Remove MoneroPay Virus (SpriteCoin) – Restore .Encrypted 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.

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This article will help you remove MoneroPay virus (SpriteCoin) fully. Follow the ransomware virus removal instructions provided at the end of the article.

MoneroPay is a virus that encrypts your files and demands money as a ransom to get your files recovered. Files are locked with the AES military grade encryption algorithms. The MoneroPay cryptovirus will encrypt your data and files, while also appending the .encrypted extension to each file. The virus will pretend that is actually “SpriteCoin” while locking your files. Read on through the article and see how you could try to potentially restore some of your files.

Threat Summary

Name	MoneroPay
Type	Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts files on your computer machine and demands a ransom to be paid in Monero to allegedly recover them.
Symptoms	The ransomware will encrypt your files with the AES encryption algorithm. All locked files will have the .encrypted extension.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by MoneroPay Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss MoneroPay.
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.

MoneroPay Virus (SpriteCoin) – Distribution

MoneroPay ransomware might spread its infection in various ways. 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:

MoneroPay 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.

MoneroPay Virus (SpriteCoin) – Description

MoneroPay is a cryptovirus that encrypts your files and shows a window with instructions on your computer screen. The ransomware is hidden as the next good Cryptocurrency “SpriteCoin”. The cybercriminals want you to pay a ransom in Monero for the alleged restoration of your files.

MoneroPay ransomware could 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.

When you have the virus downloaded on your computer, you will have a file with the name of SpriteCoin.zip. After extracting the archive and running the executable, you will see the following window popping up:

And when you click to continue, the window will claim that it is downloading the Blockchain for that “SpriteCoin”. While you see that window (shown below) your files will be encrypted in the background:

After encryption the MoneroPay virus shows a ransom message inside a User Interface window titled “MoneroPay”. You can check out the ransom note message from the following screenshot given here:

The ransom note states the following:

Your files are encrypted
If you close this window, you can always restart and it should appear again.
All your files have been encrypted by us. This means you will be unable to access or use them. In order to retrieve them, you must send 0.3 monero (about $120 USD) to:
46FXmRvyffu59NNUs95rHx5cVQqU2z2zQD5qP7wYfDiGaGjBGtP7cf8EhaQ1qy7wqV7bcNnrNUf2n1gugrQmKPG8U6AqHwy
Make sure you include your payment ID:
Use CTRL +C to copy both
IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR PAYMENT ID, YOUR FILES CANNOT BE DECRYPTED. Do not waste your time — only we can decrypt your files.
If you have paid, click on the DECRYPT button to return your files to normal. Don’t worry, we’ll give you your files back if you pay.
[DECRYPT] FAQ
• What is monero?
Monero is a cryptocurrency, like bitcoin.
• How do I get monero?
You can buy monero in many of the same places you can get bitcoin. [More info] • What happens if I don’t pay?

The note of the MoneroPay ransomware states that your files are encrypted. You are demanded to pay 120 US dollars in the Monero cryptocurrency. However, you should NOT under any circumstances pay any ransom. Your files may not get recovered, and nobody could give you a guarantee for that. Moreover, giving money to cybercriminals will most likely motivate them to create more ransomware viruses or commit different criminal acts.

MoneroPay Virus (SpriteCoin) – Encryption

What is known for the encryption process of the MoneroPay ransomware is that every file that gets encrypted will receive the .encrypted extension. The encryption algorithm used to lock your files is AES but some malware researchers think otherwise.

The targeted extensions of files which are sought to get encrypted are currently unknown and if a list is discovered, it will be posted here as the article gets updated. The files used most by users and which are probably encrypted are from the following categories:

• Audio files
• Video files
• Document files
• Image files
• Backup files
• Banking credentials, etc

The MoneroPay 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

In case the above-stated command is executed that will make the encryption process more efficient. That is due to the fact that the command eliminates one of the prominent ways to restore your data. If your computer device was infected with this ransomware and your files are locked, read on through to find out how you could potentially restore your files back to normal.

Remove MoneroPay Virus (SpriteCoin) and Restore .Encrypted Files

If your computer got infected with the MoneroPay 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 MoneroPay and other threats.
Scan Your MAC with Combo Cleaner
Combo Cleaner is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as MoneroPay.
Keep in mind, that Combo Cleaner needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check Combo Cleaner’s EULA and Privacy Policy.

Manually delete MoneroPay from your Mac

2. Remove MoneroPay – related extensions from your Mac’s browsers

Remove MoneroPay – related extensions from your Mac’s browsers.

Remove a toolbar from Mozilla FirefoxRemove a toolbar from Google Chrome Remove an extension from Safari and reset it.

Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.

Select the Extension and click “Remove“

After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“

From the opened “Extensions” menu locate the add-on and click on the garbage bin icon on the right of it.

After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

Step 1: Remove Safari extensions

Start Safari

Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.

From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on the extension you want removed.
Click ‘Uninstall’

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the MoneroPay will be removed.

Step 2: Reset Safari

IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Automatically remove MoneroPay from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as MoneroPay, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. Combo Cleaner offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

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