EduCrypt ransomware - How to remove

EduCrypt ransomware is a square peg in a round hole. This encrypting virus provides the victim’s with the decryption key. And, in fact, it cannot be referred to as a ransomware in its true sense, since it does not demand for any ransom. As it can be understood from its title, this ransomware virus wants to tease you a little bit.

About EduCrypt Ransomware

EduCrypt ransomware is based on the source code of Hidden Tear ransomware. It is obfuscated using Confuser. But once deobfuscated, the program exhibits certain heavy programming flaws. The virus fails to communicate with the C&C (Command & Control) server. It targets a small number of file types:

.txt, .exe, .doc, .docx, .xls, .index, .pdf, .zip, .rar, .css, .lnk, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .odt, .jpg, .bmp, .png, .csv, .sql, .mdb, .sln, .php, .asp, .aspx, .html, .xml, .psd, .bk, .bat, .mp3, .mp4, .wav, .wma, .avi, .divx, .mkv, .mpeg, .wmv, .mov, .ogg

Each targeted file is appended ‘‘.isis’’ filename extension. For instance, document.doc is turned into document.doc.isis. Educrypt encrypter encrypts a limited amount of folders. The targeted folders include:

%UserProfile%\Desktop
%UserProfile%\Downloads
%UserProfile%\Documents
%UserProfile%\Pictures
%UserProfile%\Music
%UserProfile%\Videos

This cryptomalware uses AES asymmetric encryption algorithm with a static password (the same for every user affected) to corrupt the victim’s data. When the encryption has been successfully completed, Educrypt encoder drops a ‘‘README.txt’’ file onto the victim’s desktop. This text file in Notepad encloses the ransom note. The note reads as follows:

well hello there, seems you have a virus! , Well you are going to get the decyptor which is here http://filedropper.com/decrypter_1 Don’t Download Random Shit On The Internet A Hidden .txt File Has Been Created With The Decrypt Password! Find It!

The spelling mistakes are quite evident. Well, it is a typical feature of ransomware viruses. The ransomware hackers are not the most literate people you have ever met. The text file it relates to is ‘‘DecryptPassword.txt’’ Notepad file placed in the Document folder of %UserProfile% directory. This file contains the decryption password – HDJ7D-HF54D-8DN7D.

How is EduCrypt Ransomware Spread?

EduCrypt is a malicious program which, according to its manner of operating, can be called a Trojan Horse. The developers of this virus send spam e-mails to one’s e-mail account which are disguised as official letters from official institutions or companies, such as Customs, etc. These spam e-mails contain malicious links and/or attachments, which, once followed or opened, infect the computer with the malicious program.

How to Decrypt Files Encrypted by EduCrypt Ransomware?

You may think that this section can be bypassed. But do not make such a mistake. Though, the cyber crooks provide you with the link to the decryptor, you cannot trust them. And, actually, their decryptor does not decrypt the data properly. It is only applicable to the original variant, that is Hidden Tear ransomware. Better use the trustworthy link (click it). Do not forget to remove the ransomware from your computer’s system. For the latter purpose, employ Spyhunter or Hitman. These powerful malware removal tools will eliminate all related and, even, non-related threats from the system. We have also created manual instructions for the removal of EduCrypt virus. See below.

How to recover EduCrypt ransomware encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before EduCrypt ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of EduCrypt ransomware

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to EduCrypt ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore EduCrypt ransomware affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually EduCrypt ransomware tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover EduCrypt ransomware encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.