.Locked Virus (Ultimo Ransomware) – Remove + Restore Files

The .locked virus is categorized as a data locker ransomware that belongs to the HiddenTear family. The threat is also dubbed Ultimo ransomware by security researchers. It is designed to utilize the strong cipher algorithm AES for encryption of valuable data stored on the infected host. The extension .locked could be seen at the end of all corrupted files which remain unusable until victims pay the ransom of 0.022 BTC to hackers.

This article reveals more details about .locked file virus (Ultimo ransomware) and provides easy-to-follow ransomware removal instructions. By following the steps, users can prevent ransom payment and recover .locked files with the help of alternative data recovery methods.

Threat Summary

Name	.Locked Virus
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts files on your computer and displays a ransom message afterward.
Symptoms	The ransomware will encrypt your files and put the extension .locked to them after it finishes its encryption process.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by .Locked Virus Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss .Locked 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.

.Locked File Virus – Infection Spread

The .locked virus infection can be triggered by a single file that just needs to be started on the system. This file is usually embedded email attachment that is presented as a legitimate important document. Cyber criminals carefully craft the message to make users more prone to download and open the attachment on the PC. The .locked virus may also be distributed via corrupted web links. The web pages contain the malicious ransomware payload and are set to auto download it once you land on them. Such links can be again part of spam email campaigns or send via social media channels or displayed as online advertisements.

.Locked File Virus – Detailed Overview

The attack is triggered by Weaternunion MTCN.exe file after it is started on the PC. The .locked file virus aims to ensure its persistent presence on the system so it creates new malicious values in the Windows Registry. The threat is likely to attack Run and RunOnce registry keys that control the execution of all Windows startup processes. By creating new values in these keys the ransomware set the automatic execution of all malicious files on each Windows start. Some of registry modifications are connected with a file called READ_IT.txt. The .locked file virus (Ultimo ransomware) drops the file on the Desktop and displays it automatically by setting values in the keys mentioned above. Once the file that appears on the screen shows the following ransom message to victims:

Oooopppsss Your Files Has Been Encrypted
Your Unique GUID for Decrypt: j43as8fk-29gp-61da-3671-h03c83472r74
SEND ME SOME 0.022 Bitcoin on Adress: 1CCnFhbLT1VSMUqXaSqsYUAwcGU4evkbJo
After Confirming The Payment, ALL YOUR FILES CAN BE DECRYPTED.
If you do not make payment within 48 Hrs, you will lose the ability to decrypt them.
Make your Bitcoin Wallet on: xxxxs://www.coinbase.com/ or xxxx://blockchain.info”.
How to buy /sell and send Bitcoin :
xxxxs://support.coinbase.com/customer/en/portal/topics/***
xxxxs://support.coinbase.com/customer/en/portal/topics/***
xxxxs://support.coinbase.com/customer/en/portal/topics/***
After the payment, enter the wallet from which paid, and email, in which contact you. [email protected]”,
After receiving the payment, we will contact you.

The message aims to blackmail victims into paying the ransom as soon as possible by setting 48 hours dead line. However, it is better not to trust cyber criminals that making the payment will potentially decrypt .locked files. There is always a chance that the ransomware code is broken and doesn’t generate working decryption keys. Furthermore, cyber criminals may not contact victims after ransom payment.

.Locked Virus – Encryption Process

As .locked file virus is a HiddenTear variant it could be programmed to encrypt files with the following file extensions:

→.txt, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pdf, .pps, .ppt, .pptx, .odt, .gif, .jpg, .png, .db, .csv, .sql, .mdb.sln.php, .asp, .aspx, .html, .xml, .psd, .frm, .myd, .myi, .dbf, .mp3, .mp4, .avi, .mov, .mpg, .rm, .wmv, .m4a, .mpa, .wav, .sav, .gam, .log, .ged, .msg, .myo, .tax, .ynab, .ifx, .ofx, .qfx, .qif, .qdf, .tax2013, .tax2014, .tax2015, .box, .ncf, .nsf, .ntf, .lwp

Being based on HiddenTear open-source ransomware project, .locked file virus is utilizing the AES cipheralogorithm to modify the original code of target files. Each encrypted file will receive an extension appended to it, which is .locked.

Furthermore, the ransomware may erase all the Shadow Volume Copies from the Windows operating system with the help of the following command:

→vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet

The command makes the encryption process more efficient as it will eliminate one of the ways for restoring .locked files.

Remove .Locked File Virus and Restore Data

The .locked file virus (Ultimo ransomware) should be removed as soon as possible from the infected computer because it endangers private files and the overall system security. Beware that it has a complex code that modifies various system settings and processes so some malicious files may remain well hidden. For the best removal results, security experts recommend the assistance of professional anti-malware tool.

Manually delete .Locked Virus from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the .Locked Virus threat: Manual removal of .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus on your PC

Find malicious files created by .Locked Virus

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 .Locked Virus by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

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

Remove .Locked Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

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

Restore Files Encrypted by .Locked Virus

Ransomware infections like .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus 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 .Locked Virus Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove .Locked Virus.
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 .Locked Virus 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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