Cerber ransomware: DECRYPT MY FILES virus removal (Jul. 2017 upd.)

Files that became encrypted and appended with a random four-character extension indicate a Cerber ransomware attack that requires an urgent fix on the user’s end.

Updated in July 2017. The term “Cerber”, which is somewhat reminiscent of a scary mythical creature’s name, denotes a piece of ransomware that may cause infected people just about as much terror. The main concern for victims in terms of this threat has to do with the risk of losing their personal files, which is a likely outcome of the attack if the extortionists’ demands are not met. The virus uses AES cryptographic standard to encrypt the user’s most important files, focusing on popular data formats found on the target computer’s hard drive, network shares and removable media. On the outside, these items become considerably skewed as well – the filenames undergo scrambling beyond identification, where each one morphs into a random 10-character string. In addition to this, the ransomware concatenates four hexadecimal characters to encrypted data entries. This suffix is unique for every individual extortion scenario, because it matches a computer-specific MachineGuid registry value. As a result, a sample document will turn into a gibberish string like LQpHq5aNrJ.3f81. Obviously, the user is unable to open any of those.

When the Cerber virus is installed, the first thing it does is determine the country that the machine is located in. If it’s in a country that matches the infection’s hard-coded blacklist mostly composed of Eastern European states, then no further action is taken. Otherwise, the targeted system gets configured to go through several reboots so that the malicious code takes effect. To this end, the ransomware displays a number of rogue system notifications which, once closed manually, trigger a forcible restart of the PC.

Learn how the Cerber ransomware has evolved over time

The next phase is encryption proper. The malware disregards objects in several directories, including Program Files, ProgramData, Windows, Drivers, and AppData\Local. In the meanwhile, it encodes everything found during the HDD and network drives scan with the above-mentioned symmetric Advanced Encryption Standard. Cerber then adds ransom instructions to the desktop as well as each folder that got hit. The original variant of the perpetrating program would drop the following walkthroughs: # DECRYPT MY FILES #.html, # DECRYPT MY FILES #.txt and # DECRYPT MY FILES #.vbs. The latest edition of this Trojan called CRBR Encryptor, which was discovered in July 2017, has switched to using a different set of decryption how-to manuals, namely _R_E_A_D___T_H_I_S___[random]_.hta and _R_E_A_D___T_H_I_S___[random]_.txt. An additional JPEG version of ransom notes straightforwardly replaces the original desktop wallpaper to put additional pressure on the infected person.

According to these notes, the victim needs to navigate to a Tor page titled “Cerber Decryptor” and use it to send 0.5 Bitcoin (about $1,100) as the ransom, doing which will supposedly make the file decryption tool available to download. The page also displays a countdown timer to add some urgency to the mix so that the plagued user submits the cryptocurrency within five days, or else the sum will become 1 Bitcoin. The darknet service in question allows deciphering one file free of charge, but that’s certainly cold comfort given the big picture of the quandary.

An unordinary hallmark sign of this infection is that it’s equipped with a VBScript based text-to-speech component that recurrently plays an audio message explaining what happened to the data and how to get it back. The message goes, “Your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted!“. This is, obviously, a clever scare tactic that makes the attack an awful nuisance, not just a commonplace cipher-backed predicament. Notwithstanding the whole sophistication of Cerber ransomware, some techniques can help victims restore their files without having to pay the fee or somehow crack the strong encryption.

Cerber ransomware automated removal and data recovery

When faced with ransomware like Cerber, 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 Cerber 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.

Cerber 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 Cerber 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 encrypted files

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 Cerber 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 Cerber removal tool