A ransomware virus belonging to the @india.com ransomware variants has been reported to encrypt user files using a strong encryption algorithm. After encryption, the Masterlock virus leaves a .crypt file extension along with a unique identification number. All users infected by this ransomware should not pay the 3 BTC ransom price asked by the cyber criminals and read this article to learn how to remove the Masterlock virus and restore your encrypted files.

Threat Summary

Name	[email protected]
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts files with the AES algorithm and asks a ransom of 3 BTC for decryption.
Symptoms	Files are encrypted with a .crypt file extension added to them and become inaccessible. A ransom note with instructions for paying the ransom shows as a wallpaper file.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments, File Sharing Networks.
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by [email protected] Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join our forum to Discuss Masterlock Ransomware.
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.

[email protected] Virus – How Does It Spread

To be replicated and infect the maximum amount of users this ransomware may use the same method used by it to communicate with it’s victims – e-mail. The virus may replicate via numerous fake e-mail messages aiming primarily to resemble legitimate services such as PayPal or others. To those e-mails may be attached the malicious payload carrying a file of Masterlock ransomware that may be other malware, an exploit kit or a javascript. In addition to that, Masterlock may also spread via several other methods such as malicious URLs posted online on social media or other websites, or even opened automatically on your browser as a result of having an ad-supported (PUP) application on your computer.

[email protected] Virus – More Information

When it is installed on your computer, the Masterlock ransomware may create one or more files in the typical important Windows directories:

• %SystemDrive%
• %AppData%
• %Temp%
• %Startup%
• %Roaming%
• %Local%

After creating it’s malicious payload, the virus may set the file(s) to run automatically on system startup by modifying the Run registry keys for Windows machines:

→ 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
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ RunServices
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\Setup

In those keys, a string value may be used that leads to the location of the files, for example:

→ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “{filename}= {location of the file/filename.exe(bat, dll, tmp, etc)}

After the malicious file which encrypts modules is ran, the Masterlock virus may begin to encipher files of the following file types:

→“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”Source:fileinfo.com

Not only this, but the Masterlock ransomware may also change the wallpaper prompting users to contact it’s distinctive e-mail [email protected] When a user contacted the cyber-criminals, the response from them was the following:

→ “Hello, dear friend!
We are writing to inform you that our team of network security specialists has analyzed your system and has identified vulnerabilities in the protection.
We kindly draw your attention that defensive operation on your computer is not running properly, and now the whole database is at risk.
All your files are encrypted and can not be accepted back without our professional help.
Obviously, vulnerability analysis, troubleshooting, decoding the information and then ensuring safety are not a simple matter.
And so our high-grade and quick service is not free.
Please note that today the price of your files recovery is 3 Bitcoins, but next day it will cost 5 Bitcoins.
You should buy bitcoins here https://localbitcoins.com/faq
Read the paragraphs:
1. How to buy Bitcoins?
2. How do I send Bitcoins and how can I pay with Bitcoins after buying them?
The Bitcoin wallet for payment is 12yDGpp82ejLqT6GbE4qAPtCYAKRpksbWd
After the transfer of bitcoins, please send an email with a screenshot of the payment page.
We do not advise you to lose time because the price will increase with each passing day.
As proof of our desire and readiness to help you, we can decipher a few of your files for the test.
To check this you can upload any one encrypted file on web site dropmefiles.com, size no more than 10 MB (only one text file or a photo) and send us a download link.
Certainly, after payment we guarantee prompt solution of the problem, decrypt the database to return to its former condition and consultation how to secure the rules of the system safety.
Kind regards, Master Lock.”

After the files of the user have been locked, the virus also appends it’s own file name to them, that includes the .crypt file extension, for example:

Remove [email protected] Ransomware and Restore .crypt Files

To fully erase the Masterlock virus from your computer, it is strongly advisable to guide yourself by following the removal instructions after this article. In case you are not sure that you can remove the virus manually, malware researchers and reverse engineers always advise using an advanced anti-malware software that will perform this activity swiftly and automatically.

To restore files that have been encrypted by Masterlock ransomware, users have reported that Rannoh Decryptor by Kaspersky was able to restore some of their files. We advise downloading it from step “3.Restore files encrypted by [email protected] below and attempting to decrypt your files only after removing the virus. In case this Kaspersky decrypter does not work for you, it is strongly advisable to attempt using the other file restoration alternatives in the step.

Manually delete [email protected] from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the [email protected] threat: Manual removal of [email protected] 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 [email protected] files and objects

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

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

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.

2.Find malicious files created by [email protected] on your PC

Find malicious files created by [email protected]

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.

3.Fix registry entries created by [email protected] on your PC

Fix registry entries created by [email protected] on your PC.

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.

Automatically remove [email protected] by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove [email protected] with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

Remove [email protected] with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove [email protected]2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove [email protected]

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 [email protected] 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.

2. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by [email protected] in the future

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

To back up your files via Windows and prevent any future intrusions, follow these instructions:

1. For Windows 7 and earlier 1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 1. Enabling the Windows Defense Feature (Previous Versions)

1-Click on Windows Start Menu

2-Type Backup And Restore
3-Open it and click on Set Up Backup

4-A window will appear asking you where to set up backup. You should have a flash drive or an external hard drive. Mark it by clicking on it with your mouse then click on Next.

5-On the next window, the system will ask you what do you want to backup. Choose the ‘Let Me Choose’ option and then click on Next.

6-Click on ‘Save settings and run backup’ on the next window in order to protect your files from possible attacks by [email protected].

1-Press Windows button + R

2-In the window type ‘filehistory’ and press Enter

3-A File History window will appear. Click on ‘Configure file history settings’

4-The configuration menu for File History will appear. Click on ‘Turn On’. After its on, click on Select Drive in order to select the backup drive. It is recommended to choose an external HDD, SSD or a USB stick whose memory capacity is corresponding to the size of the files you want to backup.

5-Select the drive then click on ‘Ok’ in order to set up file backup and protect yourself from [email protected].

1- Press Windows button + R keys.

2- A run windows should appear. In it type ‘sysdm.cpl’ and then click on Run.

3- A System Properties windows should appear. In it choose System Protection.

5- Click on Turn on system protection and select the size on the hard disk you want to utilize for system protection.
6- Click on Ok and you should see an indication in Protection settings that the protection from [email protected] is on.

Restoring a file via Windows Defense feature:
1-Right-click on the encrypted file, then choose Properties.

2-Click on the Previous Versions tab and then mark the last version of the file.

3-Click on Apply and Ok and the file encrypted by [email protected] should be restored.

3. Restore files encrypted by [email protected]

Restore Files Encrypted by [email protected]

Security engineers strongly advise users NOT to pay the ransom money and attempt restoring the files using other methods. Here are several suggestions:

To restore your data, your first bet is to check again for shadow copies in Windows using this software:

Shadow Explorer

If this method does not work, Kaspersky have provided a decryptors for files encrypted with the this and other encryption algorithms:

Kaspersky Decryptors

Another method of restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some examples of data recovery programs:

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

There is also the technical option to use a network sniffer:

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. For more information click on the following article.

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove [email protected] Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove [email protected]
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 [email protected] 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.

Vencislav Krustev

A network administrator and malware researcher at SensorsTechForum with passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cyber security. Strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

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