An infection with the dangerous .crypted Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .crypted Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .crypted Virus
The .crypted 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 .crypted 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 labelled 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 .crypted Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .crypted 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 .crypted 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 .crypted Virus
The newest malware threat known as the Retis Ransomware, also known by its more ommon name .crypted virus. At the moment no information is available about the identity of the developer or criminal collective behind it. Also the initial tests are not able to find any correlation with any of the popular ransomware families. A thorough analysis has revealed that some of the generated images have the copyright note “Hack Lab by RETIS” which allows for several hypotheses:
- Criminal Collective Development — The group behind the attack campaigns are orchestrating the infections using their own creation.
- Customized Version — It is possible that the acquired samples are merely customized threats of malware distribute in the hacker communities.
- Underground Release — Another possibility would that this is a yet unknown strain that is traded on the underground hacker markets.
During the initial infection the .crypted virus can manipulate the the system by detecting signatures related to security software. In such cases the malware engine can bypass or delete them. Stealth protection capabilities include the possibility of bypassing analyst tools such as virtual machines, debuggers and sanboxes.
At the moment the malware engine seems to bundle only the base engine and the ransomware component. Future versions of it might feature additions that can cause further damage to the infected hosts.
An example would be an information gathering module which aims to retrieve as much personal information as possible. This includes the installed hardware components, software and user configuration. As a result the .crypted virus has the capability to extract information from different places, including the web browsers. Thereby personal information can be retrieved such as any stored bookmarks, history, cookies, account credentials and passwords.
If a Trojan component is introduced it would allow the hacker operators to spy on the target hosts in real time. Advanced versions of it can record the mouse movement and keystrokes in a special database. This module also allows the hackers to execute arbitrary commands onto the infected hosts.
Another dangerous consequence would be the use of the .crypted virus to deliver additional malware. Such complex scenarios are utilized when corporate and high-profile targets are chosen.
Once all prerequisite stages have complete the ransomware component is launched. The collected samples seem to be of a test version that encrypts only several files:
.txt, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .one, .pdf
As a result all processed data receives the .crypted extension. A master ransomware note is create at the system location %APPDATA%\RANSOM.png from where on it is copied to other locations. At the moment test versions include a note in the French language. It is possible that future versions of the .crypte virus module can generate notes in other languages. The original message reads the following:
Votre bureau, vos photos, vos données et autres dossiers importants ont été chiffrés avec un algorithme fort et une clé unique générés pour cet ordinateur.
La clé secrète pour déchiffrer vos données est gardée sur un serveur d’Internet, et personne ne peut déchiffrer vos fichiers jusqu’à ce que vous payez pour l’obtenir.
Vous disposez d’un délai de 24 heures pour nous transmettre le paiement.
PASSÉ CE DÉLAI VOTRE CLÉ SERA SUPPRIMÉE OE NOS SERVEURS ET IL NE SERA PLUS POSSIBLE POUR VOUS OE RÉCUPÉRER VOS DONNÉES
A machine-translated version of it is the following:
Your desktop, photos, data and other important files have been encrypted with a strong algorithm and a unique key generated for this computer.
The secret key to decrypt your data is kept on an Internet server, and no one can decipher your files until you pay to get it.
You have 24 hours to send us the payment.
PAST THIS TIME YOUR KEY WILL BE ABOLISHED BY OUR SERVERS AND IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO RECOVER YOUR DATA
Remove .crypted Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .crypted 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
.crypted 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 .crypted 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 .crypted 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.
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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”.
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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
