivirus in normal mode, so you need to access Safe Mode^[4] 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 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 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 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.

Repair corrupted system files

Performance, stability, and usability issues, to the point where a full Windows reinstall is required, are nothing unusual after malware infection. These types of viruses 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 fix it.

Manual troubleshooting of such damage is also very complicated and can take a long time. This is why FortectIntego was developed. It can fix a lot of the damage caused by an infection like this. Blue Screen errors, freezes, registry errors, damaged DLLs, etc., can make your computer completely unusable. By using this maintenance tool, you could prevent yourself from having to reinstall WIndows completely.

• 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.

Try recovering data with third-party software

Only hackers hold the decryption key, which can unlock your files, so if you did not back them up previously, there is a good chance that you will never get them back. You can try using data recovery software, but keep in mind that third-party programs cannot always decrypt the files. Whatever the situation may be, we suggest at least trying this method. Before you proceed, copy the corrupted files and place them in a USB flash drive or another external storage device. And remember – only do this if you have already removed the Venom ransomware.

Before you begin, several pointers are important 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.