Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by .encry Files Virus and other threats.
Threats such as .encry Files Virus may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article aims to help you to remove the new version of MakTub Locker ransomware and help explain how to restore .encry encoded files.
A new version of the notorious MakTub ransomware, also known as Iron ransomware has been detected out in the wild. The virus aims to encrypt the files on your computer and then set the .encry file extension to the encrypted files. The malware then drops a ransom note type of file, whose primary purpose is to get you to pay a hefty ransom fee in order to get your encrypted files recovered back to a working state. If your computer has been infected by the .encry files virus, we advise you to remove this malware immediately from your computer and try to restore your files, preferably by using the information in this article.
Threat Summary
Name
.encry Files Virus
Type
Ransomware
Short Description
Encrypts your files and holds them hostage until you pay a ransom to the criminals behind it to use the files again.
Symptoms
The .encry file extension is added to the encoded files. A ransom note, named !HELP_YOUR_FILES.html is also added.
Distribution Method
Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by .encry Files Virus
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.
.encry Files Virus – Propagation
There is one main strategy which is used by the cyber-criminals to infect computers with Maktub Locker. This is to use an exploit kit which is often inserted as a result of a drive-by attack. These attacks can be spread when malicious objects, like URLs or files are introduced to victims. These may be spread in a couple of ways over the web, such as:
Spam e-mail messages that may pretend to be original ones. Those usually pose as e-mails from big companies and pretend to be invoices or receipts.
Posted URLs on social media chats or other e-mail spam messages that make them appear as if they were legitimate activation buttons that lead to the infection script.
The exploit kit is not only one object however. It is actually a set of obfuscated infection objects that check your system and antivirus before infection. Then, the kit runs the appropriate obfuscation in order to cause an unnoticed infection, leaving the victim no way of knowing that an infection is ongoing, until it’s too late and the files are already encrypted. One good method to stop such infection is to check your e-mails before opening them, using free services, such as ZipeZip (zipezip.com).
In addition to this, the malicious files, can also be spread in a more passive manner. You may encounter them to be uploaded online as game patches, software activators, cracks and other similar executables that pretend to be the ones you have downloaded online.
MakTub .encry Ransomware – More Information
Once the .encry files virus has infected your computer, the ransomware may immediately begin to download and execute various different types of files on the infected machine. These are often malicious files that may be of the following file types:
→ .exe, .tmp, .dll
The files may be dropped on the following Windows Locations:
%AppData%
%Local%
%Roaming%
%Common%
%Temp%
After having dropped the files on the computer of the victim, the virus may modify the following Windows Registry sub-key by adding value entries that make it’s files run automatically on Windows boot:
The ransomware also drops a ransom note file, named !HELP_YOUR_FILES.html. It has the following appearance:
The ransom note leads victims to a TOR-based web page, whose primary purpose is to provide more information about the payment process, as seen below:
.encry Files Virus – Encryption Process
The .encry files virus is the type of virus whose primary purpose is to encrypt the files that you often use. To do this the malware scans for the following file types:
In addition to this, the ransomware may also encrypt files that are saves of various often played games on Steam, like DayZ, World of Tanks and others of similar types. The MakTub virus is very clever to skit encrypting files of the following file types, to ensure that Windows functions properly:
→ Windows, windows, Microsoft, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, Temp, Local, LocalLow, $Recycle.bin, boot, i386, st_v2, intel, recycle, 360rec, 360sec, 360sand, internet explorer, msbuild
TO encrypt the files, the malware may use the AES encryption algorithm and after it encodes the files, the virus generates a unique decryption key. The decryption for this key is only available for the cyber-criminals as it is RSA encrypted on the victim’s computer and cannot be accessed to be used to decode the files. The files, encrypted by the .ency files virus look like the following after encryption has completed:
Remove .encry Files Virus and Restore Encrypted Data
In order to make sure that this ransomware virus is gone from your computer, reccomendations are to follow the removal instructions underneath this article. If manual removal Is not something that you feel confident in doing, be advised that security researchers often recommend to use and advanced anti-malware software to perform automatic removal as it is the most effective method. It will not only ensure complete security of your computer, but will also guarantee that your system remains protected against future threats.
In addition to removing this virus, if you want to try and restore as many .encry files as possible, reccomendations are to try the alternative methods for file recovery underneath in step “2. Restore files encrypted by .encry Files Virus”. They may not be 100% effective, but may help you to restore at least some of your encrypted files.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by .encry Files Virus and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as .encry Files Virus. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove .encry Files Virus follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .encry Files Virus files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 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 up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by .encry Files Virus on your PC
Find files created by .encry Files Virus
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove .encry Files Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .encry Files Virus and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove .encry Files Virus. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is 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. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
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 with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by .encry Files Virus
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .encry Files Virus
Ransomware infections and .encry Files Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to 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 these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software. Another method for 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:
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:
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
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:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article aims to help you to remove the new version of MakTub Locker ransomware and help explain how to restore .encry encoded files.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .encry Files Virus and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
