A blog post that has been created in order to show you how to delete the Matrix ransomware from your computer system and then try and restore files that have been enciphered by it.
Malware that uses the e-mail [email protected] and GNUpg envrionment to work on has been detected by cyber-security researchers. Dubbed Matrix ransomware, the virus also aims to perform other activities on the victim’s computer, like modify it’s settings and drop a ransom note file that has an extortion message in it. The extortion message threatens victims that the files which Matrix ranstsomware encrypts on their computer can no longer be restored, unless they pay a hefty ransom fee. We recommend you to read the following article to learn how to remove Matrix ransomware and how to restore your files if they have been encrypted by the Matrix virus on your computer.
| Threat Name | Matrix Ransomware |
| Category | Ransomware virus. |
| Main Activity | Infects the computer after which encrypts important documents and holds them hostage until a ransom is paid. |
| Signs of Presence | Files are encrypted and a ransom note is dropped on your computer. |
| Spread | Via malicious e-mail spam and set of infection tools. |
| Detection+Removal | DOWNLOAD REMOVAL TOOL FOR Matrix Ransomware |
| File Recovery | Download Data Recovery Software, to see how many files encrypted by Matrix Ransomware ransomware you will be able to recover. |
Which Files May Get Affected by Matrix Ransomware Ransomware?
Matrix Ransomware Ransomware serves as a typical file-encoding Trojan. As soon as it gets access to your machine, this cryptomalware will perform a quick scan to find the paths to all of your personal files. The targeted data includes all MS Office documents, your precious photos and videos, your databases, the program files, etc. Only a few files such as the ones related to the core Windows processes may be spared. Once the operation ends, you will notice a threatening lockdown message on your desktop and the default file extension will become ‘.dll’. The cyber criminals give the victims only several days pay the ransom of Bitcoins, or else they threaten to delete forever the decryption key. The purpose of this frightening message is to shock the person and make him act irrationally. The victims often feel as the only solution to the issue is to pay the money. In reality, all specialists unanimously recommend not to follow the instructions of the hackers for several different reasons.How to Protect Yourself from Matrix Ransomware Ransomware?
This ransomware may cause huge and often irreversible damage to the affected machines. Fortunately, you can prevent the infection as long as you are vigilant during your online sessions. This Trojan isn’t known to use some unique methods to infiltrate the defenses of your computer. The most probable cause for Matrix Ransomware Ransomware to enter is via spam emails. You may receive a message with a shocking content, encouraging you to either click on a malicious link or download a compromised file. The hackers have a whole arsenal of tools to manipulate you into doing so. For example, they may claim to represent an international bank or some popular shipping company. If they address you without mentioning your name, the email is probably a scam and you should ignore it. Unfortunately, if you simply click or download the infected file, your action will most likely be enough to activate the harmful codes of Matrix Ransomware Ransomware. In this case, only a credible security solution may be able to prevent the forthcoming damage.
How Does Matrix Ransomware Work?
Well, Matrix Ransomware works just like most ransomware viruses do – it enters your system via a compromised file or a malicious URL contained in a spam email. Be cautious when opening even the slightest suspicious email in your inbox, especially if it contains an attachment or an URL. Once the compromised file or URL is opened, the virus downloads to your system and the infection begins.
Matrix Ransomware scans your files first. It searches your PC for the following extensions:.PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG
Once detected, they are being encrypted by a powerful AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) cypher and the victim’s desktop wallpaper is changed to the Matrix Ransomware logo of the hacking group from Mr. Robot. And, that’s how you know you got attacked by Matrix Ransomware ransomware.
What to Do If You Notice the Ransom Note of Matrix Ransomware?
When you encounter the lockdown message, it means that your PC has already been encrypted. Even if you feel like you have no other choice but to pay, you should not do it. First and most important, even if you send the hackers your money, they may not unlock your PC. And since the Bitcoin system doesn’t allow refunds, you will not be able to get your money back. Second, your cash will increase the motivation of the hackers to develop more cyber threats like Matrix Ransomware ransomware.
There are a few ways that may help you recover the lost data for free. Although this Trojan sometimes deletes the shadow volume copies, you should still attempt to restore your PC to a date prior the infection. You should also try some free decryptors, but there is no guarantee that they will be efficient. The most important step is to eliminate Matrix Ransomware as soon as possible or else it may spread to other machines and cause more damage. It will be a challenge even for the experts to delete all traces of this ransomware manually, so you should consider using a dedicated anti-malware application.
Booting in Safe Mode
For Windows:
1) Hold Windows Key and R
2) A run Window will appear, in it type “msconfig” and hit Enter
3) After the Window appears go to the Boot tab and select Safe Boot
Cut out Matrix Ransomware in Task Manager
1) Press CTRL+ESC+SHIFT at the same time.
2) Locate the “Processes” tab.
3) Locate the malicious process of Matrix Ransomware, and end it’s task by right-clicking on it and clicking on “End Process”
Eliminate Matrix Ransomware‘s Malicious Registries
For most Windows variants:
1) Hold Windows Button and R.
2) In the “Run” box type “Regedit” and hit “Enter”.
3) Hold CTRL+F keys and type Matrix Ransomware or the file name of the malicious executable of the virus which is usually located in %AppData%, %Temp%, %Local%, %Roaming% or %SystemDrive%.
4) After having located malicious registry objects, some of which are usually in the Run and RunOnce subkeys delete them ermanently and restart your computer. Here is how to find and delete keys for different versions.
For Windows 7: Open the Start Menu and in the search type and type regedit –> Open it. –> Hold CTRL + F buttons –> Type Matrix Ransomware Virus in the search field.
Win 8/10 users: Start Button –> Choose Run –> type regedit –> Hit Enter -> Press CTRL + F buttons. Type Matrix Ransomware in the search field.
Automatic Removal of Matrix Ransomware
Recover files encrypted by the Matrix Ransomware Ransomware.
Method 1: Using Shadow Explorer. In case you have enabled File history on your Windows Machine one thing you can do is to use Shadow Explorer to get your files back. Unfortunately some ransomware viruses may delete those shadow volume copies with an administrative command to prevent you from doing just that.
Method 2: If you try to decrypt your files using third-party decryption tools. There are many antivirus providers who have decrypted multiple ransomware viruses the last couple of years and posted decryptors for them. Chances are if your ransomware virus uses the same encryption code used by a decryptable virus, you may get the files back. However, this is also not a guarantee, so you might want to try this method with copies of the original encrypted files, because if a third-party program tampers with their encrypted structure, they may be damaged permanently. Here are the vendors to look for:
- Kaspersky.
- Emsisoft.
- TrendMicro.
Method 3: Using Data Recovery tools. This method is suggested by multiple experts in the field. It can be used to scan your hard drive’s sectors and hence scramble the encrypted files anew as if they were deleted. Most ransomware viruses usually delete a file and create an encrypted copy to prevent such programs for restoring the files, but not all are this sophisticated. So you may have a chance of restoring some of your files with this method. Here are several data recovery programs which you can try and restore at least some of your files: