PedCont Ransomware – How to Remove and Restore Your Files

by Ventsislav Krastev | June 4, 2018 | 0 Comments file-encryption, malware, ransomware

This article as been created in order to help explain what is the PedCont ransomware virus and how to remove this malware from your computer plus how to restore files, encrypted by it.

The PedCont ransowmare is a virus which claims to encrypt the files on your computer, making them no longer usable after which the malware starts to encrypt the files on your computer. In addition to this, the ransomware also leaves behind a ransom note file, whose primary purpose is to get victims to pay a hefty ransom in order to get the encrypted files to work once again. If your computer has been infected by the PedCont ransomware virus, keep reading this article. It will show you how you can remove this ransomware infection from your computer and how you can restore the files, encrypted by it on your computer.

Threat Summary

Name	PedCont Ransomware
Type	Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description	Aims to encrypt the files on your computer, while dropping a ransom note which asks you to pay a hefty ransom to get the files recovered back to normal.
Symptoms	Files may no longer be able to be opened and a ransom note appears on the user’s computer, shortly after the screen of the victim goes black.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss PedCont 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.

Pedcont Ransomware – Distribution

The PedCont ransomware virus is the type of malware, whose primary purpose is to infect you unnoticed and conduct it’s activities without you being able to stop the virus. To reach this end goal, the ransomware virus may perform series of unwanted activities on the victim’s computer, the main of which are reported to be via malicious e-mail attachments or URLs posted on the e-mails themselves. The e-mails that may be sent to the victims may aim to get them to open the attachments, while portraying them as important documents, such as invoices as well as other documents that must be opened immediately.

In addition to via e-mail, the PedCont ransomware virus may also spread by being uploaded on websites, while posing as a file which claims to be a seemingly legitimate type of software installer or some kind of a software license activator, whose main goal is to claim to help you activate your OS, a game or a program.

PedCont Ransomware – More Information

As soon as PedCont ransomware has infected your computer system, the virus may drop it’s payload files, which in their turn may reside in the following Windows directories:

%AppData%
%Local%
%LocalLow%
%Roaming%
%Temp%

Among the payload of PedCont ransomware is it’s main malicious file, detected(4ee60e0221726dbbe2da563c4d175b57d7b51e9e83e2c4b78364fba2272121c2) by security researchers to be the following:

→ SHA-256: 4ee60e0221726dbbe2da563c4d175b57d7b51e9e83e2c4b78364fba2272121c2
Name: AliceRides.mp4_Unpack.WinRAR_SFX.scr
Size:539 KB

From the file it appears as it is posing as a legitimate screensaver, however it contains an embedded self extracting archive.

In addition to this, among the files dropped by this virus is also it’s ransom note type of file, whose primary purpose is to get victims to pay a hefty ransom fee in order to recover their files. The ransom note appears like the following:

Text from image:

ATTENTION H! – Please read this immediately:

Dear potential criminal,

Due to you actively seeking out child pornography or similarly illegal content on the
Deep Web, you have been infected with our ransomware called PedCont.

WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED:

All of your sensitive data, location and files – pictures, videos, documents, etc. – have
been auto-collected and saved to an external server and will be stored & protected for
the next 72 hours (counting from the first time you see this message). If we do not
receive any cooperation from your part once the time is up, international authorities
WILL be contacted and sent detailed information about everything that we have
scraped from your computer.

While it is no longer necessary for this program to stay on your computer, should you
wish to prevent legal prosecution and safely get rid of our records, do NOT manually
remove it, but instead follow the steps listed below:

WHAT WE REQUIRE OF YOU:

In addition to this, the ransomware virus also aims to perform series of other unwanted activities on the victim’s computer, such as extract informtion from it in order to check whether or not it is running in a virtual environment. In addition to this, the ransomware infection may also delete the volume shadow copies from the victim’s computer, preferrably by executing a script. This script makes it possible to run Windows Command Prompt as an administrator and then focus on performing various different types of methods and activities on the user’s computer

PedCont Ransomware – Encryption Process

PedCont ransomware has been classified as a destructive ransomware type by cyber-sec researchers(https://twitter.com/leotpsc/status/1003517608283369472) with allegations that the ransomware aims to delete the display drivers on the computers infected by it and allegedly encrypting the important files on the victim’s cpomputer. The encryption process of PedCont ransomware virus is conducted by firstly checking for the types of files that are targeted for encryption, which are usually often used file types, such as:

“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”

After this is done, the files on the computer that has been infected are no longer openable and the victim is accused of performing online crime. The only way ot seems to be following the instructions and paying the ransom, which is highly inadvisable.

Remove PedCont Ransomware and Restore Encrypted Files

If you have unfortunately been infected by PedCont ransomware virus, we advise that you read the manual and automatic instructions underneath in order to learn ow to remove this malware from your computer. If manual removal of this threat does not seem to work out for you, we recommend that you remove it automatically, preferrably by downloading and running a scan with an advanced anti-malware software, as most security experts recommend. Such program will make sure to remove PedCont ransomware automatially from your computer and make sure to ensure that future protection is guaranteed as well.

If you want to restore files that have been encrypted by this ransomware infection, we advise that you try out the alternative methods underneath in step “2. Restore files, encrypted by PedCont” ransomware. They are in no way 100% guarantee to be able to recover all of your files, but with their aid you may be able to recover most of the encrypted files.

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.

How to Remove PedCont Ransomware from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove PedCont Ransomware

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

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".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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 PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware 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.

IMPORTANT!
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 PedCont Ransomware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

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.

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.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by PedCont Ransomware.

Ransomware infections and PedCont Ransomware 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 reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

Windows Mac OS X

Get rid of PedCont Ransomware from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall PedCont Ransomware and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

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 PedCont Ransomware:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

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 PedCont Ransomware. 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 PedCont Ransomware. 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 PedCont Ransomware 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:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

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 PedCont Ransomware. 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.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for PedCont Ransomware:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by PedCont Ransomware.

1. Download the reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

PedCont Ransomware FAQ

What is PedCont Ransomware ransomware and how does it work?

PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware ransomware infect my computer?

Via several ways.PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware 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 .PedCont Ransomware files?

You can't. At this point the .PedCont Ransomware 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 .PedCont Ransomware files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.

One way to restore files, encrypted by PedCont Ransomware 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 ".PedCont Ransomware" files (Other Methods)?

Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware 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 PedCont Ransomware ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .PedCont Ransomware files.

Also, keep in mind that viruses like PedCont Ransomware 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.