Polski Ransomware – Remove and Restore .aes Files

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

More Posts

The article will help you remove Polski ransomware totally. Follow the ransomware removal instructions at the end of the article.

Polski is a ransomware cryptovirus. Your files will become encrypted and receive the extension .aes when the encryption process finishes. Malware researchers believe that the AES encryption algorithm with 256-bit ciphers is used for locking the files. The Polski cryptovirus will leave a ransom note with demands for payment, written in the Polish language. Continue to read below to see how you could try to potentially restore some of your data.

Threat Summary

Name	Polski
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 .aes to them after it finishes its encryption process.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Polski Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Polski.
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.

Polski Ransomware – Update April 2018

With the help of Google Translate, you can see some of the information posted on the https://nomoreransom.cert.pl/vortex/ page below.

District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw informs you that it conducts proceedings PO II Ds 129.2017 against Tomasz T. responsible, among others for encrypting computers using the Vortex / Flotera / Polski ransomware viruses.

The tool on this page will allow you to obtain a key that can recover encrypted files.

Please note that at this moment the tool does not have keys from all campaigns in which the software encrypting files was used in. As new security measures are added, new keys will be added, so please check files that you have not been able to recover regularly.

If you managed to decrypt the files using the key obtained on this site, we kindly ask you to submit a notification of suspected offense together with the prosecutor in the nearest place of residence for your Police unit with reference to the case file PO II Ds 129.2017 District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.

If you have an e-mail message that the perpetrator sent to you a malicious file, please save it on a CD/DVD (along with full headers and attachments) and hand it over to the police as an attachment to the interrogation protocol. It will not be necessary to submit for examination the computer on which the files were encrypted.

– District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw

Select or drag the encrypted file below to check if we have the key needed to decrypt it. The key recovery process can take about a minute. Only a small portion of the file will be sent.

Click and select the file or drag it here.
[EMPTY FIELD] Currently selected file: (missing).

In case files are encrypted with one of the first versions of the Vortex ransomware, you can try using the tool created by Michael Gillespie from MalwareHunterTeam: VortexDecrypter-Michael_Gillespie.zip.

If you managed to recover the key:

The recovered key can be used to decrypt files using the free AES Crypt program. The recovered key from one file should decrypt all encrypted files on your PC.

Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact CERT.pl at [email protected], alternatively you can post a question below, in the comment section of this article.

Polski Ransomware – Infection

Polski ransomware might spread its infection with various methods. The payload file which initiates the malicious script for this ransomware is seen circling the Internet by some malware researchers. If you get that file onto your computer system and execute it – the system will become infected.

Polski ransomware might also distribute its payload file on social media and file-sharing services. Freeware which is found on the Web can be presented as helpful also be hiding the malicious script for the cryptovirus. Refrain from opening files right after you have downloaded them. You should first scan them with a security tool, while also checking their size and signatures for anything that seems out of the ordinary. You should read the tips for preventing ransomware found in the forum section.

Polski Ransomware – Description

Polski ransomware is also a cryptovirus. Malware researchers believe that it might be targeting mainly Polish-speaking people, as its ransom message is written in the Polish language. The extension .aes is appended to all files that become locked after the encryption process is set and done.

This is the screen with the ransom message that appears after encryption:

Polski ransomware could make entries in the Windows Registry to achieve persistence, and probably launch or repress processes in a Windows environment. Such entries are typically designed in a way to launch the virus automatically with each start of the Windows operating system.

The ransom note will be saved in the following files:

• !!! – – ODZYSKAJ-PLIKI – – !!!.txt
• !!! – – ODZYSKAJ-PLIKI – – !!!.htm

The note is written in Polish and gives details about the restoration of your files and how to pay the cybercriminals. You can view the ransom message that loads after file encryption right here:

That ransom note reads the following:

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

P O L S K I R A N S O M W A R E

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

#################################################################

Nie możesz znaleźć potrzebnych plików na dysku twardym ?
Zawartość Twoich plików jest nie do otwarcia?

Jest to skutek działania programu który zaszyfrował większość Twoich danych przy pomocy silnego alogrytmu AES-256,
używanego min. przez służby mundurowe do zatajania danych przesyłanych drogą elektroniczną.
Twoje zdjęcia, faktury, bazy danych zostały zaszyfrowane !!

Przeczytaj więcej o wirusach typu ransomware:
http://trybawaryjny.pl/co-to-jest-cryptolocker-i-jak-sie-przed-nim-bronic/ – Cryptolocker co to jest i jak się przed nim
bronić
http://bitdefender.pl/ransomware-co-to-jest-i-jak-sie-przed-tym-chronic – Bitdefender.pl – Ransomware Co to Jest
http://datablog.krollontrack.pl/2015/03/18/ransomware-placic-czy-nie-placic/ – Ransomware płacić czy nie płacić?

Jedyna metoda aby odzyskać Twoje pliki to wykupienie od nas programu deszyfrującego wraz z jednorazowym kluczem
wygenerowanym unikalnie dla Ciebie!

##################################################################

W momencie gdy to czytasz całość jest już ukończona, wytypowane pliki zostały zaszyfrowane a sam wirus usunięty z
Twojego komputera.
Klucz składający się z kilkudziesięciu znaków potrzebny do odszyfrowania danych z dysku znajduje się w miejscu
dostępnym tylko dla nas !

Możesz w nieskończoność próbować instalacji kolejnych programów antywirusowych,
Formatować system operacyjny to jednak nic nie zmieni !
Jeśli nie zastosujesz się do naszych instukcji nie odzyskasz plików które były na dysku HDD.

##################################################################

Gdy już postanowisz odzyskać swoje dane skontaktuj się z nami pod adrem e-mail: [email protected] lub
[email protected]
Możesz też napisać na Gadu-Gadu : 61621122

2 Pliki odszyfrujemy za darmo aby udowodnić że jesteśmy w stanie tego dokonać!
Za resztę niestety musisz zapłacić !

Cena za odszyfrowanie wszystkich plików: 249$
Uwaga ! Nie marnuj czasu, czas to pieniądz za 72 godziny cena wzrośnie o 100%!

##################################################################

The note of the Polski ransomware states that your files are encrypted with the AES 256-bit encryption algorithm. A ransom sum of 249 USD is demanded as payment for unlocking your data. You are given 72 hours by the ransom criminals to unlock your files, or else the ransom sum doubles in price. You should NOT under any circumstance pay the cybercriminals. Your files may not get restored, and nobody could give you any real guarantee for that. Furthermore, giving money to these criminals will likely motivate them to create more ransomware or do other criminal activities.

However, you should try to get those 2 files decrypted for free, because they might come in handy if an actual decrypter is released.

For the moment, no list with file extensions that the Polski ransomware seeks to encrypt is available, but files with the following extensions are the most logical to get encrypted:

→.7z, .bmp, .doc, .docm, .docx, .html, .jpeg, .jpg, .mp3, .mp4, .pdf, .php, .ppt, .pptx, .rar, .rtf, .sql, .tiff, .txt, .xls, .xlsx, .zip

Each file that gets encrypted will receive the same extension appended to every one of them, and that is the .aes extension.

The Polski cryptovirus is very likely to delete the Shadow Copies from the Windows operating system by utilizing the following command:

→vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet

Read on through and check out what type of ways you can try to potentially restore some of your data.

Remove Polski Ransomware and Restore .aes Files

If your computer got infected with the Polski ransomware virus, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this ransomware as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the ransomware and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.

Note! Your computer system may be affected by Polski 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 Polski.
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 Polski follow these steps:

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Polski 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 Polski on your PC

Find files created by Polski

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 Polski with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Polski and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Polski. 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.

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.

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 .

SOS Online Backup

4. Try to Restore files encrypted by Polski

Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Polski

Ransomware infections and Polski 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:

• 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

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

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:

• Shadow Explorer

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:

Instructions on How to Find Decryption Key for Files Encrypted By Ransowmare

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

More Posts

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

More Posts