Have been searching for a solution for encrypted .MONETA files?
MONETA Ransomware Virus
In the unfortunate event that all your valuable files appear with strange names ending with the extension .MONETA, ransomware of the same name is running on your PC. This infection is reported to be based on the code of the infamous Phobos ransomware and it acts in a very similar way. As a typical cryptovirus, the MONETA ransomware enters computer operating systems with the goal to disrupt system security, encrypt personal files, and then extort a ransom fee from its victims. Currently, the threat is lurking across the web in active spread campaigns. Its malicious payload file may gave landed on your PC by being concealed as a software update, torrent file, software package, email attachment, advertisement, or link on social media post.
Threat Summary
| Name | MONETA |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Ransom Note | A pop-up window and a file called info.txt |
| Short Description | A data locker ransomware designed to damage computer systems and encrypt valuable personal fles. |
| Symptoms | Important files are locked and renamed with a string of a few extensions. The last extension is .MONETA Ransom message insists on ransom payment. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss MONETA. |
| 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. |
MONETA Ransomware – Distribution and Impact
The name of MONETA ransomware is a derivative of one of the malicious extensions it appends to files it encodes. The threat is a newly discovered strain of the Phobos ransomware. How this threat has appeared on the malware scene is via shady techniques of propagation like malspam, malvertising, freeware installers, fake software update notifications, and corrupted web pages.
Once MONETA ransomware obtains access to a PC, it activates its payload file that triggers a long sequence of malicious processes. These processes enable the virus to evade detection, misuse main system functionalities, and eventually encode valuable personal files.
When the threat reaches the data encryption stage, it scans drives for specific types of files different than those responsible for the proper system operation. Every time the ransomware locates a file that belongs to its target list, it activates a complex encryption module that applies changes to the file’s code.
The result is clear – you cannot use important files and MONETA ransomware requests a ransom fee for their recovery.
Encrypted files can be recognized by the extension .MONETA which is appended to their original names. Additional two suffixes stand in front of it. The first one is a victim’s ID number and the second is an ICQ ID (ICQ_Monetadicavallo) associated with hackers.
When MONETA ransomware ends with the corruption of system settings and valuable files, it shows its ransom notes to its victims. One of these notes appears as a pop-up window. The text presented by this pop-up window says:
ATTENTION!!!!
Unfortunately for you, a major IT security weakness left you open to attack, your files have been encrypted with ciphers more advanced than those used for diplomatic communications, you can spend days and months searching for a magical way to decrypt your files, but rest assured we are the only people who can help you recover your files, there is no free tool
If you want to restore them, install ICQ software on your PC hxxps://icq.com/windows/ or on your mobile phone search in Appstore / Google market “ICQ”
Write to our ICQ @Monetadicavallo hxxps://icq.im/Monetadicavallo
Write this ID in the title of your message –
Free decryption as guarantee
Before paying you can send us up to 5 files for free decryption. The total size of files MONETA be less than 4Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
The other note associated with MONETA virus is stored by the file info.txt and it contains the following message:
If you are the IT manager and you are reading this, that means that you messed up, you were asleep at the wheel. Contact us and we can resolve this situation without major complication, if you are the owner of the company and you are reading this than the decision is yours, throw your hard drives in the trash or contact us and pay a nominal fee to recover your data, but know that your security practices have failed you and either way something needs to be done
If you want to restore them, install ICQ software on your PC hxxps://icq.com/windows/ or on your mobile phone search in Appstore / Google market “ICQ”
Write to our ICQ @Monetadicavallo hxxps://icq.im/Monetadicavallo
Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
We know that you need to restore .MONETA files but we recommend that you refrain from transferring money to cybercriminals. Otherwise, you risk losing both your valuable files and money.
For the sake of your security, it is advisable to clean your infected computer from present malicious files and consider the help of alternative data recovery methods.
Remove MONETA Virus (Phosbos Ransomware)
The so-called MONETA ransomware virus is a threat with highly complex code that heavily damages both essential system settings and valuable data. So the only way to use your infected system securely again is to remove all malicious files and objects created by the ransomware. For this purpose, you could follow our step-by-step removal guide.
In the event that you want to attempt to restore .MONETA files with the help of alternative data recovery methods, do check step four – Try to Restore files encrypted by MONETA. We remind you to back up all encrypted files to an external drive before the recovery process.
Gergana Ivanova
Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.
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Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.
How to Remove MONETA from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove MONETA
Step 2: Uninstall MONETA 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:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by MONETA 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 MONETA there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
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.
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 MONETA with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by MONETA.
Ransomware infections and MONETA 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.
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.
Get rid of MONETA from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall MONETA and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- 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 MONETA 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:
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.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by MONETA.
Ransomware infections and MONETA 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.
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.
MONETA FAQ
What is MONETA ransomware and how does it work?
MONETA 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 MONETA ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.MONETA 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 MONETA 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 .MONETA files?
You can't. At this point the .MONETA 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 .MONETA files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by MONETA 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 ".MONETA" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .MONETA 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 MONETA 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 MONETA ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .MONETA files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like MONETA 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.
How to Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer. Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
- Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
- United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
- United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
- France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
- Italy - Polizia Di Stato
- Spain - Policía Nacional
- Netherlands - Politie
- Poland - Policja
- Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
- Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
- India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
- Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.
