Remove Krypton Virus – Restore .Kryptonite Files

This article will aid you remove Krypton ransomware effectively. Follow the ransomware removal instructions at the end of this article.

Krypton is the name of a ransomware cryptovirus. The ransomware is a variant of HiddenTear and is written to append the extension .kryptonite to all encrypted files. The Krypton virus might still be in development according to malware researchers, but it will encrypt your files if your computer gets infected. Keep on reading below to see how you could try to potentially restore some of your files.

Threat Summary

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

Krypton Virus – Spread

Krypton ransomware could spread its infection with various methods. A payload dropper which initiates the malicious script for this ransomware is being spread around the World Wide Web, and researchers have gotten their hands on a malware sample. If that file lands on your computer system and you somehow execute it – your computer system will become infected. You can see the detections of such a file on the VirusTotal service right here:

Krypton 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 our forums.

Krypton Virus – Details

Krypton is a virus that encrypts your files and extorts you to pay a ransom to get them decrypted. Malware researchers have discovered that it is a variant of the HiddenTear open-source project. The ransom payment is demanded in BitCoin.

Krypton ransomware might make entries in the Windows Registry to achieve persistence, and could 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.

That ransom message appears inside a file called “KRYPTON_RANSOMWARE.txt” which can be seen in the form of a picture background as seen in the screenshot here:

It reads the following:

All your files have been encrypted by Krypton Ransomware
Please pay 158$ USD in Bitcoin to us and we will decrypt your files.
Not paying after 1 week (168 hours) will result in a loss of all your files.

The following window screen with ransom instructions will also show up:

Those instructions state the following:

KryptonRansom –v1.0.10.2
What has happend?

Sorry for the inconvenience, but your computer has been infected with KryptonRansom (1.0.10.2). All your personal files are encrypted and cannot be used or accessed, you have 168 hours (1 Week) to pay fine $300 to 136JIRCXfW3gNrGQXP481661MhaNi7Nqq, if the time limit (168 Hours) is exceeded then your files will be deleted FOREVER! Restarting the PC wont do aonything, safe mode is useless aswell. Don’t try anything funny, this is a ransomware. If you remove this window your files will be deleted!

What is Bitcoin (BTC)?

We only accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. Think of it as money you can’t touch. How do I get Bitcoin? There are two major ways to get your hands on bitcoin. The fastest and easiest method is by buying. Links to buy bitcoin will be down below.
The other method is to mine Bitcoin by solving complicated algorithms. We will only give you 1 week (168) so that option is out of range. You wil need to store your bitcoin somewhere.
For that you will need a wallet. Here’s a couple of examples: Electrum, Jaxxm mSIGNA, Blockchain, ArcBit etc.
We ONLY accept bitcoin to ensure our safety and your safety stays at top. You will send the bitcoins to the address above.

More About Bitcoin…
Buy Bitcoins Here!
nickel:
Status: Locked! No payment received. (Encryption: Done!)
Check Payment
Bitcoin QR Code
168 : 00 : 00

The note of the Krypton ransomware states that your files are encrypted. The ransom payment for potentially unlocking your files is not stated. However, even if it was, you should NOT under any circumstances pay any ransom. Your files may not get restored, and nobody could guarantee that. Moreover, giving money to cybercriminals will likely motivate them to create more ransomware viruses or commit other crimes.

Krypton Virus – Encryption Process

As Krypton ransomware is a HiddenTear variant it could seek to encrypt files with these extensions:

→.txt, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pdf, .pps, .ppt, .pptx, .odt, .gif, .jpg, .png, .db, .csv, .sql, .mdb.sln.php, .asp, .aspx, .html, .xml, .psd, .frm, .myd, .myi, .dbf, .mp3, .mp4, .avi, .mov, .mpg, .rm, .wmv, .m4a, .mpa, .wav, .sav, .gam, .log, .ged, .msg, .myo, .tax, .ynab, .ifx, .ofx, .qfx, .qif, .qdf, .tax2013, .tax2014, .tax2015, .box, .ncf, .nsf, .ntf, .lwp

Every single file that gets encrypted will receive the same extension appended to it, which is .kryptonite. The encryption algorithm which is implemented is undoubtedly AES since it is a variant of the HiddenTear open-source ransomware project.

The Krypton cryptovirus could be set to erase all the Shadow Volume Copies from the Windows operating system with the help of the following command:

→vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet

If the command stated above is executed that would make the encryption process even more efficient as it will eliminate one of the possible ways for restoring your data. If your computer machine was infected with this ransomware and your files are locked, read on through to find out how you could potentially recover your data.

Remove Krypton Virus and Restore .Kryptonite Files

If your computer got infected with the Krypton 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.

Manually delete Krypton from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the Krypton threat: Manual removal of Krypton 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 Krypton files and objects

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by Krypton on your PC.

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.

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.

2. Find malicious files created by Krypton on your PC

Find malicious files created by Krypton

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.

Automatically remove Krypton by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove Krypton with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove Krypton with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Krypton.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Krypton. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by Krypton in the future.

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 Krypton 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.

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

2. Restore files encrypted by Krypton

Restore Files Encrypted by Krypton

Ransomware infections like Krypton aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to directly 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 they may not be 100% effective but they may help you little or a lot in some situations.

Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method of 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

Urgent! It is strongly advisable to first remove the Krypton threat before attempting any decryption, since it may interfere with system files and registries. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using an advanced malware removal tool.

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for shadow copies in Windows using this software if ransomware has not deleted them:

• Shadow Explorer

Method 4: Finding Krypton decryption key while it communicates it via a network sniffing software.

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

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove Krypton Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove Krypton.
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 Krypton 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.

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.

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