Cryptolocker-v3

Posted by Max Lehmann on March 9, 2015

What is Cryptolocker-v3?

Cryptolocker-v3 is yet another ransomware infection that encrypts your files and then demands a ransom that you have to pay during a given period of time. It is practically impossible to remove Cryptolocker-v3 from your computer because the infection deletes itself once it releases the payload. When it comes to such infections like Cryptolocker-v3, rather than the actual removal, the prevention is much more important. Thus, you need to avoid downloading software from unfamiliar websites, and you should never open spam email attachments. These methods are often used in malware distribution, so save yourself the trouble of deleting malicious programs from your PC. test

Where does Cryptolocker-v3 come from?

Cryptolocker-v3 is part of the ever-growing family that consists of a number of notorious computer infections. Our research specialists say that Cryptolocker-v3 simply copies Cryptolocker. On top of that, this ransomware infection may be also known as the TeslaCrypt Ransomware. The point is that, whether you encounter Cryptolocker-v3 or TeslaCrypt Ransomware, it is still the same infection.

What does Cryptolocker-v3 do?

When the infection takes place Cryptolocker-v3, changes your background and displays a pop-up message saying that your important files were encrypted. It says that you need to pay a particular amount of Bitcoins within several days; otherwise the private key that should help you decrypt your files will be destroyed.

The problem is that, unlike the Ukash ransomware infections, Cryptolocker-v3 really encrypts your documents, photos, videos and other files. It seems that the infection is oriented mainly for game files, and Cryptolocker-v3 can also kill several system utility processes once it is launched. The utilities affected by this ransomware infection include Command Prompt, Msconfig, Registry Editor, Windows Task Manager, and others.

Take note, however, that the kill is temporary. That is to say, if you launch any of the utilities again, Cryptolocker-v3 no longer monitors them. From this, we can see that Cryptolocker-v3 doesn’t affect your system performance that much, but the disturbing part is that the infection most certainly encrypts your files.

How do I remove Cryptolocker-v3?

As mentioned above, removing Cryptolocker-v3 would not solve the main problem. Your files would remain encrypted. On the other hand, paying the money is out of question as well because you should succumb to the threats of cyber criminals.

You should refer to professionals for the decryption key or the file decryption tool that would eventually allow you to restore your files. At the same time, you should also create a system restore point and back up all of your files on an external hard drive, or on a cloud service, because that is the most effective security measure against ransomware infections.

Finally, invest in a legitimate computer security application that will help you run a full system scan. With a security tool of your choice, you will be able to delete all the malicious infections at once.