Bad Rabbit ransomware removal and data recovery

Beware of the destructive ransomware strain called Bad Rabbit, which cripples an infected host’s MBR, encrypts files and demands a ransom in Bitcoin.

Ransomware isn’t a homogeneous concept. It can denote perpetrating code that encrypts individual files and holds them for ransom – in fact, that’s how mainstream ransom Trojans operate. There are blackmail viruses that call forth way more damage, though – ones like Bad Rabbit. This infection boasts a malicious repertoire broad enough to prevent the victims from accessing both their personal data and their computers altogether. It was originally discovered in late October 2017 as a threat to Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and Bulgarian users and organizations for the most part. The baddie has considerably extended its geographic reach ever since.

Bad Rabbit’s primary entry point is via drive-by downloads on hacked or malicious sites. For instance, the early wave of infections involved a rogue Adobe Flash Player update pushed on a compromised web page. Once the booby-trapped file is downloaded and the ransomware is deposited on a computer, it triggers a self-spreading routine to proliferate across an enterprise network – if that’s the case – by abusing SMB (Server Message Block). Interestingly, the pest attempts to crack the victim’s credentials by leveraging an open-source utility called Mimikatz. Another noteworthy fact about the Bad Rabbit ransomware is its use of the leaked NSA exploit codenamed EternalRomance for massive propagation.

When up and running inside a compromised Windows machine, the Trojan looks for files with dozens of specific extensions in order to get the list of data items potentially most valuable to the victim. Every such entry is encrypted using AES cipher, and the encryption key is further encoded with an RSA-2048 public key. While filenames stay unaltered, the hostage objects are assigned a new file marker – the “encrypted” string. Next, Bad Rabbit conducts full disk encryption, replaces the Master Boot Record with a different one, and reboots the computer.

From that moment on, the infected user will be unable to use their machine. It will be stuck at a screen with the ransom note that says, “Oops! Your files have been encrypted. If you see this text, your files are no longer accessible. You might have been looking for a way to recover your files. Don’t waste your time. No one will be able to recover them without our decryption service.” The message also includes the victim’s “personal installation key” and the address of the Tor page designed for accepting ransoms. The web service that the victims are instructed to visit displays the size of the ransom, which is 0.05 Bitcoin, and the amount of time left before the price goes up. To proceed with recovery, the user is supposed to enter their personal key on that page in order to get their unique BTC wallet address for payment.

The Bad Rabbit Ransomware shares quite a few characteristics with NotPetya virus, which broke out in June 2017. Both use a similar design of the ransom notes and payment pages, plus their distribution techniques involve SMB protocol abuse and the harnessing of NSA exploits. In fact, analysts have discovered that the two are operated by the same cybercriminal group hailing from Russia. However, there is a fundamental difference. Whereas NotPetya was made solely for sabotage and didn’t offer its victims any recovery options at all, Bad Rabbit is its ‘commercial’ counterpart whose operators seek financial gain as it does provide a viable decryption functionality.

Instead of following the perpetrators’ instructions, though, it is recommended to use the steps below and thus try to reinstate the data. First, use a bootable rescue CD/DVD or USB in order to be able to access the system and commence the troubleshooting. The following sections will walk you through the rest of the procedure.

Bad Rabbit ransomware automated removal and data recovery

When faced with ransomware like Bad Rabbit, 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 Bad Rabbit 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.

Bad Rabbit 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 Bad Rabbit 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 Bad Rabbit virus

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 Bad Rabbit 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 Bad Rabbit removal tool