“All of your files are encrypted” – Locky ransomware virus

Locky ransomware versions, including the newest Zepto incarnation, display ‘All of your files are encrypted’ alert and extort money to undo adverse impact.

Given the abundance of crypto viruses spreading over the Internet, there are probably very few computer users unaware of this menace. As new samples are appearing literally every other day, some stick around for months or even years. Locky is one of the enduring specimens. Originally spotted in the wild around February 2016, it has evolved into a powerful extortion contrivance ever since. Although the plague has been updated a couple of times, some of its attributes proved to be steadfast. First off, it’s the text of warnings presented to victims, which is fairly concise. The alert starts with the unfailing phrase, “All of your files are encrypted with RSA-2048 and AES-128 ciphers”. It’s hard to think of a more accurate description of the problem, indeed.

Another thing that perseveres across the different iterations of Locky is the approach to encrypting one’s sensitive data. The same old combo of two cryptosystems mentioned in the ransom note is still unbroken at the time of writing. The size of the ransom, incidentally, is one more constant in these breaches – it still amounts to 0.5 Bitcoin, just like months back.

A recent tweak of this ransom Trojan has brought about some significant changes, though. While the infection used to concatenate .locky extension to the mutilated files, it switched to .zepto. The other observable modification is the file renaming format. The previous methodology of assigning 32-character uninterrupted strings for filenames has given in to a technique where the names turn into hyphenated hexadecimal arrays consisting of the same number of symbols. Check out the snapshot below to see what a mess one’s data turns into.

The threat actors have also altered the names of documents that convey decryption steps. Instead of dropping “_Locky_recover_instructions”, the ransomware now deposits HTML, TXT and BMP versions of a file labeled “_HELP_instructions”. Aside from the “All of your files are encrypted” message, these notes also say that the only effective way to decode the hostage information is to obtain the private RSA key, which is located on a secret Command and Control server. The victim also gets 3 or 4 hyperlinks, mostly .onion and .tor2web gateways, that point to the Locky Decryptor Page. The Onion Router (Tor) technology isn’t a random pick of the criminals – it ensures that all of their interaction with victims is untraceable. And finally, the above-mentioned page is the place where the payment processing infrastructure is hosted. Furthermore, the user will supposedly be able to download the decryptor after they submit the ransom.

The strong recommendation of most security experts to refrain from paying up, of course, contradicts the victims’ apprehension of losing their data. This sort of advice, however, makes sense even despite the fact that there is no alternative decryptor for .locky and .zepto files at this point. The thing is, some techniques can work wonders for the file restoration objective. Learn what they are and use them now to tackle the Locky issue.

"All of your files are encrypted" ransomware automated removal and data recovery

Owing to an up-to-date database of malware signatures and intelligent behavioral detection, the recommended software can quickly locate the infection, eradicate it and remediate all harmful changes. So go ahead and do the following:

1. Download and install the antimalware tool. Open the solution and have it check your PC for PUPs and other types of malicious software by clicking the Start Computer Scan button

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2. Rest assured the scan report will list all items that may harm your operating system. Select the detected entries and click Fix Threats to get the troubleshooting completed.

Data recovery toolkit to the rescue

Some strains of ransomware are known to delete the original files after the encryption routine has been completed. As hostile as this activity appears, it can play into your hands. There are applications designed to revive the information that was obliterated because of malfunctioning hardware or due to accidental removal. The tool called Stellar Data Recovery features this type of a capability and therefore it can be applied in ransom attack scenarios to at least get the most important files back. So use the app to get an idea of what data can be restored and let it do the recovery job. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough:

1. Download and install Stellar Data Recovery.

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2. Open the application, select the types of recoverable files to look for, and click Next.

3. Choose the areas you want the tool to recover from and click the Scan button.

4. Having scanned the specified locations, the program will display a notification about the total amount of recoverable data. Close the dialog and click the Recover button. This will hopefully help you get some of your valuable files back.

Ransomware Prevention Tips

To avoid "All of your files are encrypted" ransomware and other file-encrypting infections in the future, follow several simple recommendations:

These techniques are certainly not a cure-all, but they will add an extra layer of ransomware protection to your security setup.

Revise your security status

Post-factum assessment of the accuracy component in malware removal scenarios is a great habit that prevents the comeback of harmful code or replication of its unattended fractions. Make sure you are good to go by running an additional safety checkup. Another benefit of using the antimalware tool is that it will keep ransomware threats from intruding on your computer further on.

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