Guide to Remove Crbr Ransomware

Crbr Ransomware is the brand-new variant of the nasty Cerber Ransomware that was recently prevalent as RaaS (Ransomware-As-a -Service). This variant is said to have received slight modifications by the developers. It is the most widely spread & active member of the infamous Cerber Ransomware family.

Exploit Kits & Spam e-mail Campaigns are the prime techniques used by Crbr Encryptor to proliferate its infection. Apart from these, crbr Ransomware uses several other techniques to propagate such as malware-laden websites & infected e-mail attachments.

After encrypting the files, Crbr Ransomware renames the files by appending four random characters to the filenames. The encrypted files are instantly made inaccessible to the users. It then displays a ransom-demanding note (a program window) named crbr  Encryptor Instructions. The note asks the victims to pay the ransom in exchange of the decryption tool & private key.

Read on to know if victims are able to restore the data by paying ransom. Also learn what the possible ways of preventing Crbr Encryptor attack are.

Threat Summary Crbr Ransomware

Threat Behavior of Crbr Ransomware

Crbr Ransomware is a file-encrypting virus that belongs to the devious Cerber Ransomware family. This Ransomware is majorly infecting Windows-based systems around the world. Exploit kits, Spam e-mail campaigns, infected attachments & suspicious websites are some of the chief methods used by this Ransomware to spread.

Once the system is infected, it locates the targeted file extensions & uses RAS-2048 Encryption Algorithm to encrypt the files. After encryption, it appends a random four letter extension to the filenames, thus making them inaccessible to the users.

Randomly used characters include 0 to 9 and A to Z characters.

Let us understand the encryption & renaming with the help of an example:

A file named myimage.jpg might be renamed as myimage.jpg.bs80 after encryption.

File Extensions at the target of Crbr Ransomware

Crbr Ransomware is capable of targeting a myriad of file extensions & encrypting them.

These include:

1). Document files (.docx, .doc, .odt, .rtf, .text, .pdf, .htm, .ppt)

2). Audio Files (.mp3, .aif, .iff, .m3u, .m4u, .mid, .mpa, .wma, .ra, .avi, .mov, .mp4)

3). Video Files (.3gp, .mpeg, .3g2, .asf, .asx, .flv, .mpg, .wmv, .vob)

4). Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .raw, .tif, .gif, .png)

5). Backup Files (.bck, .bckp, .tmp, .gho)

Details of the Ransom Note of Crbr Ransomware

After successful encryption of the targeted files, a scary notification in the form of a program window appears on the screen.

This program window is the ransom-demanding note that explains the present situation of the system & files to the users. It notifies the user about the encryption of the files & asks them to pay the ransom in exchange of the decryption key.

The detailed instructions to retrieve the private key & decryption tool are in a file named “*_R_E_A_D___T_H_I_S___*.txt”, which is dropped in every folder containing encrypted files.

As per this file, the victims are required to pay $100 (approximately equal to 0.073 in Bitcoins) for the decryption tool & private unique key.

The ransom amount remains unchanged if the victims manage to contact the hackers within 5 days of encryption. Failing to contact the hackers in 5 days leads to increase in the ransom amount to 1 Bitcoin. The hackers claim to send the unique key & decryption tool after receiving the payment.

Despite these claims, the victims are advised not to contact the hackers as paying the ransom don’t guarantee the decryption of files.

The victims should act smart & use guidelines to remove crbr Encryptor virus from the system.

Distribution Techniques of Crbr Ransomware

The cyber-criminals use various strategies for malware distribution which include –

1. Software Bundling: Software bundling is the process in which a malicious program is distributed with other free software, to get an unnoticed entry into your computer system. When a user installs a free application, the malicious programs gains a front door entry with the free application, the user has downloaded. Thus, it is a good idea to keep an eye on the installation screens while installing these free applications.
2. Infected Storage Devices: Your system can also get infected by using removable media such as USB hard drives and jump drives without scanning them with an anti-virus.
3. Spam Emails – Spamming is the most economic and common method used for the distribution of such malware. The targeted users get genuine looking emails which contain .doc, .txt, and other similar attachments. These attachments can be named as anything which can grab the user’s attention and triggers him/her to open the attachment. As soon as the user opens this attachment, the malware infects the user’s computer system.
4. Malicious Websites or Malevolent Advertisements: The malicious websites are the ones which are created just for promoting the malware infections. Such websites include but are not limited to porn sites, torrent sites and other free downloading platforms. By visiting such websites, the adware infects the user’s computer without permission. Fake advertisements and updates like Flash player and windows updates which ask the user to update to the latest version are a few examples. When the users click on such links, their computer system gets infected. That is why, it is highly recommended to resist clicking on such links. Also avoid clicking on advertisements offering free stuff such as Win an iPhones, cars or free overseas trips etc.

Crbr Ransomware removal instructions

STEP A: Reboot your system using Safe Mode with Networking

To restart the system to Safe Mode with Networking,  if already switched ON then follow the below steps:

STEP B: Delete the suspicious file from Configuration Settings

1. Type “Msconfig” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. Click on “Services” Tab and click on “Hide all Microsoft services”.
3. Select Crbr Ransomware from the list of remaining services and disable it by removing the tick mark from the checkbox and click on Apply button.

STEP C: Remove malicious file from Command Prompt

Once the system starts, ensure to use an account with administrative privilege to access Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

After the user enters admin credentials, Command prompt window is displayed wherein you are entitled to enter the below commands:

1. Type the command “sc delete Crbr Ransomware” in the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Type “exit” to exit the command prompt and restart the system in safe mode with command prompt.

STEP D: Restore the system files & settings

How to prevent Crbr Ransomware from infecting your system

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like  Vipre and BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.

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