How to remove Zareus ransomware

Zareus ransomware is a malicious Windows program that seeks to gain profits after locking users' files

Zareus is a ransomware-type virus that can be extremely dangerous to your personal files, as it encrypts them with a sophisticated encryption algorithm. This allows the attackers to ask for a ransom if victims want to restore their files to a previous, healthy state.

Of course, crooks are unwilling to provide a free description tool, as they explain in the ransom note titled HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt, which is dropped right after malware finishes the data locking process. In the note, cybercriminals explain that users have to pay $980 worth of Bitcoin to the provided crypto-walled and then contact them via the Lock-Ransom@protonmail.com email.

If you have files that were appended with .ZareuS extension, recovering them without paying might be difficult. Nonetheless, we do not recommend contacting cybercriminals, as they might never send you the required decryption tool. Instead, follow the instructions below that should help you with ransomware removal and alternative data recovery methods.

Zareus virus analysis

Zareus stems from a relatively old malware strain known as LockDown, previous versions of which we have already covered – Bondy and Sext are among them. It is not as prevalent as some other widespread ransomware strains, although it periodically infects users whenever a new variant shows up. While the operation of malware is very similar, there are some differences in the ransom amount, contact email, and other peculiarities between variants. 

Zareus encrypts all personal files with the help of RSA – a powerful encryption algorithm^[1] that locks data with an asymmetric key. This means that you need a unique key that does not match one that was used to encrypt files. There are many more details explained about the attack in the ransom note, which reads:

Oops All Of your important files were encrypted Like document pictures videos etc..

Don't worry, you can return all your files!
All your files, documents, photos, databases and other important files are encrypted by a strong encryption.

How to recover files?
RSA is a asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, you need one key for encryption and one key for decryption so you need private key to recover your files. It’s not possible to recover your files without private key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key.Only we can give you this key and only we can recover your files.

What guarantees you have?
As evidence, you can send us 1 file to decrypt by email We will send you a recovery file  Prove that we can decrypt your file

Please You must follow these steps carefully to decrypt your files:
Send $980 worth of bitcoin to wallet: js97xc025fwviwhdg53gla97xc025fwv
after payment,we will send you Decryptor software
contact email: Lock-Ransom@protonmail.com

Your personal ID:

Note that the ransom size can vary from victim to victim, as well as is different from variant to variant. Previously, crooks could ask for $200, $500, or $600 for a decryptor, so it seems that the price is increasing exponentially.

Regardless of how much cybercriminals are asking for, we recommend you refrain from contacting them. There is never a guarantee that ransomware authors will provide the promised key, so you may end up being scammed and lose your money. Besides, paying cybercriminals only supports their malicious deeds and prompts them to infect more users.

Zareus ransomware removal

Right after ransomware finishes the infection and data encryption process, it might establish a connection to a remote C&C server,^[2] where the unique key is sent to. If the internet is active, this connection can be sometimes used for other purposes, such as sending additional commands to malware to perform. Thus, your first task is to ensure that the system is disconnected from any type of networking:

• Type in Control Panel in Windows search and press Enter
• Go to Network and Internet
• Click Network and Sharing Center
• On the left, pick Change adapter settings
• Right-click on your connection (for example, Ethernet), and select Disable
• Confirm with Yes.

Only after you are sure that there's no internet connection on your system can you remove Zareus ransomware. While it is possible to delete malicious files manually, it is not recommended for regular computer users. Instead, you should install SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, MalwarebytesMalwarebytes, or another robust anti-malware and perform a full system scan. This will ensure that all the malicious files are removed at once, and ransomware will no longer encrypt the incoming data (which is very important).

Alternative data recovery methods

Despite popular belief, the encrypted data would not be reverted to its previous state after malware is eliminated from the system and its affected network. This is because the deciphering process requires a unique key, which is the possession of ransomware creators.

While restoring files successfully without it is quite unlikely, we recommend trying a third-party recovery tool that might work in some cases or restore at least some of the lost data:

• 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.

Decryption tools might also be created for certain ransomware strains thanks to the efforts of security researchers. In some cases, law authorities seize the servers of malicious actors,^[3] which allows the keys to be released by the public – reputable security vendors usually do this. Here are a few links you might find helpful:

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

Other tips

After you are sure that malware is eliminated from your device, you can take some extra steps to finalize the removal process. First of all, we recommend checking whether the system health is good, as malware is known for damaging system components and files, resulting in crashes, errors, and other stability issues. If you have noticed such behavior, we recommend fixing Windows operating system with the FortectIntego maintenance and repair tool.

Regardless of whether or not you managed to recover, at least some of the .ZareuS files, you should report the incident to authorities. This might help the authorities to capture the perpetrators and possibly release the required keys to victims for free. You can make use of the following links:

• USA – Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3
• United Kingdom – ActionFraud
• Canada – Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
• Australia – ScamWatch
• New Zealand – ConsumerProtection
• Germany – Polizei
• France – Ministère de l'Intérieur

If your country is not listed above, you should contact the local police department or communications center.

Finally, don't forget to prepare backups of your files to prevent the devastating consequences of ransomware attacks in the future. Please follow the instructions below to backup data on OneDrive or GoogleDrive. You can also set up backups on physical drives, although that requires more maintenance.