This article has been created in order to explain what is the .BLOCKED files virus and how to remove it from your computer plus how to restore .BLOCKED encrypted files by it.
A new ransomware infection, going by the name CrystalCrypt has been reported by malware researcher Michael Gillespie. The virus aims to encrypt the files on the computers infected by it after which it adds the .BLOCKED file suffix to the files encoded by it. Only after doing so, the .BLOCKED files virus begins to extorts it’s victims by dropping a ransom note which demands to pay 0.17 BitCoins in order to get the cyber-criminals to decrypt the files so they become usable again. In the event that your computer has been infected with the CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED ransomware virus, we advise you to read the following article and learn how to remove this ransomware and how to restore files, encrypted with added .BLOCKED file extension.
Threat Summary
| Name | CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Aims to encrypt the files on the compromised computers, asking victims to pay around 0.17 BitCoins in order to get the files to open again. |
| Symptoms | Files on the infected computer are encrypted with added .BLOCKED file extension. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED. |
| Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
.BLOCKED Files Virus – How Does It Infect
In order to infect victims, the .BLOCKED files virus may be spread via either active methods or passive ones. If spread by passive methods, the virus may be uploaded as a fake executable file, pretending to be a legitimate one. The sites on which it may be uploaded may be of low reputation and may even be Torrent tracker websites. The malicious files may pretend to be legitimate:
- Drivers.
- Software activators.
- Cracks for software or games.
- Patches.
In addition to simply waiting for you to download it’s infection file on your computer, the cyber-criminals behind the .BLOCKED files virus may also send you the infection file via e-mail. To best trick inexperienced victims into opening the file, they may pretend that it is an important document, such as:
- An Invoice.
- Order receipt.
- Some kind of important banking document.
Since cyber-crooks often mask the e-mails as if they are legitimate type of messages, they pretend as if they come from large companies, like PayPal, eBay, Amazon or other big names and even mask their logos and support e-mails to appear as if they come from the original source.
CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Files Virus – More Information
CrystalCrypt ransomware is the type of malware which aims to perform various different modifications on the files on the infected computers. The virus begins it’s malicious activity by dropping it’s payload files on the computers of victims. The payload of CrystalCrypt may reside in the following Windows folders:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %Roaming%
- %LocalLow%
- %Temp%
- %Windows%
After dropping it’s files, the CrystalCrypt ransomware virus may create mutexes, touch files and create scheduled tasks on the infected computer, so that it runs the malicious file(s) of it’s payload automatically. The virus may also modify the Windows Registry Editor, more importantly create entries in the Run and RunOnce Windows sub-keys, that are responsible for running the ransom note file or the malicious file of the .BLOCKED files virus automatically each time when you log in Windows. The registry sub-keys in which those malicious entries may reside have the following locations:
→ 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
In addition to this, the .BLOCKED ransomware virus aims to drop it’s ransom note on the victim’s computer. The virus has the following message in it:
CrystalCrypt
All your private files were encrypted with an strong RSA 2048 and AES 256 algorithm. To decrypt your files you must pay 0.17.
.BLOCKED Files Virus – Encryption Procedure
In order to encrypt the files on the infected computer, the .BLOCKED files virus has a pre-configured list of file types it aims to encrypt. In the same time, the virus is careful not to encrypt crucial drivers and system files, so that the infected computer is still being usable. The files which CrystalCrypt may scan your computer for are likely the most commonly used file types, which usually have the following file extensions:
→ “PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”
After encryption is complete, the .BLOCKED files virus may leave the encrypted files to appear like the following:
Remove .BLOCKED CrystalCrypt Ransomware and Restore Files
In order to remove this ransomware infection, recommendations are to follow the removal instructions at the bottom of this article. They are divided in manual or automatic removal instructions, based on the experience with malware removal which you possess. If you lack experience in removing viruses, like CrystalCrypt manually, be advised that experts in cybersecurity always advise users to scan their computers with an advanced anti-malware software, which will help you to automatically erase all traces of CrystalCrypt ransomware from your computer and ensure future protection is guaranteed.
If you want to restore files that have been encrypted by this ransomware infection, reccomendations are that you follow the file recovery instructions underneath this article in step “2. Restore files encrypted by CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED”. They may not be 100% effective when it comes to decrypting your files, but their primary purpose is to help recover as many encrypted files as possible.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Step 1: Scan for CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED and related malware from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully delete most unwanted and malicious programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- 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
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED.
Method 1: Use STOP Decrypter by Emsisoft.
Not all variants of this ransomware can be decrypted for free, but we have added the decryptor used by researchers that is often updated with the variants which become eventually decrypted. You can try and decrypt your files using the instructions below, but if they do not work, then unfortunately your variant of the ransomware virus is not decryptable.
Follow the instructions below to use the Emsisoft decrypter and decrypt your files for free. You can download the Emsisoft decryption tool linked here and then follow the steps provided below:
1 Right-click on the decrypter and click on Run as Administrator as shown below:
2. Agree with the license terms:
3. Click on "Add Folder" and then add the folders where you want files decrypted as shown underneath:
4. Click on "Decrypt" and wait for your files to be decoded.
Note: Credit for the decryptor goes to Emsisoft researchers who have made the breakthrough with this virus.
Method 2: Use data recovery software
Ransomware infections and CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on the top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED-FAQ
What is CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Ransomware?
CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithms to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
What Does CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Ransomware Do?
Ransomware in general is a malicious software that is designed to block access to your computer or files until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware viruses can also damage your system, corrupt data and delete files, resulting in the permanent loss of important files.
How Does CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Infect?
Via several ways.CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing emails, containing virus attachment. This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
Another way you may become a victim of CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to Open .CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the .CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted using a specific decryption key for the particular algorithm.
What to Do If a Decryptor Does Not Work?
Do not panic, and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore ".CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED files.
These methods are in no way 100% guaranteed that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How To Get Rid of CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti-malware program.
It will scan for and locate CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED files.
Can I Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer.
Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Italy - Polizia Di Stato
Spain - Policía Nacional
Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.
Can You Stop Ransomware from Encrypting Your Files?
Yes, you can prevent ransomware. The best way to do this is to ensure your computer system is updated with the latest security patches, use a reputable anti-malware program and firewall, backup your important files frequently, and avoid clicking on malicious links or downloading unknown files.
Can CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Ransomware Steal Your Data?
Yes, in most cases ransomware will steal your information. It is a form of malware that steals data from a user's computer, encrypts it, and then demands a ransom in order to decrypt it.
In many cases, the malware authors or attackers will threaten to delete the data or publish it online unless the ransom is paid.
Can Ransomware Infect WiFi?
Yes, ransomware can infect WiFi networks, as malicious actors can use it to gain control of the network, steal confidential data, and lock out users. If a ransomware attack is successful, it could lead to a loss of service and/or data, and in some cases, financial losses.
Should I Pay Ransomware?
No, you should not pay ransomware extortionists. Paying them only encourages criminals and does not guarantee that the files or data will be restored. The better approach is to have a secure backup of important data and be vigilant about security in the first place.
What Happens If I Don't Pay Ransom?
If you don't pay the ransom, the hackers may still have access to your computer, data, or files and may continue to threaten to expose or delete them, or even use them to commit cybercrimes. In some cases, they may even continue to demand additional ransom payments.
Can a Ransomware Attack Be Detected?
Yes, ransomware can be detected. Anti-malware software and other advanced security tools can detect ransomware and alert the user when it is present on a machine.
It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security measures and to keep security software updated to ensure ransomware can be detected and prevented.
Do Ransomware Criminals Get Caught?
Yes, ransomware criminals do get caught. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and others have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting ransomware criminals in the US and other countries. As ransomware threats continue to increase, so does the enforcement activity.
About the CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific malware and restore your encrypted files.
How did we conduct the research on this ransomware?
Our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, and as such, we receive daily updates on the latest malware and ransomware definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the CrystalCrypt .BLOCKED ransomware threat is backed with VirusTotal and the NoMoreRansom project.
To better understand the ransomware threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.