Anatova ransomware virus removal and decryption

Learn why security analysts dubbed the new Anatova ransomware revolutionary in several ways and get the hang of techniques to remove and decrypt this strain.

1. What is the Anatova ransomware?
2. Anatova ransomware automated removal and data recovery
3. Anatova ransomware manual removal and file recovery
4. Ransomware Prevention Tips

What is Anatova ransomware?

With few exceptions, the crypto ransomware climate has been fairly dull for a year or so. The progress of this cybercrime domain hasn’t stopped to a halt, though. The recently discovered Anatova ransomware is irrefutable evidence of this. While going the down the well-trodden road of extortion, it appears to have unparalleled capabilities hidden underneath a layer of vanilla external manifestation. It turns out, the adverse repertoire of this sample includes a few interesting quirks, such as modular design and prevention of reverse-engineering attempts. Combined with competently written code and properly implemented cryptographic standard, these traits make the Anatova virus one of a kind. Furthermore, its executable was reportedly compiled in 2019, and it looks like an independently crafted sample operated by a new crew of online malefactors.

Contrary to most pieces of ransomware out there that engage malspam, exploit kits or RDP hacks, this one is propagating via peer-to-peer networks. As uncommon as it is, this vector has apparently resulted in a bevy of installs for the distributors. According to some publicly available statistics, the crooks have made hundreds of victims in the United States and a number of European countries over the course of the first outbreak. The bad program is masqueraded as a benign application or video game. The booby-trapped installer is executed without consent and awareness of the user who thinks it’s a great new app they are getting.

One of the most disconcerting properties of the Anatova ransomware’s behavior after contamination is that it goes ruthless on Volume Shadow Copies of the victim’s files, wiping them up to a dozen times. This is a serious obstacle to forensic recovery of the data. Another serious wakeup call is that the culprit leverages the “vssadmin” tool to do it, which means it gets administrative privileges on the host while circumventing permission request proper.

The encryption algorithm in this scenario is the Salsa20 stream cipher. In order to complete the cryptographic part of its mission, Anatova skips files larger than 1MB and ones located in paths that are important for the operating system to run smooth. Unlike garden-variety blackmail programs that append certain extensions to ransomed files, this sample does not alter the original filenames at all. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, though. The ransomware does make changes at a deeper level of file structure that’s invisible to the naked eye, yet identifiable by the malicious code. Specifically, it adds markers that prevent double encryption, a redundant thing for this type of malware that badly relies on lightning-fast attack routine.

As part of the raid, the Anatova ransomware leaves a rescue note behind. It is named ANATOVA.txt, and it will only appear inside directories with at least one encrypted item in them. This document instructs the victim to send an email to anatova2@tutanota.com or anatoday@tutanota.com, indicating the unique hexadecimal key from the note along with the address of outgoing payment for the decryptor. The ransom amounts to 10 DASH, worth 712 USD at the time of this writing.

As mentioned above, the Anatova virus features an analysis prevention mechanism. Its implementation is as follows: having made it into a host, the infection fetches the victim’s username and compares it against a predefined list of strings, such as “Lab”, “Tester”, “Malware” and a few more. The thing is, security researchers often include these terms as part of their usernames on a virtual machine used for code testing. If a matching item is found, the ransomware ceases the incursion in an attempt to keep itself from being reversed and extensively analyzed from different angles.

To top it all off, this infection potentially supports extra components as it goes with two DLLs. Although these files are functionally blank at this point, they are clues that this malicious entity is modular therefore the ransomware may assume additional characteristics further on. For instance, it may steal data or promote other malware before actually encrypting data on a target computer. Obviously, the Anatova attack is a serious quandary. Keep reading to get an idea of how to sort it out.

Anatova ransomware automated removal and data recovery

When faced with ransomware like Anatova, one of the best shortcuts in terms of removal is to use Combo Cleaner, a lightweight and incredibly effective application with PC security and optimization features under the hood. It detects and thoroughly deletes threats while giving you insights into the overall health of your computer.

This program’s protection power spans modules that forestall all known types of malware, including ransomware and browser hijackers, and take your online security to the next level by blocking phishing sites and other suspicious web pages. Follow these simple steps to eliminate the infection for good:

1. Download Combo Cleaner installer.

Download Anatova remover

^{Combo Cleaner scans your PC with no strings attached, but you’ll have to buy its fully functional version to remove the threats it detects. The disk optimization tools that find large files and duplicates are free to use.}

2. Open the CCSetup.exe file to get started. Several subsequent screens will allow you to make initial customizations so that the program works exactly as you need from the get-go.

3. The installation will be followed by an update of malware signatures. Once this process is through, click the Start Scan button in the left-hand sidebar.

4. Combo Cleaner will then check system locations that are most often polluted by Windows malware. The first scan can take a while to finish.

5. Combo Cleaner will display a system tray notification as soon as the scan is over. Click the Resolve found threats button to view the results.

6. The scan summary shows the names and types of the detected threats as well as their statuses and locations. Click the Remove all threats button and follow further on-screen prompts to get rid of these items.

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.

Download Stellar Data Recovery

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.

Anatova ransomware manual removal and file recovery

Some ransomware strains terminate themselves after completing the encryption job on a computer, but some don’t. Furthermore, the Anatova virus may prevent victims from using popular antimalware tools in order to stay on board for as long as possible. Under the circumstances, it may be necessary to utilize the Safe Mode with Networking or System Restore functionality.

Be advised that even after the ransomware is removed, files will still be encrypted and inaccessible. The malicious code cleanup part, however, is important because it keeps a relapse of the infection from occurring further on and eliminates all opportunistic malware.

Ways of non-ransom recovery of files encrypted by Anatova

Cracking the crypto used by this ransom Trojan is more of a science fiction thing rather than an attainable prospect for the masses. This is why the troubleshooting in predicaments of this sort is a matter of two approaches: one is to pay the ransom, which isn’t an option for many victims; and the other is to apply instruments that take advantage of the ransomware’s possible weaknesses. If the latter is your pick, the advice below is a must-try.

Ransomware Prevention Tips

To avoid Anatova 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.

Download Anatova removal tool