What is Craftul ransomware? And how does it execute its attack?
Craftul ransomware is a new file-encrypting threat that was first spotted in the last week of June 2019. According to crypto malware experts, it seems to be a new and improved version of Stroman ransomware. It uses a “craftul” suffix in the files it encrypts as well as the RSA 1024 encryption algorithm in locking files. It has similarities with other ransomware threats like Insta ransomware but it is yet to be proven.
The second its malicious payload is dropped in the system, it begins to execute its attack by adding more malicious files and placing them on system folders to prevent any programs from interrupting its attack. It also modifies the Windows Registry in order to run on every system boot. Once these changes are applied, it will start to scan the computer looking for files with the following formats:
.3gp, .7z, .apk, .avi, .bmp, .cdr, .cer, .chm, .conf, .css, .csv, .dat, .db, .dbf, .djvu, .dbx, .docm, doc, .epub, .docx .fb2, .flv, .gif, .gz, .iso .ibooks,.jpeg, .jpg, .key, .mdb .md2, .mdf, .mht, .mobi .mhtm, .mkv, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .mpg .mpeg, .pict, .pdf, .pps, .pkg, .png, .ppt .pptx, .ppsx, .psd, .rar, .rtf, .scr, .swf, .sav, .tiff, .tif, .tbl, .torrent, .txt, .vsd, .wmv, .xls, .xlsx, .xps, .xml, .ckp, .zip, .java, .py, .asm, .c, .cpp, .cs, .js, .php, .dacpac, .rbw, .rb, .mrg, .dcx, .db3, .sql, .sqlite3, .sqlite, .sqlitedb, .psd, .psp, .pdb, .dxf, .dwg, .drw, .casb, .ccp, .cal, .cmx, .cr2
Once it finds its targeted files, it will begin the encryption process by applying the AES 256 cipher in encoding the files. Following data encryption, it appends the .craftul extension to every encrypted file and generates a file named “FilesInfo.txt” which contains the following message:
“All your important files were encrypted on this PC.
All files with the .craftul extension are encrypted.
Encryption was produced using the unique private key RSA-1024 generated for this computer.
To decrypt your files, you need to obtain a private key + decrypt software.
The single copy of the private key, with will allow you to decrypt the files, is located on a secret server on the internet.
To retrieve the private key, you need to contact us by email at [email protected] send us an email your FilesInfo.txt file, and wait for further instructions.
For you to be sure, that we can decrypt your files – you can send us 1-2 not very big encrypted files and we will send you back it in a decrypted form free.
To send files you can use hxxp://dropmefiles.com/
Do not waste your time! After 72 hours the main server will double your price!
Your personal id:
–
E-mail address to contact us:
[email protected]
Reserve e-mail:
[email protected]”
How does Craft ransomware spread over the web?
According to security experts, Craftul ransomware has been released in active attack campaigns. Thus, its distribution is likely to happen using commonly used techniques like malicious spam email campaigns, corrupted freeware installers, software cracks, fake software updates, infected web pages, and many more. This is why you need to be more careful in what you download online to prevent your computer from getting infected with dangerous threats like Craftul ransomware.
To effectively eliminate Craftul ransomware from your PC, make sure to follow the removal instructions below.
Step_1: First, you have to stop the malicious process of Craftul ransomware by opening the Task Manager. To do that, simply tap Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard.
Step_2: Under the Task Manager, switch to the Processes tab and find any suspicious-looking process that takes up most of your CPU’s resources and is most likely related to Craftul ransomware.
Step_3: After that, close the Task Manager.
Step_4: Tap Win + R, type in appwiz.cpl and click OK or tap Enter to open Programs and Features under Control Panel.
Step_5: Under the list of installed programs, look for Craftul ransomware or anything similar and then uninstall it.
Step_6: Next, close the Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to launch File Explorer.
Step_7: Navigate to the following locations below and look for Craftul ransomware’s malicious components such as FilesInfo.txt, and [random].exe, and other suspicious files, then delete all of them.
- %TEMP%
- %WINDIR%\System32\Tasks
- %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\
- %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
- %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Step_8: Close the File Explorer.
Before you proceed to the next steps below, make sure that you are tech-savvy enough to the point where you know exactly how to use and navigate your computer’s Registry. Keep in mind that any changes you make will highly impact your computer. To save you trouble and time, you can just use Restoro, this system tool is proven to be safe and excellent enough that hackers won’t be able to hack into it. But if you can manage Windows Registry well, then by all means go on to the next steps.
Step_9: Tap Win + R to open Run and then type in Regedit in the field and tap enter to pull up Windows Registry.
Step_10: Navigate to the following path:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
- HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Step_11: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by Craftul ransomware.
Step_12: Close the Registry Editor and empty the Recycle Bin.
Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies
Restoring your encrypted files using Windows Previous Versions feature will only be effective if Craftul ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.
Congratulations, you have just removed Craftul Ransomware Crypto Malware in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit fixmypcfree.com daily.
Now that’s how you remove Craftul Ransomware Crypto Malware in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
