An infection with the dangerous Crypt0 virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove Crypt0 virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
Skip all steps and download anti-malware tool that will safely scan and clean your PC.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
Distribution of Crypt0 virus
The Crypt0 virus is a new virus which has been sighted in a limited attack campaign. At the moment the security researchers cannot determine the primary infection strategy. We presume that the most widely used tactics are going to be employed.
Among them are the email messages created in an automated way and sent to large lists of potential victims. The Crypt0 virus can be directly attached to the messages. This is one of the easiest way for the criminals to attempt the infection. However a lot of email hosting providers usually capture the signatures of the virus and as such discard such messages or label them as dangerous or spam. Other infection methods related to this one is the option of inserting hyperlinks in the body content of the messages. The links are usually labeled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest. Redirects can redirect to hacker-controlled sites, infected payloads or other instances that can lead to an Crypt0 virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the Crypt0 virus. A popular option is the use of infected documents which may be of different types ‒ spreadsheets, rich text documents, presentations and databases. They are modified to initiate the virus once the built-in scripts are run. Usually when the files are opened a notification will ask the users to run the macros (scripts). If this is done the infection follows.
The hacker-controlled sites are specialist portals that have been created either manually or automatically by the criminals behind the Crypt0 virus. They can either directly distribute the threat by initiating various scripts or automated operations or link to such instances. Redirects are usually caused by email interaction, ad networks or other browsing activity. However one of the main sources is the availability of browser hijackers. They are malicious addons made for the most popular web browsers ‒ Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Once installed they not only infect the users with the malware, but also redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Depending on the configuration the browser hijackers can also steal sensitive information such as any stored passwords, account credentials, history, bookmarks, form data and settings.
Impact of Crypt0 virus
The Crypt0 virus is a new strain representative of the Hidden Tear malware family. The security researchers that signaled its appearance note that it is a customized version of the core threat. The analysts believe that a new and unknown operator or a criminal collective is behind the new development.
As it is based on the original threat the security researchers have found it that the same behavior patterns are utilized. After the infection has occured the various modules are started on the victim’s computer. The Hidden Tear malware family is famous for having a modular framework which allows the hacker operators to load, enable and configure various additions as they please. Usually the infections begin with the information gathering engine which is able to harvest different types of data that are then sent to the hacker operators:
- Personally-identifiable Information — This category of information refers to all data that may expose the individual user. Examples include their real names, address, telephone numbers, preferences, habits, history of visited sites and etc.
- System Data — The Crypt0 virus is capable of obtaining data regarding the machine itself. This includes the hardware components, installed software and any computer-dependant configuration settings.
- User Settings — The reason why the Crypt0 virus is dangerous is the fact that it is able to hijack regional and language settings as well. They are used to identify the location of the victims which may be important to the hacker operators if they are using a country or language white list to model certain localized attacks.
Other Hidden Tear strains like the Crypt0 virus are known to initiate network connections with the computer criminals behind the threat. The hackers can initiate command execution, steal sensitive data prior to the encryption phase and launch other modules based on the victim machines.
Windows registry changes can cause certain operating system services to stop functioning properly and the users may experience performance issues. Other malicious changes include a persistent deployment. This type of virus infiltration uses a deep-level installation and actively monitors the users behavior and effectively preventing manual removal attempts.
Once all steps have been executed the Crypt0 virus ransomware engine is started. Like previous Hidden Tear strains it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions including the following: images, music, videos, archives, databases, configuration files and etc. At the moment the collected Crypt0 virus samples place random extensions to the processed files. The ransomware note is created in a READ_IT.html file placed on the Desktop. Its contents reads the following:
You have been victim of Crypt0 Ransomware
All your important files, photos, videos, documents, databases, have been encrypted with AES-256 and AES-128
A file called “READ_IT.html” will be dropped on your Desktop follow the instructions on how to make the payment
You Have 6 days to make the payment or else all of your files will be lost!
Hurry up!
The current attack campaign extorts the sum of 0.5 Bitcoins which is the equivalent of about $5880. We recommend that all users abstain from communicating with the hackers and use our full Crypt0 virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove Crypt0 virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the Crypt0 virus requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removing important data accidentally can lead to permanent system damage. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a powerful anti-malware tool that will scan your system for malware and clean it safely for you.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
Crypt0 virus – Manual Removal Steps
Start the PC in Safe Mode with Network
This will isolate all files and objects created by the ransomware so they will be removed efficiently. The steps bellow are applicable to all Windows versions.
1. Hit the WIN Key + R
2. A Run window will appear. In it, write msconfig and then press Enter
3. A Configuration box shall appear. In it Choose the tab named Boot
4. Mark Safe Boot option and then go to Network under it to tick it too
5. Apply -> OK
Remove Crypt0 from Windows
Here’s a way to remove the program. This method will work regardless if you’re on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP. Simply selecting the program and pressing delete won’t work, as it’ll leave a lot of small files. That’s bad because these leftovers can linger on and cause all sorts of problems. The best way to delete a program is to uninstall it. Here’s how you can do that:
1. Hold the “Windows” button (It’s between CTRL and Alt on most keyboards) and press “R”. You’ll see a pop-up window.
2. In the textbox, type “appwiz.cpl”, then press“ Enter ”.
3. The “Programs and features” menu should now appear. It’s a list of all the programs installed on the PC. Here you can find the program, select it, and press “Uninstall“.
Remove Crypt0 Virus From Your Browser
Before resetting your browser’s settings, you should know that this action will wipe out all your recorded usernames, passwords, and other types of data. Make sure to save them in some way.
-
1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
-
1. Start Google Chrome. On the upper-right corner, there a “Customize and Control” menu icon. Click on it, then click on “Settings“.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
2. In the “Manage add-ons” window, bellow “Add-on Types“, select “Toolbars and Extensions“. If you see a suspicious toolbar, select it and click “Remove“.
3. Then again in the “Manage Add-ons” window, in “Add-on Types“, Select “Search Providers“. Chose a search engine and click “Set as default“. Select the unknown search engine and click “Remove and Close”.
4. Open the Tools menu, select “Internet Options”.
5. In the “General” tab, in “Home page”, enter your preferred page. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
Repair Windows Registry
1. Again type simultaneously the WIN Key + R key combination
2. In the box, write regedit and hit Enter
3. Type the CTRL+ F and then write the malicious name in the search type field to locate the malicious executable
4. In case you have discovered registry keys and values related to the name, you should delete them, but be careful not to delete legitimate keys
Click for more information about Windows Registry and further repair help
