NamPoHyu virus ransomware decryptor and removal

Stay on top of the NamPoHyu virus ransomware campaign, find out what its uniqueness is, and learn the applicable methods to recover from the attack.

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

What is the NamPoHyu virus?

Servers are an increasingly enticing target for online extortionists, because there is typically more data to encrypt and the administrators are likely to cough up bigger amounts of money for restoring the records. Plus, it turns out that many of them are low-hanging fruit. The operators of the ransom Trojan dubbed NamPoHyu virus go with the flow as they are targeting Samba servers that don’t utilize proper anti-breach mechanisms. This sample made its appearance in mid-April and was preceded by a strain called MegaLocker that had splashed onto the arena a month earlier. Both share the same principle of finding victims through scanning the Internet for Samba instances with authentication disabled altogether – sadly enough, their worldwide count reaches about half a million at this point. Although the general approach is nothing new, the ransomware lineage under scrutiny is one of a kind.

What makes the culprit stand out is the specificity of its execution and data encryption. Whereas in nearly every other ransomware scenario these two processes are isolated to the infected host, the NamPoHyu virus keeps them segregated from each other. In other words, the malicious binary runs on a local machine owned by the criminals, and the file encryption routine on a plagued server is performed remotely. It means the malefactors needn’t employ any payload injection techniques to deliver their pest onto systems. Instead, all they need to do is spot poorly secured Samba set-ups and gain unauthorized access to them without actually depositing any malicious entities. As a result, the toxic encryption process is triggered remotely and results in applying a cipher to lock down the data stored on the compromised server as well as NAS devices whose quantity can be impressive. Every encoded entry gets the .NamPoHyu extension added to the original filename. An example is a Wallpaper.bmp image’s being changed to Wallpaper.bmp.NamPoHyu.

The only thing actually dropped onto contaminated hosts is the ransom note named !DECRYPT_INSTRUCTION.txt. It tells the victim what has happened, with the intro phrase being “All of your files were protected by a strong encryption with AES cbc-128 using NamPoHyu Virus”. This manual additionally provides the victim’s personal ID to be used for accurate file decryption in case the user is okay with paying the ransom. Speaking of the buyout, it comes down to submitting $1000 for organizations, or $250 for individual users. The payment ways may vary depending on the victim’s location, but the universal one is Bitcoin. The user is also instructed to install Tor browser and open a specified page with it. It is titled “NamPoHyu Virus Decryption Tool” and says the victim should send their unique ID to alexshkipper@mail.ru to get the receiving BTC address for the ransom.

The good news is, cybersecurity analysts created a free decrypt tool for this ransomware in early May 2019. Called “Emsisoft Decrypter for MegaLocker” supports both the NamPoHyu virus and its precursor mentioned above. The author of the infection has since posted on a security forum that he was going to switch to a different encryption algorithm to get around the free solution. Time will tell whether or not the felons will carry through with their claims, but in the meanwhile those affected should refrain from paying the ransom and try the tool. If it doesn’t help for whatever reason, or in case the malicious crypto implementation actually undergoes a tweak to circumvent the benign breakthrough, the NamPoHyu virus victims should follow the steps listed above. The follow-up sections cover alternative data recovery mechanisms and provide the essentials of avoiding ransomware as such.

NamPoHyu ransomware automated removal and data recovery

When faced with ransomware like NamPoHyu, 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 NamPoHyu 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.

NamPoHyu 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 NamPoHyu 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 .NamPoHyu 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 NamPoHyu 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 NamPoHyu removal tool