How to remove Corona ransomware from the operating system
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Corona ransomware?
Discovered by dnwls0719, Corona is a malicious program belonging to the Hakbit ransomware family. Following infection, the device's data is encrypted and users receive ransom demands for decryption. Typically, ransomware renames affected files during the encryption process, however, filenames of files compromised by Corona malware remain unchanged.
Once encryption is complete, a ransom message within the "HELP_ME_RECOVER_MY_FILES.txt" file is dropped onto the desktop.
The ransom-demand message ("HELP_ME_RECOVER_MY_FILES.txt") informs victims that their network has been infiltrated and that their data has been encrypted with the RSA4096 and AES-256 cryptographic algorithms. The message also warns that some of the stored files have been exfiltrated from the systems.
Should users fail to meet the demands listed in this message, this data will supposedly be published online and/or sold to their competitors. It is stated that the only method of recovering the compromised files is to purchase decryption tools/software from the cyber criminals behind Coronransomware.
The cost of these tools is stated to be 300 USD in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency (the message also contains links from where victims can obtain this currency). Users are informed that they have five days to pay the ransom, otherwise the data is rendered undecryptable and recovery becomes impossible.
To start this process, victims are instructed to establish contact with the criminals via email. Their messages must include their company names and unique IDs assigned to them. Users can attach up to two encrypted files (less than 3 MB each) to their emails - this, to test decryption.
Recovery is summarized in two steps. Firstly, the ransom must be transferred to the cryptowallet provided in the message. Secondly, the victims must send another email, which must contain the ID generated individually, proof of payment, the cryptowallet ID and company name.
The cyber criminals promise to then send the legitimate decryption tools/software. Users are alerted that tampering with the encrypted files will lead to permanent data loss. Unfortunately, in most cases of ransomware attacks, decryption is impossible without involvement of the criminals responsible, unless the malicious program is still in development or has bugs/flaws.
Regardless, you are strongly advised against meeting any ransom demands. Despite paying, victims often receive none of the promised tools.
Therefore, their data remains encrypted and they experience financial loss. To prevent Corona malware from further encryption, it must be removed, however, this will not restore already affected files. The only viable solution is to restore data from a backup, if one was made prior to the infection and was stored separately (so as not to have been affected by Corona).
Screenshot of a message encouraging users to pay a ransom to decrypt their compromised data:
Bigdata, China, SERVO99 and PLEX are some examples of other programs classified as ransomware. This malware is designed to encrypt data so that ransoms can be demanded for decryption. There are two main differences: the cryptographic algorithm used (symmetric or asymmetric) and ransom size.
To avoid permanent data loss, keep backups on remote severs and unplugged storage devices. Ideally, backups should be stored in multiple different locations.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
Malware (ransomware included) mainly proliferates via spam campaigns, Trojans, software "cracking" (activation) tools, fake updates and untrusted download sources. Spam campaigns are used to send thousands of deceptive/scam emails with infectious files attached to (or linked within) them.
Malicious files come in various formats (e.g. Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archive and executable files, JavaScript, etc.). Once these files are opened, the infection is initiated (i.e. download/installation of malware). Trojans are malicious programs capable of causing chain infections.
Rather than activating licensed products, "cracking" tools can download/install malicious software. Fake updaters infect systems by exploiting flaws of outdated products and/or simply installing malware rather than the updates.
Untrustworthy download channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer malicious content for download, disguised as or bundled with normal products.
| Name | Corona virus |
| Threat Type | Ransomware, Crypto Virus, Files locker. |
| Encrypted Files Extension | No added extension - filenames are unchanged. |
| Ransom Demand Message | HELP_ME_RECOVER_MY_FILES.txt |
| Ransom Amount | 300 USD in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. |
| Cyber Criminals'Cryptowallet Address | 32bzWrWXXbWGSwB4gGTQt8RdzuNQVaS9Md |
| Cyber Criminal Contact | recoba90@protonmail.com |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Malware-gen), BitDefender (Gen:Trojan.Heur.DNP.dm0@auNGwPc), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of MSIL/Filecoder.VL), Kaspersky (UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Cannot open files stored on your computer, previously functional files now have a different extension (for example, my.docx.locked). A ransom demand message is displayed on your desktop. Cyber criminals demand payment of a ransom (usually in bitcoins) to unlock your files. |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments (macros), torrent websites, malicious ads. |
| Damage | All files are encrypted and cannot be opened without paying a ransom. Additional password-stealing trojans and malware infections can be installed together with a ransomware infection. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
How to protect yourself from ransomware infections
Do not open suspicious or irrelevant emails, especially any attachments (or links) present in them. These files can be the potential origin of a malware infection. You are strongly advised to use only official and verified download sources. Additionally, all products should be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers.
Illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third party updaters should not be used, as they can stealthily download/install malicious content. To ensure device/user safety, have a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware software installed and kept up to date. Furthermore, this should be used to run regular system scans and for the removal of detected threats/issues.
If your computer is already infected with Corona, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this ransomware.
Text presented in Corona ransomware text file ("HELP_ME_RECOVER_MY_FILES.txt"):
1 - What Happened to My Computer ?
Your business is at serious risk.
There is a significant hole in the security system of your company.
We've easily penetrated your network and now all your files, documents, photos, databases, ...are safely
encrypted with the strongest millitary algorithms RSA4096 and AES-256.No one can help you to restore files without our special decoder (corona decryption).
We have also uploaded a lot of files from your network on our secure server, so if you refuse to pay the ransom,
those files will be published or solded to competitors2 - Can I Recover My Files ?
Sure, we guarantee that you can recover all your files safely.
If you want to restore your files write to recoba90@protonmail.com and attach 2 encrypted files (Less than 3MB each) and we will decrypt them.
Please don't forget to precise the name of your compagny and your unique identifier key in the e-mail.
But if you want to decrypt all your files, you need to pay.
You only have 5 days from this moment to submit the payment. After that all your files will be lost definitely.
3 - How Do I Pay ?
Payment is accepted in bitcoin only. You can buy bitcoins from :
-hxxps://www.coinbase.com
-hxxps://localbitcoins.comThe final price of decryption is 300$ .
First : Send 300$ worth of bitcoin
Second: send an e-mail to recoba90@protonmail.com and don't forget to precise the name of you compagny, your wallet ID and your
unique identifier key.After that, we will send you our corona decryption tool to restore all your files.
!!!!Be warned, we won't be able to recover your files if your start fiddling with them.!!!!
Corona ransomware
No System Is SafeBitcoin wallet to make the transfer to is:
32bzWrWXXbWGSwB4gGTQt8RdzuNQVaS9Md
Unique Identifier Key (must be sent to us together with proof of payment):
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Screenshot of files encrypted by Corona (no additional extension):
Corona ransomware removal:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Video suggesting what steps should be taken in case of a ransomware infection:
Quick menu:
- What is Corona virus?
- STEP 1. Reporting ransomware to authorities.
- STEP 2. Isolating the infected device.
- STEP 3. Identifying the ransomware infection.
- STEP 4. Searching for ransomware decryption tools.
- STEP 5. Restoring files with data recovery tools.
- STEP 6. Creating data backups.
If you are a victim of a ransomware attack we recommend reporting this incident to authorities. By providing information to law enforcement agencies you will help track cybercrime and potentially assist in the prosecution of the attackers. Here's a list of authorities where you should report a ransomware attack. For the complete list of local cybersecurity centers and information on why you should report ransomware attacks, read this article.
List of local authorities where ransomware attacks should be reported (choose one depending on your residence address):
USA - Internet Crime Complaint Centre IC3
United Kingdom - Action Fraud
Spain - Policía Nacional
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Germany - Polizei
Italy - Polizia di Stato
The Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
Isolating the infected device:
Some ransomware-type infections are designed to encrypt files within external storage devices, infect them, and even spread throughout the entire local network. For this reason, it is very important to isolate the infected device (computer) as soon as possible.
Step 1: Disconnect from the internet.
The easiest way to disconnect a computer from the internet is to unplug the Ethernet cable from the motherboard, however, some devices are connected via a wireless network and for some users (especially those who are not particularly tech-savvy), disconnecting cables may seem troublesome. Therefore, you can also disconnect the system manually via Control Panel:
Navigate to the "Control Panel", click the search bar in the upper-right corner of the screen, enter "Network and Sharing Center" and select search result: 
Click the "Change adapter settings" option in the upper-left corner of the window: 
Right-click on each connection point and select "Disable". Once disabled, the system will no longer be connected to the internet. To re-enable the connection points, simply right-click again and select "Enable". 
Step 2: Unplug all storage devices.
As mentioned above, ransomware might encrypt data and infiltrate all storage devices that are connected to the computer. For this reason, all external storage devices (flash drives, portable hard drives, etc.) should be disconnected immediately, however, we strongly advise you to eject each device before disconnecting to prevent data corruption:
Navigate to "My Computer", right-click on each connected device, and select "Eject": 
Step 3: Log-out of cloud storage accounts.
Some ransomware-type might be able to hijack software that handles data stored within "the Cloud". Therefore, the data could be corrupted/encrypted. For this reason, you should log-out of all cloud storage accounts within browsers and other related software. You should also consider temporarily uninstalling the cloud-management software until the infection is completely removed.
Identify the ransomware infection:
To properly handle an infection, one must first identify it. Some ransomware infections use ransom-demand messages as an introduction (see the WALDO ransomware text file below).
This, however, is rare. In most cases, ransomware infections deliver more direct messages simply stating that data is encrypted and that victims must pay some sort of ransom. Note that ransomware-type infections typically generate messages with different file names (for example, "_readme.txt", "READ-ME.txt", "DECRYPTION_INSTRUCTIONS.txt", "DECRYPT_FILES.html", etc.). Therefore, using the name of a ransom message may seem like a good way to identify the infection. The problem is that most of these names are generic and some infections use the same names, even though the delivered messages are different and the infections themselves are unrelated. Therefore, using the message filename alone can be ineffective and even lead to permanent data loss (for example, by attempting to decrypt data using tools designed for different ransomware infections, users are likely to end up permanently damaging files and decryption will no longer be possible even with the correct tool).
Another way to identify a ransomware infection is to check the file extension, which is appended to each encrypted file. Ransomware infections are often named by the extensions they append (see files encrypted by Qewe ransomware below).
This method is only effective, however, when the appended extension is unique - many ransomware infections append a generic extension (for example, ".encrypted", ".enc", ".crypted", ".locked", etc.). In these cases, identifying ransomware by its appended extension becomes impossible.
One of the easiest and quickest ways to identify a ransomware infection is to use the ID Ransomware website. This service supports most existing ransomware infections. Victims simply upload a ransom message and/or one encrypted file (we advise you to upload both if possible).
The ransomware will be identified within seconds and you will be provided with various details, such as the name of the malware family to which the infection belongs, whether it is decryptable, and so on.
Example 1 (Qewe [Stop/Djvu] ransomware):
Example 2 (.iso [Phobos] ransomware):
If your data happens to be encrypted by ransomware that is not supported by ID Ransomware, you can always try searching the internet by using certain keywords (for example, a ransom message title, file extension, provided contact emails, crypto wallet addresses, etc.).
Search for ransomware decryption tools:
Encryption algorithms used by most ransomware-type infections are extremely sophisticated and, if the encryption is performed properly, only the developer is capable of restoring data. This is because decryption requires a specific key, which is generated during the encryption. Restoring data without the key is impossible. In most cases, cybercriminals store keys on a remote server, rather than using the infected machine as a host. Dharma (CrySis), Phobos, and other families of high-end ransomware infections are virtually flawless, and thus restoring data encrypted without the developers' involvement is simply impossible. Despite this, there are dozens of ransomware-type infections that are poorly developed and contain a number of flaws (for example, the use of identical encryption/decryption keys for each victim, keys stored locally, etc.). Therefore, always check for available decryption tools for any ransomware that infiltrates your computer.
Finding the correct decryption tool on the internet can be very frustrating. For this reason, we recommend that you use the No More Ransom Project and this is where identifying the ransomware infection is useful. The No More Ransom Project website contains a "Decryption Tools" section with a search bar. Enter the name of the identified ransomware, and all available decryptors (if there are any) will be listed.
Restore files with data recovery tools:
Depending on the situation (quality of ransomware infection, type of encryption algorithm used, etc.), restoring data with certain third-party tools might be possible. Therefore, we advise you to use the Recuva tool developed by CCleaner. This tool supports over a thousand data types (graphics, video, audio, documents, etc.) and it is very intuitive (little knowledge is necessary to recover data). In addition, the recovery feature is completely free.
Step 1: Perform a scan.
Run the Recuva application and follow the wizard. You will be prompted with several windows allowing you to choose what file types to look for, which locations should be scanned, etc. All you need to do is select the options you're looking for and start the scan. We advise you to enable the "Deep Scan" before starting, otherwise, the application's scanning capabilities will be restricted.
Wait for Recuva to complete the scan. The scanning duration depends on the volume of files (both in quantity and size) that you are scanning (for example, several hundred gigabytes could take over an hour to scan). Therefore, be patient during the scanning process. We also advise against modifying or deleting existing files, since this might interfere with the scan. If you add additional data (for example, downloading files/content) while scanning, this will prolong the process:
Step 2: Recover data.
Once the process is complete, select the folders/files you wish to restore and simply click "Recover". Note that some free space on your storage drive is necessary to restore data:
Create data backups:
Proper file management and creating backups is essential for data security. Therefore, always be very careful and think ahead.
Partition management: We recommend that you store your data in multiple partitions and avoid storing important files within the partition that contains the entire operating system. If you fall into a situation whereby you cannot boot the system and are forced to format the disk on which the operating system is installed (in most cases, this is where malware infections hide), you will lose all data stored within that drive. This is the advantage of having multiple partitions: if you have the entire storage device assigned to a single partition, you will be forced to delete everything, however, creating multiple partitions and allocating the data properly allows you to prevent such problems. You can easily format a single partition without affecting the others - therefore, one will be cleaned and the others will remain untouched, and your data will be saved. Managing partitions is quite simple and you can find all the necessary information on Microsoft's documentation web page.
Data backups: One of the most reliable backup methods is to use an external storage device and keep it unplugged. Copy your data to an external hard drive, flash (thumb) drive, SSD, HDD, or any other storage device, unplug it and store it in a dry place away from the sun and extreme temperatures. This method is, however, quite inefficient, since data backups and updates need to be made regularly. You can also use a cloud service or remote server. Here, an internet connection is required and there is always the chance of a security breach, although it's a really rare occasion.
We recommend using Microsoft OneDrive for backing up your files. OneDrive lets you store your personal files and data in the cloud, sync files across computers and mobile devices, allowing you to access and edit your files from all of your Windows devices. OneDrive lets you save, share and preview files, access download history, move, delete, and rename files, as well as create new folders, and much more.
You can back up your most important folders and files on your PC (your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders). Some of OneDrive’s more notable features include file versioning, which keeps older versions of files for up to 30 days. OneDrive features a recycling bin in which all of your deleted files are stored for a limited time. Deleted files are not counted as part of the user’s allocation.
The service is built using HTML5 technologies and allows you to upload files up to 300 MB via drag and drop into the web browser or up to 10 GB via the OneDrive desktop application. With OneDrive, you can download entire folders as a single ZIP file with up to 10,000 files, although it can’t exceed 15 GB per single download.
OneDrive comes with 5 GB of free storage out of the box, with an additional 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB storage options available for a subscription-based fee. You can get one of these storage plans by either purchasing additional storage separately or with Office 365 subscription.
Creating a data backup:
The backup process is the same for all file types and folders. Here’s how you can back up your files using Microsoft OneDrive
Step 1: Choose the files/folders you want to backup.
Click the OneDrive cloud icon to open the OneDrive menu. While in this menu, you can customize your file backup settings.
Click Help & Settings and then select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Go to the Backup tab and click Manage backup.
In this menu, you can choose to backup the Desktop and all of the files on it, and Documents and Pictures folders, again, with all of the files in them. Click Start backup.
Now, when you add a file or folder in the Desktop and Documents and Pictures folders, they will be automatically backed up on OneDrive.
To add folders and files, not in the locations shown above, you have to add them manually.
Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the folder/file you want to backup. Select the item, right-click it, and click Copy.
Then, navigate to OneDrive, right-click anywhere in the window and click Paste. Alternatively, you can just drag and drop a file into OneDrive. OneDrive will automatically create a backup of the folder/file.
All of the files added to the OneDrive folder are backed up in the cloud automatically. The green circle with the checkmark in it indicates that the file is available both locally and on OneDrive and that the file version is the same on both. The blue cloud icon indicates that the file has not been synced and is available only on OneDrive. The sync icon indicates that the file is currently syncing.
To access files only located on OneDrive online, go to the Help & Settings drop-down menu and select View online.
Step 2: Restore corrupted files.
OneDrive makes sure that the files stay in sync, so the version of the file on the computer is the same version on the cloud. However, if ransomware has encrypted your files, you can take advantage of OneDrive’s Version history feature that will allow you to restore the file versions prior to encryption.
Microsoft 365 has a ransomware detection feature that notifies you when your OneDrive files have been attacked and guide you through the process of restoring your files. It must be noted, however, that if you don’t have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, you only get one detection and file recovery for free.
If your OneDrive files get deleted, corrupted, or infected by malware, you can restore your entire OneDrive to a previous state. Here’s how you can restore your entire OneDrive:
1. If you're signed in with a personal account, click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Options and select Restore your OneDrive.
If you're signed in with a work or school account, click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Restore your OneDrive.
2. On the Restore your OneDrive page, select a date from the drop-down list. Note that if you're restoring your files after automatic ransomware detection, a restore date will be selected for you.
3. After configuring all of the file restoration options, click Restore to undo all the activities you selected.
The best way to avoid damage from ransomware infections is to maintain regular up-to-date backups.
Outstanding!
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