Coban ransomware is a new data locker malware that aims to corrupt sensitive data and extort ransom from the victims. Coban ransomware uses strong cipher algorithm to encode target files and make them completely inaccessible. Encrypted files can be recognized by the .coban extension appended at the end of their names. Then it displays a ransom note on the screen of the infected PC to inform victims about the attack and instruct them what they are expected to do in order to receive files back.

This article informs victims of Coban ransomware infection and provides comprehensive removal and data restore instructions.

Threat Summary

Name	Coban
Type	Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description	Encrypts the files on your computer, making them no longer openable. Asks for a ransom payment in Bitcoins.
Symptoms	Adds the .coban file extension to the encrypted files and changes their names to random names. Drops a ransom note, named _HELP_INSTRUCTION.txt.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Coban Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Coban.
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.

Coban Ransomware – Spread Techniques

Coban ransomware payloads can be spread via various distribution techniques. The most preferred one by cyber criminals is email messages with malicious attachments or infected elements like buttons and links placed in the email message body. Usually, the email messages are well crafted so they can easily trick users into infecting their computer systems with Coban ransomware. In most cases, the sender’s name and email address of the malicious emails are disguised as representatives of well-known business organizations, legal services, and even governmental institutions. And once the payload penetrates the system, it automatically triggers Coban ransomware infection.

In some cases, the ransomware may appear as fake software update notification that urges users to download a critical security patch. Additionally, the code of the malicious Coban crypto virus payload may be injected into web pages that are set to automatically start the download of the ransomware code on the PC. The links of these web pages may be included in malvertising campaigns or spread on social media channels.

Coban Ransomware – Infection Flow

The investigation of Coban ransomware samples is ongoing. Some security researchers believe that it can belong to the infamous CryptoMix ransomware family. This year our team detected and reported two other CryptoMix ransomware variants that are appending the .OGONIA and .EXTE extensions to the corrupted files.

The samples of Coban file locker affirm that it follows a typical ransomware pattern. The infection is triggered once a file named cc9b1e6806db5fb9628559162c3ebb62.virus is running on the system. Then Coban ransomware can connect with hackers’ controlled server and download all additional malware files it needs to complete the infection. Often the malicious files are situated in some of the following essential Windows system folders:

• %AppData%
• %Temp%
• %Roaming%
• %Common%
• %System32%

Coban ransomware processes may be disguised as legitimate Windows system processes like – svchost.exe and services.exe making its detection even harder. After the threat establishes all malicious files on the system, it is capable of modifying Windows registry values in order to ensure its automatic execution on each Windows boot up. The following registry keys may be plagued by Coban ransomware:

At the end of the infection, Coban crypto virus drops its ransom note called _HELP_INSTRUCTION.txt on the computer. Then it displays it on the screen and informs the following:

All your files are already encrypted due to a vulnerability in the system!
For decoding it is necessary to pay ransom by bitcoins.
Bitcoins can be bought here – localbitcoins.com in many ways.
Write to us at mail [email protected] and tell us your unique ID in the subject line. DECRYPT-ID-ea003afd-e55a-490a-bf5f-2e2f0db4e97b number

It is not known what is the amount of the demanded ransom, however, any negotiations with the crooks should be refrained so new troubles could be avoided.

Coban Ransomware – Data Encryption

Coban ransomware is believed to have the following file types in its target data list:

→.sql, .mp4, .7z, .rar, .m4a, .wma, .avi, .wmv, .csv, .d3dbsp, .zip, .sie, .sum, .ibank, .t13, .t12, .qdf, .gdb, .tax, .pkpass, .bc6, .bc7, .bkp, .qic, .bkf, .sidn, .sidd, .mddata, .itl, .itdb, .icxs, .hvpl, .hplg, .hkdb, .mdbackup, .syncdb, .gho, .cas, .svg, .map, .wmo, .itm, .sb, .fos, .mov, .vdf, .ztmp, .sis, .sid, .ncf, .menu, .layout, .dmp, .blob, .esm, .vcf, .vtf, .dazip, .fpk, .mlx, .kf, .iwd, .vpk, .tor, .psk, .rim, .w3x, .fsh, .ntl, .arch00, .lvl, .snx, .cfr, .ff, .vpp_pc, .lrf, .m2, .mcmeta, .vfs0, .mpqge, .kdb, .db0, .dba, .rofl, .hkx, .bar, .upk, .das, .iwi, .litemod, .asset, .forge, .ltx, .bsa, .apk, .re4, .sav, .lbf, .slm, .bik, .epk, .rgss3a, .pak, .big, wallet, .wotreplay, .xxx, .desc, .py, .m3u, .flv, .js, .css, .rb, .png, .jpeg, .txt, .p7c, .p7b, .p12, .pfx, .pem, .crt, .cer, .der, .x3f, .srw, .pef, .ptx, .r3d, .rw2, .rwl, .raw, .raf, .orf, .nrw, .mrwref, .mef, .erf, .kdc, .dcr, .cr2, .crw, .bay, .sr2, .srf, .arw, .3fr, .dng, .jpe, .jpg, .cdr, .indd, .ai, .eps, .pdf, .pdd, .psd, .dbf, .mdf, .wb2, .rtf, .wpd, .dxg, .xf, .dwg, .pst, .accdb, .mdb, .pptm, .pptx, .ppt, .xlk, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xls, .wps, .docm, .docx, .doc, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt.

The list includes all file types that are frequently used by users to store important and valuable information. Each time the virus finds a target file, it encrypts it by utilizing strong cipher algorithm which makes the file no longer to be opened. Also, it renames the original names of the corrupted files and appends the extension .coban at the end.

Remove Coban Ransomware – Restore .coban Files

To sum up, Coban ransomware is a devastating infection that should be removed as soon as it is detected on the PC. Only after the complete Coban ransomware removal from the system, you can use it normally again. Otherwise, the ransomware will start its malicious files each time you start the PC, encrypt all your new files which are part of its target list and interrupt the regular system performance. The removal process of Coban ransomware can be done either manually or automatically. Both methods are presented in the step-by-step Coban ransomware removal guide below. Security researchers recommend the help of advanced anti-malware tool for maximum efficiency.

After the removal of Coban be advised to back up all encrypted files to an external drive and then proceed with the .coban files restore process which is also presented in the instructions below.

Manually delete Coban from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the Coban threat: Manual removal of Coban requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Coban files and objects

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by Coban on your PC.

For Windows XP, Vista, 7 systems:

1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:

– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.

– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.

3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.

4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account

While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.

Step 1: Open the Start Menu

Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.

Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.

Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.

Step 6: Click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries of your computer to change different settings. This is why manual clean up of your Windows Registry Database is strongly recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit lenghty, we recommend following our instructive article about fixing registry entries.

2.Find malicious files created by Coban on your PC

Find malicious files created by Coban

1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows 7,XP and Vista.

For Newer Windows Operating Systems

Step 1:

On your keyboard press  + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.

Step 2:

Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.

Step 3:

Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:

N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.

For Older Windows Operating Systems

In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:

Step 1:

Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.

Step 2:

After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.

Step 3:

After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.

Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.

Automatically remove Coban by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove Coban with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove Coban with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Coban.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Coban. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by Coban in the future.

Step 1:Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is highly recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Coban files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

2. Restore files encrypted by Coban

Restore Files Encrypted by Coban

Ransomware infections like Coban aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to directly decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that they may not be 100% effective but they may help you little or a lot in some situations.

Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method of restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:

• Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery Technicians License(Pro version with more features)
• Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery
• Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery

Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors.
If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:

• Kaspersky Decryptors
• Emsisoft Decryptors

Urgent! It is strongly advisable to first remove the Coban threat before attempting any decryption, since it may interfere with system files and registries. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using an advanced malware removal tool.

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for shadow copies in Windows using this software if ransomware has not deleted them:

• Shadow Explorer

Method 4: Finding Coban decryption key while it communicates it via a network sniffing software.

Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:

Instructions on How to Find Decryption Key for Files Encrypted By Ransowmare

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove Coban Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove Coban.
Step 1: Download STOPZilla by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.

Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.

2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all Coban associated files completely.
Step 1: Launch STOPZilla if you haven’t launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.

Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.

Gergana Ivanova

Gergana Ivanova is a computer security enthusiast. She keeps track on the latest malware issues and hopes that more people will outsmart hackers.

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