This article has been created in order to help you by explaining how to remove the .NMCRYPT file ransomware from your computer and how to restore .NMCRYPT encrypted files without having to pay ransom.
Another sub-variant of the previously detected .NM4 ransomware (Nmoreira) infection has been detected out in the wild, using the .NMCRYPT file extension. The virus is believed to be a variant of a previously known virus as the “R Cryptovirus”, which is believed to derive from the NMoreira ransomware. It is from the file encryption kind, meaning that the infection aims to encrypt the files on your computer after which set the .NMCRYPT file extension to them and asks the victim to pay a hefty ransom fee to get them to work again. If your computer has been infected by the .NMCRYPT files virus, we recommend that you read this article to learn how to cope with this infection and remove it from your PC plus try to recover your encrypted files afterwards.
Threat Summary
| Name | .NMCRYPT Files Virus |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Encrypts the files on your computer and asks that you pay around 7000 USD in BitCoin to get your files to work again. |
| Symptoms | The .NMCRYPT files virus leaves behind it’s distinctive file extension and a ransom note, called “Recovers your files.html” which takes the victim to a TOR payment site. |
| 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
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .NMCRYPT Files 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. |
.NMCRYPT Ransomware – How Does It Infect
The main method of infection, used by the .NMCRYPT ransomware has been reported to be via a malicious file posing as the file svchost.exe, reported in VirusTotal by malware researchers to be with the following parameters:
→ SHA-256 – e192995a42b91bd86aa0c5fe5d4e4aaff1b921bdb10946b1ea67565b5d3164da
Name – scvhost.exe
Size – 1.48 MB
The file may come as a result of multiple different types of tactics used by the criminals to result in a successful infection. They may be more aggressive methods, such as spreading the malicious file as a part of e-mail spam messages, whose primary goal is to trick you into opening the e-mail attachment, which is usually a fake Microsoft Word document or another type of file, posing as a legitimate one. These type of e-mails often pretend that they come from important companies, like PayPal, eBay, LinkedIn, Amazon, DHL, FedEx, etc. Once the victim opens the malicious attachment, it uses an infection script that extracts the malicious file on the victim’s computer. The file which may be extracted by such payload droppers is named svchost.exe and it imitates the legitimate svhost.exe process by Windows in order to evade detection.
.NTCRYPT Files Virus – Analysis
The .NTCRYPT files virus is believed to be a variant of the AiraCrop ransomware, likely the 5th iteration, since the 4th one used the extension NM4 (Nmoreira 4).
Once an infection with this virus occurs, it may start to read different information from the infected computer, such as:
- Computer’s name.
- Current registries.
- Volume shadow service’s settings.
- Current computer security settings.
The virus then obtains administrative permissions my taking control of key Windows processes as a result of injecting malicious code in them. It runs the following commands in Windows Shell as an administrator:
→ /c wevtutil cl Application” on {date and time}
/c wevtutil cl security” on {date and time}
/c wevtutil cl setup” on {date and time}
/c wevtutil cl system” on {date and time}
/c vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows \/All \/Quiet” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%Firebird%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%MSSQL%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%SQL%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%Exchange%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%wsbex%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%postgresql%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%BACKP%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
/c WMIC SERVICE WHERE ‘caption LIKE ‘%tomcat%” CALL STOPSERVICE” on {date and time}
As soon as this is done, the ransomware opens the following services in a control manager
- sc.exe
- net1.exe
Then, the .NMCRYPT ransomware spawns the following Windows processes:
- cmd.exe
- wevtutil.exe
The virus manipulates those processes by injecting the following types of scripted commands within them:
→ /c wevtutil cl Application
/c wevtutil cl security
/c wevtutil cl setup
/c wevtutil cl system
These commands are likely a prerequisite to what the .NMCRYPT ransomware does next, which is to drop it’s malicious payload on the victim’s computer. The payload files are colled as follows:
- ProPlusWW.xml.NMCRYPT
- pkeyconfig-office.xrm-ms.NMCRYPT
- OWOW32WW.cab.NMCRYPT
- ProPsWW.cab.NMCRYPT
- Office32WW.xml.NMCRYPT
- ProPsWW2.cab.NMCRYPT
The files, which pretend to be legitimate Microsoft office data files, are actually the malicious modules of the ransomware. As soon as this is done, the ransomware may touch key files within the Windows’s system directory, in order to change settings of Windows by modifying their structure. The files touched by this infection are reported to be the following:
→ %Windows%\SysWOW64\rsaenh.dll”
%Windows%\Globalization\Sorting\SortDefault.nls
%Windows%\AppPatch\sysmain.sdb
%Windows%\SysWOW64\cmd.exe
%Windows%\Globalization\Sorting\SortDefault.nls”
%Windows%\AppPatch\sysmain.sdb”
%Windows%\SysWOW64\wevtutil.exe”
%Windows%\SysWOW64\en-US\wevtutil.exe.mui”
%Windows%\Globalization\Sorting\SortDefault.nls”
The virus then begins to use the WMIC.exe process for remote access-related activities. It does this by taking advantage of the process, to read the following running services and processes:
- Firebird
- MSSQL
- SQL
- Exchange
- Wsbeex
- Posgresql
- Backup
- Tomcat
- SharePoint
- SBS
If the .NMCRYPT ransomware detects those processes, the virus immediately stops them from running, by using the WMIC.exe with the command “WMIC SERVICE WHERE {NAME} CALL STOPSERVICE”.
The malware does not stop there and it then corrupts the vssadin.exe file in order to delete the shadow volume copies of the infected computer by directly modifying it with the following bytes written directly into the .exe:
→ 7111d9017a3bd801ab8b02007f950200fc8c0200729602006cc805001ecdd5017d26d501
When the virus finishes this, it also drops it’s ransom note file, which is named “Recovers your files.html” and looks like the following image:
The creators of this virus instruct the victim within the ransom note to visit a login page where after they have entered their unique key, they may enter only to see more instructions on how to pay an extremely large sum of money to get their files back:
The difference with the older version of the virus, is that now the crooks want more money (around 7000 USD), suggesting that the virus may target institutions, like government or private organizations’ facilities. And to further stress the importance of paying, they have even added support for the victim via live chat, where they do not reply immediately, but after several hours of writing to them.
.NMCRYPT Ransomware – How Does It Encrypt
The .NMRCRYPT ransomware is believed to scan for the most widely used types of files, like documents, videos, images, audio files and even database files and archives. The ransomware DOES NOT attack files that belong to Windows and also files that have the following file extensions:
→ .bat, .dll, .exe, .ini, .lnk, .msi, .scf
The .NMCRYPT files virus also excludes the following folders or files from encryption:
AppData AVAST Software AVG AVIRA Atheros CONFIG.SYS ESET HakunaMatata IO.SYS MSDOS.SYS NTUSER.DAT NTDETECT.COM Atheros Realtek Recovers files yako.html Recovers your files.html TeamViewer Winrar lntemet Explorer Chrome Firefox Opera Windows boot bootmgr java
The .NMCRYPT ransomware is believed to use the strongest combination of encryption algorithms to encipher files, known as RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), where the virus uses AES to encrypt the files, resulting in an asymmetric key being generated and the malware also uses the RSA cipher to encode the AES decryption keys. After the encryption has finished, the files appear like the following:
Remove .NMCRYPT Files Virus and Try Restoring Your Data
In order to remove this ransomware infection from your computer, it is advisable to follow the removal instructions underneath this article. They have been created with the primary purpose to help you delete the malicious files and objects of this malware either manually or automatically, based on what you prefer doing. Be advised that an advanced anti-malware tool is recommended for automatic removal by security researchers as the more effective method which will not only remove this virus, but will also completely secure your computer in the future too.
If you want to restore files that have been encrypted by this version of NMoreira ransomware, we advise you to follow the alternative file recovery steps underneath this article In step “2. Restore files, encrypted by .NMCRYPT Files Virus”. They may not be 100% solution to your problem, but may help you to recover as many files as possible.
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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Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
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.
About the .NMCRYPT Files Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this .NMCRYPT Files 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 .NMCRYPT Files 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.
References
1. How to Recognize Spam Emails with Ransomware
2. How Does Ransomware Encryption Work?
3. How to Decrypt Ransomware Files
4. Ransomware Getting Greedier and Bigger, Attacks Increase by 40%
5. 1 in 5 Americans Victim of Ransomware
- Guide 1: How to Remove .NMCRYPT Files Virus from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of .NMCRYPT Files Virus from Mac OS X.
How to Remove .NMCRYPT Files Virus from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .NMCRYPT Files Virus
1. Hold Windows Key + R.
2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.
3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".
4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.
5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.
Step 2: Uninstall .NMCRYPT Files Virus and related software 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:
1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.
2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.
3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .NMCRYPT Files 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 .NMCRYPT Files Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.
2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.
3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.
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: Scan for .NMCRYPT Files Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.
4. 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.
Video Guide for Automatic and Fast Removal
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .NMCRYPT Files Virus.
Ransomware infections and .NMCRYPT Files 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
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.
Step 6: How to Restore Files Encrypted by Ransomware (Video Guide)
Get rid of .NMCRYPT Files Virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall .NMCRYPT Files Virus and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to .NMCRYPT Files Virus:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to .NMCRYPT Files Virus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash
”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to .NMCRYPT Files Virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove .NMCRYPT Files Virus via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as .NMCRYPT Files Virus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .NMCRYPT Files Virus.
Ransomware infections and .NMCRYPT Files 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.NMCRYPT Files Virus FAQ
What is .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware and how does it work?
.NMCRYPT Files 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 algorithm how 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.
How does .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways..NMCRYPT Files Virus Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing e-mails, 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.
After you download and execute this attachment, a drive-by download occurs and your computer is infected with the ransomware virus.
Another way, you may become a victim of .NMCRYPT Files 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 ..NMCRYPT Files Virus files?
You can't. At this point the ..NMCRYPT Files Virus files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted.
Decryptor did not decrypt my data. What now?
Do not panic and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your ..NMCRYPT Files Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware is to use a decryptor for it. But since it's a new virus, advised that the decryption keys for it may not be out yet and available to the public. We will update this article and keep you posted as soon as this decryptor is released.
How Do I restore "..NMCRYPT Files Virus" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..NMCRYPT Files Virus files.
These methods are in no way 100% guarantee that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How do I get rid of .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti malware software. It will scan for and locate .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..NMCRYPT Files Virus files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like .NMCRYPT Files Virus ransomware also install Trojans and keyloggers that can steal your passwords and accounts. Scanning your computer with an anti-malware software will make sure that all of these virus components are removed and your computer is protected in the future.
What to Do If nothing works?
There is still a lot you can do. If none of the above methods seem to work for you, then try these methods:
- Try to find a safe computer from where you can can login on your own line accounts like One Drive, iDrive, Google Drive and so on.
- Try to contact your friends, relatives and other people so that they can check if they have some of your important photos or documents just in case you sent them.
- Also, check if some of the files that were encrypted it can be re-downloaded from the web.
- Another clever way to get back some of your files is to find another old computer, a flash drive or even a CD or a DVD where you may have saved your older documents. You might be surprised what will turn up.
- You can also go to your email account to check if you can send any attachments to other people. Usually what is sent the email is saved on your account and you can re-download it. But most importantly, make sure that this is done from a safe computer and make sure to remove the virus first.
More tips you can find on our forums, where you can also asks any questions about your ransomware problem.
How to 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.