This is a Coot virus removal guide. The article is made to help you understand what is Coot Virus, what are Coot files and how you can remove this ransomware from your computer. Shortly said, you will learn how to remove Coot virus from your PC.
Coot Virus is the name of a ransomware infection that has recently started to hit computers. At the time of writing this, there are numerous registered infections around the world. The malware aims to get into your computer system, encrypt your files and then set the .coot file extension to appear at the end of their names. The files can no longer be opened and this is the main reason why victims are extorted to pay a ransom fee to open them again. The amount of this ransom is around $1000 USD and hackers require it to be paid anonymously via BitCoin.
Read this article to learn how to remove Coot virus and how to try and get your files to work again.
Threat Summary
| Name | Coot virus |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Coot Virus is a cryptovirus, that locks your files to extort you to pay ransom to get them to work once again. |
| Symptoms | Files are encrypted with an added .coot file extension. A ransom note, called _readme.txt is dropped. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Coot virus. |
| 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. |
Coot Virus – Update October 2019
The latest information about Coot virus ransomware indicates that the malware uses pirated software to infect computers. What happens is that victims could be downloading the following files which could lead to an infection:
- Cracks.
- Patches.
- Torrents.
- Keygens.
- Software activators.
- Pirated games or movies.
As of recent, the researcher Michael Gillespie (@demonslay335) has tweeted that the Coot virus is officially a variant v0175 from the STOP Ransomware virus family. The researcher has tweeted about the virus using the .coot extension and the _readme.txt note:
#STOP #Djvu #Ransomware w/ extension ".coot" (v0175) spotted on ID Ransomware
— Michael Gillespie (@demonslay335) October 24, 2019
The tweet has sparked a lot of discussions with victims asking for solution. The sad news apparently are that this variant of STOP Ransomware may have online encryption keys. For those who are unfamiliar with this problem, STOP Ransomware variants use two types of keys for encrypting files via the AES 256 (Advanced Encryption Algorithm) cipher:
- Offline keys.
- Online keys.
The offline keys are easier to crack by researchers and the decryptors for the malware get updated to be able to decrypt specifically those offline keys. However, in the case of Coot ransomware and other viruses, most variants have online keys, that are significantly harder to decrypt, due to the fact that they cannot be detected and factorized as easy. We will keep track of the .coot virus situation and will have new updates and instructions in case this virus is effectively decrypted.
Coot Virus – How Did I Get It and What Does It Do?
Typical to other variants of STOP Ransomware, just like in the case of Coot Virus, the methods of infection do not differ much. These methods aim to trick you to trigger the Coot download process. The primary method being used for infection is spam e-mails that carry e-mail attachments. The attachments are in fact the virus infection file. These attachments carry around malicious macros and exploit kits that are programmed to bypass any relevant Windows and antivirus protection. Such files can pretend to be the following important documents in your inbox:
- Invoices.
- Receipts.
- Order confirmations.
- Letters from your bank.
- Some important hospital data.
- Ticket or hotel reservations.
Either way, when you download and run the virus, infection with Coot virus is inevitable. The virus begins to assume administrator rights and may perform the following activities on your computer:
- Create mutexes.
- Modify or create entries in the Windows registry entries.
- Drop the ransom note _readme.txt and the virus files in the %AppData% or other system directories.
- Check if its running on a real machine and if not, shuts down.
When the Coot Virus has done all its preparation processes, it is ready to start encrypting target files. It does this by scanning for your personal files, based on their type. These file types can turn out to be:
→ .JPG, .PNG, .BMP, .GIF, .PPTX, .DOC, .DOCX, .DOCM, .RAR, .ZIP, .7Z, .VM, .ISO, .AVI, .MP4, .3GP, .TIFF and other often used files.
The encryption process is very fast and your PC may slow down during these few seconds time. You will quickly notice that your files become no longer usable and get stripped out of their icons. Files, encrypted by Coot Virus begin to assume the following appearance:
For example, the file Document.txt will has the following name and look Document.txt.coot
The virus drops its _readme.txt ransom note, which contains the ransom demands of the cyber-crooks behind it:
ATTENTION!
Don’t worry, you can return all your files!
All your files like photos, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.
This software will decrypt all your encrypted files.
What guarantees you have?
You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free.
But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information.
You can get and look video overview decrypt tool:
https://we.tl/t-514KtsAKtH
Price of private key and decrypt software is $980.
Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.
Please note that you’ll never restore your data without payment.
Check your e-mail “Spam” or “Junk” folder if you don’t get answer more than 6 hours.To get this software you need write on our e-mail:
gorentos@bitmessage.chReserve e-mail address to contact us:
gorentos2@firemail.ccOur Telegram account:
@datarestoreYour personal ID:
The main idea of the Coot virus is for you to pay and this is exactly why you shouldn’t and instead focus on removing this nasty malware from your computer.
Remove Coot Virus and Try to Restore Files
In order for you to get rid of Coot Virus from your PC, we strongly recommend that you follow the removal instructions underneath. They have been created with the primary idea to help you delete this ransomware step by step. For a full and effective removal, we recommend that you take advantage of the power of an advanced malware removal software. Such a tool is created to help you delete Coot Virus from your computer automatically by detecting and removing all of its virus files and objects in a matter of minutes time.
For the .coot file recovery, we strongly recommend that you back up the files and wait for a decryptor to become available for this particular variant of STOP Ransomware. When this decryptor is available, we will post an update here with instructions on how to decode your files. In the meantime, we strongly recommend that you try the alternative data recovery steps underneath. While they are not 100% effective in file recovery, they can help you restore at least some of the data.
Coot Virus Video Removal
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 Coot virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 Coot virus
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Coot virus.
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 Coot virus 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.
Coot virus-FAQ
What is Coot virus Ransomware?
Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 Coot virus Infect?
Via several ways.Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 .Coot virus files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the .Coot virus 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 .Coot virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore ".Coot virus" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 Coot virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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 Coot virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Coot virus 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 Coot virus 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.