M0on Ransomware

Posted by Max Lehmann on November 23, 2016

What is M0on Ransomware?

M0on Ransomware is a dangerous computer infection that is currently under development. It means that the program is not complete yet. It is very likely that very soon a newer version of this infection will emerge, and then you will have to deal with an even more dangerous application. Nevertheless, if you happen to be infected with this program, you should know how to remove M0on Ransomware. This is exactly why we wrote this description. It is our task to inform you about the security threats that target your money. And any user should know how to deal with such intruders because their computer’s security should be one of their top priorities. test

Where does M0on Ransomware come from?

It is not clear how this ransomware infection manages to infect the target systems. Since the application has not been fully developed yet, there is a very good chance that the developers spread it manually, infecting only a handful of selected computers.

Of course, we should not rule out the possibility of spam campaign, too. Not to mention, that you should know the main ransomware distribution methods so that you could avoid similar intruders in the future. So if you receive an email from someone unknown, and that email contains an attachment file, you should think twice before opening it. It might as well be the ransomware installation file. Even if it looks like an invoice message from an online shop, you would do yourself a favor if you scan this file with a security application.

What does M0on Ransomware do?

Since this program is a crypto ransomware application, you can probably tell it does something terrible to your files, and then expects you to pay the ransom fee. It would not be far from the truth, but the main problem with this application is that it is not complete and so it cannot fulfill all of its functions.

For instance, when a ransomware infects your computer, it first scans your system and then encrypts the files that match its requirements. So M0on Ransomware is able to do that. Our research shows that upon the installation, the infection drops itself in the %TEMP% folder and then goes through your system, encrypting target files. For the most part, the program affects only the files in the %USERPROFILE% directory and its subfolders.

All of the files encrypted by this infection will have the .m0on extension, and their filenames will be scrambled as well. M0on Ransomware changes your filenames into a random 30-character string. So once the encryption is complete, the chances are you will not recognize your files.

Here we should point out another thing common to all ransomware programs: the ransom note. When the encryption is complete, programs display a notification that tells you how to retrieve your files or how to purchase the decryption key that would unlock them. Nevertheless, M0on Ransomware does not do that. There is no ransom note, so the infection does not offer any “official” way to restore your files.

Unfortunately, there is no public decryption tool available for this program at the moment. So you may have to delete the infected files, remove M0on Ransomware from your system, and then transfer healthy copies of your files back to your hard drive from a system backup. The system backup might be an external HDD or a cloud drive. It is important that you get rid of the infection before you transfer back the files because the infection will launch itself again once you turn on your computer, encrypting all the healthy files again.

How do I remove M0on Ransomware?

To get rid of this infection, you have to retrace the infection pattern and locate the file which initiated the entire ordeal. You should also delete the file dropped by the ransomware program in the %TEMP% folder. We have the instructions below how to do that, but if you are not sure of your skills, you can always rely on a legitimate security application.

There is a good chance that there might be more unwanted programs on your computer, so you have to find them all and delete them. This is where the security program will definitely help you do the job. So do not hesitate to acquire one.