Cerber Ransomware Removal Guide

Different cybercrime rings that coin ransomware have started vying for tech superiority in their illegal moneymaking business. Some of the newer breeds of these infections, for instance, are deploying two-step crypto, where a cipher routine is leveraged for file contents and then for the generated decrypt keys. Furthermore, a number of active samples are tweaking filenames along with the data proper. As the extortionists are permanently advancing in terms of the code sophistication, the latest ransom trojan known as Cerber has also made one step ahead. Its authors have built an audio interaction feature into the malicious solution, meaning that the victims can literally listen to the ransom alert and thus learn the black hat hackers’ demands.

This digital malady badly mutilates the infected user’s most important files. It encrypts them with AES standard and then makes sure the decrypt key is nowhere to be found on the plagued workstation. Meanwhile, the ransomware also replaces filenames with strings of 10 digits and characters and concatenates the .cerber extension to each one, making a random item look similar to �?su5cTyepkh.cerber’. All folders with encrypted files inside them are complemented with a triad of auxiliary documents titled # DECRYPT MY FILES #.html, # DECRYPT MY FILES #.txt and # DECRYPT MY FILES #.vbs. The last one in the array is a VBScript that produces a sound output when the user opens it.

The ransom instructions read “Your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted!” This fragment is followed by a listing of several steps to recover the locked data, specifically a recommendation to download and install the Tor browser, launch it, visit a personal web page with the .onion domain identifier, and follow further directions on the linked-to Cerber Decryptor site. The latter tells the victim to send 1.24 BTC, which is a little more than 500 USD, to a specified Bitcoin address so that the decryptor becomes available to download. The page also contains a time countdown script that displays the amount of time left before the ransom becomes twice as large, the deadline being 7 days.

Cerber is distributed on a Ransomware as a Service basis. The full code for this infection is available on a number of underground hacker forums, where interested parties can get it on condition that the creator will be subsequently earning a part of the revenue obtained from ransoms. Since there are different affiliates, the virus propagation channels may be diverse and range from spam all the way to exploit kits.

Ultimately, the only way to disrupt this firmly established scheme is to abstain from paying the ransom, which may be an unsuitable option because personal files are important. This is why ransomware workarounds are gaining relevance. Learn a couple of techniques to restore .cerber files and not pay a penny to the scammers.

Remove Cerber ransomware with automatic cleaner
This is an exclusively efficient method for taking care of malware overall and ransomware threats in particular. The use of a reputable security suite ensures scrupulous detection of all virus components and a complete removal thereof in a single click. Be advised, though, that uninstalling this infection and recovering your files are two different things, but the need to remove the pest is indisputable as it has been reported to promote other Trojans while operating.