Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by .cosanostra Files Virus and other threats.
Threats such as .cosanostra Files Virus may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This blog post has been made with the main goal to help you understand what is the .cosanostra file ransomware and how you can remove this cryptovirus effectively from your computer plus how you can try and restore files, encrypted by it on your PC.
A new variant of GarrantyDecrypt ransomware virus was recently detected to set the .cosanostra file extension to the files of the computers that have been attacked by it. The ransomware then adds the #RECOVERY_FILES#.txt ransom note which aims to ask victims to contact the crooks on the [email protected] address in order to pay for a decryption key. If your computer is infected with the .cosanostra files virus, we suggest that you read this article thoroughly to understand more about the .cosanostra variant of GarrantyDecrypt ransomware and learn ways via which you can attempt to remove this infection.
Threat Summary
Name
.cosanostra Files Virus
Type
Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description
Aims to scramble the files on the computers that are compromised by it and then ask victims to pay for decryption.
Symptoms
Files can not be opened and have the .cosanostra suffix added. A ransom note, called #RECOVERY_FILES#.txt is added.
Distribution Method
Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by .cosanostra Files Virus
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.
.cosanostra Files Virus – Distribution
For the .cosanostra file ransomware to be spread onto computers, the virus may be uploaded as a seemingly legitimate program on several websites, among which may be:
Cracks.
Patches.
Installers.
Portable executables.
The ransomware may also infect victims by being sent to them via e-mail attachments that only seem to be legitimate at first glance. They usually pretend to be:
Documents.
Invoices.
Receipts.
Banking statements.
Letters of complain.
Some work-related files.
The documents added are usually infected Microsoft Word files, which can compromise your computer via malicous macros after you open them.
GarrantyDecrypt .cosanostra Ransomware – Analysis
Once your computer has already been compromised by
GarrantyDecrypt ransomware, the virus may immediately start to create multiple different types of files. That may be located in the following Windows directories:
%AppData%
%Local%
%LocalLow%
%Roaming%
%Temp%
Once GarrantyDecrypt ransomware is already installed, the virus may begin to perform various malicious tactics. The first one is to drop it’s ransom note file, called #RECOVERY_FILES#.txt and make it so that you can see it everywhere on the compromised computer by modifying it to possibly auto open. The ransom note has the following message to victims:
All your files have been encrypted!
Now you should send us email with your personal tdentifier.
This email will be as confirmation you are ready to pay for decryption key. You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on fast you write to us. After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt al? your files. Contact us using this email address [email protected] com And tell us your unique ID
The ransomware may also modify the Run and RunOnce sub-keys in Windows Registry editor in order to set malicious files to start automatically on Windows boot:
Furthermore, the .cosanostra files virus may also delete the backed up shadow copies on the compromised machine by performing privilege escalation and then running the following commands on Windows Boot:
Then, the .cosanostra file ransomware may encrypt all files that are outside the following system directories:
%Windows%
%System%
%AppData%
%Temp%
The ransomware may add the .cosanostra file extension and the encrypted files may begin to appear like the following:
Remove .cosanostra Files Virus and Try Restoring Data
If you want to remove the .cosanostra files virus, we strongly recommend that you follow the removal instructions that are posted underneath. They are separated so that you can try to manually remove the .cosanostra files ransomware from your computer and if you fail in doing so, you can do it automatically, prefferably by downloading an advanced anti-malware software, which is the reccomended removal method of doing so. Such software will automatically remove all related files to .cosanostra ransomware and make sure your system does not get infected in the future too.
Furthermore, if you want to try and restore files, encrypted by the .cosanostra file ransomware, we would strongly recommend that you see the recovery methods underneath. They have been created to be of assistance to you so that you can try and restore as many files as possible on your computer, but they are not guarantee to recover all your data.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by .cosanostra Files Virus 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 .cosanostra Files Virus. 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 .cosanostra Files Virus follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .cosanostra Files Virus 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 .cosanostra Files Virus on your PC
Find files created by .cosanostra Files Virus
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.
IMPORTANT! Before starting the Automatic Removal below, 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.
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 .cosanostra Files Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .cosanostra Files Virus and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove .cosanostra Files Virus. 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.
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.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by .cosanostra Files Virus
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .cosanostra Files Virus
Ransomware infections and .cosanostra Files Virus 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:
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:
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:
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:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This blog post has been made with the main goal to help you understand what is the .cosanostra file ransomware and how you can remove this cryptovirus effectively from your computer plus how you can try and restore files, encrypted by it on your PC.
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.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .cosanostra Files Virus and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
