Taro EXPOSED: .taro Files, !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht, and taro666@jitjat.org

You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The vacation shot should still be vacation.jpg. The invoice should still be invoice.pdf. The tax sheet should still be taxes.xlsx. Instead every familiar name has a second ending tacked on. 1.jpg is now 1.jpg.taro. invoice.pdf is now invoice.pdf.taro.

Then you notice a file you did not create. It sits at the top of the listing because the name starts with exclamation marks. It is called !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht. HOW TO DECRYPT sounds like a rescue. MHT sounds like a saved webpage Windows already knows how to open in a browser.

That is the trap, not a glitch.

This page is for the hour those names appear. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so the note does not become your incident plan.

Overview

Taro ransomware locks the files first. Then it keeps the old name and the old type, and hangs .taro on the end. Then it drops !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht and talks like a recovery desk and a leak desk at the same time. The note is a storefront. It claims the files were encrypted with AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA and renamed. It says your unique decryption key is stored on their server. It offers a free test on 3 small files that do not contain valuable information. It says confidential data was taken. It says if you will not start a dialogue, they will publish your files in the Darknet, inform customers and partners about the leak, ruin your reputation, and sell the most important information to interested parties. It tells you to write to ALL of these 2 emails: taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com. It tells you to put your ID in the subject line. On the sample used for this page, that ID field is left blank. This page will not invent an ID, a wallet, a Session ID, an onion, or a victim $ figure to finish those blanks.

If you are staring at a pile of names like 1.jpg.taro and that MHT note, you are in a ransom incident, not a broken disk and not a Windows pop-up. The folder is the evidence. The note is a checkout. Stay with the folder, not with the script.

This is Taro the locker, a MedusaLocker-family strain that appends .taro and drops !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht. It is not the published Tarovoucher.online voucher-shop investigation. It is not the published Taroffers.com storefront investigation. Those older posts are about sites that sell vouchers or offers. A search result that says Taro is not a match just because four letters look the same. If someone later quotes a voucher page as if it already solved your folder, they mixed the names. Keep the extension. Keep the note. Keep both inboxes. Those marks are how you tell them apart.

The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.taro. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.taro. invoice.pdf becomes invoice.pdf.taro. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.taro. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.taro. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it. Windows may call the type a TARO File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG.

The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht into the same folders. The exclamation marks shove it to the top of a Name sort. HOW_TO wants the first click after the panic. DECRYPT wants you to treat the flyer as a procedure. MHT wants a browser, not Notepad, so the page can look like a saved official notice. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales page that also claims a leak. The flyer is meant to be opened. It is not meant to be trusted.

The body of that sample is a shop with a long script. Hello. Sorry, but we have to inform you that due to security issues, your server was hacked. Please be sure that all your valuable files were encrypted with strong crypto algorithms AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA and renamed. Your unique decryption key is securely stored on our server and your data can be decrypted. We can prove that we can decrypt all your data. Please just send us 3 small encrypted files. We will decrypt these files and send them to you as proof. Please note that files for free test decryption should not contain valuable information. Information is the most valuable resource in the world. That is why all your confidential data was taken. If you need proof, just write us and we will show you that we have your files. If you will not start a dialogue we will be forced to publish your files in the Darknet. Your customers and partners will be informed about the data leak. This way, your reputation will be ruined. If you will not react, we will be forced to sell the most important information to interested parties to generate some profit. Please understand that we are just doing our job. Think of this incident as an opportunity to improve your security. We are opened for dialogue and ready to help you. Please do not try to fool us. If you want to resolve this situation, please write to ALL of these 2 emails: taro666@jitjat.org taro@reddithub.com. In subject line please write your ID: {id}. Important: we asking to send your message to ALL of our 2 email addresses because for various reasons, your email may not be delivered. Our message may be recognized as spam, so be sure to check the spam folder. If we do not respond to you within 24 hours, write to us from another email address. Use Gmail, yahoo, Hotmail, or any other popular email service. Please do not waste the time, it will result only additional damage. Please do not try to decrypt the files yourself. We will not be able to help you if files will be modified.

That is the whole costume. There is no printed wallet. There is no printed Session ID. There is no onion. There is no victim $ figure. The ID line is a placeholder. The note does not need extra theater. A locked folder plus two inboxes plus a 3-file test plus a leak threat is already a shop. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to mail those inboxes today because an MHT file told you to. There is no reason to pay a $ amount someone later invents.

The .taro name is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. Taro uses .taro. That is why 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.taro, and why invoice.pdf becomes invoice.pdf.taro. The extra cruelty is how readable the listing stays. You do not have to decode anything. You can still see the photo. You can still see the invoice. You can still see the word taxes. The familiar words are still in the folder. The files are not familiar anymore.

Do not treat that readable name as a fix. Do not strip .taro off the end and expect Photos or a PDF reader to open the file. Do not run a bulk “extension fixer” you found in an ad. The name is a label. The lock is in the content. Editing the label can make a later trusted tool have a harder time matching the file to what it was. Leave the locked copies as they are until you have a clean machine and a plan that does not start in a criminal inbox.

The extra ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees 1.jpg.taro next to !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the .taro ending back to you as if that were expertise. The extension is public. It is sitting in the folder. Quoting it proves nothing except that they can read a listing. Do not invent a new victim ID because a comment said every MedusaLocker case needs a fresh one. The sample used for this page left that field blank. Keep the published sample as the published sample.

!!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht is a sales floor, not a help file

The ransom note is an MHT file with a name that sounds like documentation. !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a how-to. This one uses that habit against you. It is meant to be the first English you can still read when the photos will not open.

Double-clicking it opens a browser. That is why a panicked first click feels like opening a saved official page. MHT is a web archive. It can look like letterhead. It can look like a portal. It is not help. It is the demand, written so it looks official enough to follow. The filename is built to look like paperwork. HOW TO. DECRYPT. A pile of exclamation marks. An ending Windows already trusts enough to hand to Edge. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat.

Keep the file on disk. Then close it. Do not treat it as a set of steps you should follow. Do not tidy the filename. Do not rename it to lowercase so it looks neater. Do not convert it to a PDF “for the record” and then delete the original. Copy !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht the way you would copy a serial off a stolen laptop. That string is how a responder matches this locker. It is not a coupon you redeem by mailing taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com.

If the same page is sitting in more than one folder, that is normal for this family. Lockers drop the same flyer in many places so you cannot miss it. Finding five copies is not five incidents. It is one incident with a loud flyer. Keep one clean copy as evidence. You do not need to open every copy. You do not need to compare them in mail to those inboxes.

AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA is a shout, not a lab report

The note stacks three famous cipher names as if a pile of algorithms were a receipt. AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA does the same job a fake breaking-news banner does on a supplement page. It names math in capital letters so the rest of the flyer feels like the only adult in the room. You are supposed to stop thinking and start obeying.

The shout is also a brand. Later search ads will quote it. Later “helpers” will paste AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline. Copying those three names does not mean they can reverse 1.jpg.taro. It means they read the same note you did, or they read a screenshot of it.

The next sentences blame a security issue and a hacked server. Those lines are not a finding. They are a shove. You are supposed to feel stupid, then grateful that someone still offers two mailboxes. “Due to security issues” is a costume. It is not a report from a lab that looked at your machine. It is not a reason to skip copies that were never mounted. It is not a reason to skip a trusted decryptor project later if one appears.

Write to ALL 2 emails is checkout, not support

The printed contacts are taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com. The note does not give you a choice. It tells you to write to ALL of these 2 emails. Two inboxes look like a real office with a backup desk. They are still doors they own, on accounts they can delete, with threads they can screenshot and reuse. Email would feel like a ticket. This email is not a ticket. It is how a locked photo becomes a negotiation.

The “ALL 2” line is a funnel, not a courtesy. The flyer says your message may not be delivered. It says their reply may land in spam. It says if they do not respond within 24 hours, you should write from another address and try Gmail, yahoo, Hotmail, or any other popular service. That script keeps you in the queue. Each extra account is another chance they have your live mail, your tone, and a sample of how badly you want the photos back.

Do not write those addresses. Do not open a fresh mail account “just to see if the form works.” Do not send a test file to prove you are a real victim. Do not paste a folder listing into a new message. Do not argue about the 24 hour reply window as if a discount were available. Those addresses belong to the people who locked the files. Writing them is the product. The handles are branding, the same way .taro is branding. Anyone can stand up a lookalike inbox after a wave of locked folders. Writing the first message does not start a warranty. It starts a conversation you cannot enforce.

A later helper who says they “already emailed both Taro boxes” has not proven a relationship. They read the same flyer. Reciting taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com is not a decryptor. It is proof they can copy. Keep the addresses as identifiers in the incident record. Then leave them unused.

jitjat.org and reddithub.com are attacker mail, not companies to smear

The domains on those inboxes look like brands. jitjat.org looks like a chat toy. reddithub.com looks like a code forge with a typo. Neither one is a reason to yell at a real company. They are mail hosts the operators picked because they look ordinary enough to type. Do not review-bomb a host. Do not call a help desk and demand they “unlock Taro.” Do not paste the domain into a search bar and then pay the first ad that says it already sued the crew.

The mechanism is impersonation-shaped mail, not a vendor you can call. A domain in an attacker address is a costume. It is not a storefront with a refund policy. It is not a Git host that lost your repo. Treat the full addresses as IOCs. Treat the companies those strings resemble as uninvolved unless a later official notice says otherwise. This page will not turn a ransom note into a smear.

Your ID: {id} is blank on purpose

The sample prints In subject line please write your ID: {id}. The braces are still there. The value is not. That blank is not a puzzle you should complete. It is how this sample actually looks. This page will not invent a victim ID to finish the line. Do not mint a string because a comment said every MedusaLocker note needs one. Do not copy an ID from a screenshot of a different locker. Do not type {id} into the subject as if the braces were a code.

If your own copy on disk still shows a string on that line, treat it as evidence for a report, not as a ticket you redeem by mailing both inboxes. Keep whatever is actually printed. Leave the published sample blank, because that is how the published sample arrived. A later helper who fills the blank for you is not doing you a favor. They are finishing the checkout form.

3 small files is how they get a live victim

Offering to unlock 3 small encrypted files for free is how they make the shop feel testable. The note says the files should not contain valuable information. Together with the leak threat and the two inboxes, that line turns a locked folder into a relationship. Relationships are how payments happen. You do not need that relationship. You need the folder left intact and a plan that does not start in their mail.

Do not attach “unimportant” files. Do not pick the smallest PDF as a demo. Do not send 1.jpg.taro because it looks like a throwaway. A 3-file test is still three samples of your disk in their hands, plus proof that this victim follows instructions. Opening those inboxes is not useful work. It is the checkout. A later “helper” who asks for the same 3 files so they can “talk to the crew” is standing in the same doorway.

Darknet leak and sell-if-silent is a shove, not a court date

The note says confidential data was taken. It says if you will not start a dialogue they will publish your files in the Darknet. It says customers and partners will be informed about the data leak. It says your reputation will be ruined. It says if you will not react, they will sell the most important information to interested parties to generate some profit. That stack is meant to end the hour. You are supposed to feel that silence is already a second crime.

Leak language is still attacker copy. It may be true. It may be theater. You cannot verify it by mailing the people who wrote it. A dialogue does not put the files back in the folder. A dialogue does not unsell a dump. A dialogue gives them a live victim, a tone, and a clock they can squeeze. Report the incident through official desks. Let counsel decide what, if anything, gets said in public. That decision is not yours to make from the Documents folder at midnight.

Do not treat “start a dialogue” as a legal duty. Do not treat “we will show you that we have your files” as a reason to write first. Do not pay a $ amount they never printed because a later message attached a screenshot of a folder you already know is yours. Anyone can screenshot a listing. Anyone can invent a % of files “already on the leak site.” A screenshot is not a key.

This is not Tarovoucher.online and not Taroffers.com

The name is a problem because the web already has two published Taro storefront investigations. This strain is Taro ransomware. It is the locker that appends .taro, drops !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht, and points you at taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com. It is a MedusaLocker-family locker. It is not a voucher shop. It is not an offers portal. It is not a “you have been selected” overlay that wants a card number. Those other pages can wait. The folder in front of you cannot.

If a search result talks about Tarovoucher.online, discount codes, or a voucher cart, you are reading a different Taro. The published post is Tarovoucher.online EXPOSED – Scam or Legit? Investigation. If a result talks about Taroffers.com packages or a checkout page, you are reading a different Taro. The published post is Taroffers.com EXPOSED – Scam or Legit? Full Investigation. If a result talks about 1.jpg.taro and !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht, you are in the right incident. Do not mix the three. A helper who starts from a voucher guide and then asks you to mail both inboxes is not close to your case. They are standing in the wrong doorway on purpose.

Keep the locker name as an identifier, not as a shopping label. Taro is how responders group this extension and this note. It is not a coupon. It is not a reason to buy a “Taro decryptor” from the first ad. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the Taro key” as a second sales pitch.

How The Attack Works

The shop is simple once you stop reading it as a rescue. Lock the files. Brand the names with .taro. Drop an MHT how-to that claims AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA. Say the key lives on their server. Offer 3 small files as a free test. Claim a leak. Threaten Darknet publication, partner emails, a ruined reputation, and a sale to interested parties if there is no dialogue. Point the scared person at taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com and tell them to write both. Ask for your ID in the subject, then leave the ID blank. Warn about spam. Warn about 24 hours. Tell them to switch to Gmail if nobody answers. Ban self-decrypt. Then wait for someone else to sell the missing strings.

1. The lock keeps the old name so you recognize the loss

Taro encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then appends .taro. That is why 1.jpg is still readable as 1.jpg.taro, and why invoice.pdf is still readable as invoice.pdf.taro. The operators want you to inventory the damage in seconds. They want you to see the photo, the invoice, the tax sheet, and the family video in one glance. A coded filename can confuse you. A readable filename makes you feel the theft.

If only one folder looks wrong, do not assume the rest of the disk is safe. Ransomware walks trees. It hits Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, and any drive letter it can reach. Double-clicking a renamed file does not bring the photo back. The thumbnail may already look broken. A PDF reader may ask for a document that is still sitting in the same folder, only the bytes inside are no longer a document. That broken open is the first proof. The second proof is the extra ending. Together they are enough. You do not need to mail those inboxes to confirm what you are looking at. 0% of those pixels will turn back into a vacation shot because you picked a different app.

2. !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht turns a break-in into a ticket

Once the names are branded, the malware needs a voice. !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht is that voice. It sits in the same folders as the locked files so the first sort puts help next to harm. On many machines an MHT file with a name in capitals and exclamation marks is the thing you click because it looks like the only file that still speaks English, and because it opens as a webpage instead of a plain text dump. The body is built to finish before a relative walks into the room. Hacked server. AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA. Key on our server. 3 small files. Leak. Darknet. Reputation. Sell. Write to ALL 2 emails. Subject: your ID. Check spam. Wait 24 hours, then try Gmail. Do not decrypt yourself. Each beat closes a door.

Notice what the note does not give you. It does not give you a company, a refund policy, or a way to prove the other side will ever send a key. It does not print a wallet. It does not print a Session ID. It does not print an onion. It does not print a victim $ figure. It prints a blank ID. It gives you a tone that says this is already decided. That tone is the product. Read the file as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep it on disk.

3. AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA and a hacked server close the argument

After the shout, the note rests on three cipher names and a hacked-server apology as if blame were a receipt. Famous math plus a shove are meant to end the conversation you have not even started. Encrypted with AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA sounds like math you cannot beat at the kitchen table. Security issues sound like you already failed. Together they try to keep you calm enough, or ashamed enough, to follow the next line.

You do not need to argue cryptography with an MHT file. You do not need to argue whether your password was long enough. You need to stop treating the file as a technician. Leave the locked names as they are. Leave !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht where it is. The algorithm printed in that note is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure.

4. Only we hold the key removes every other aisle

Telling you that the unique decryption key is securely stored on their server is how the shop deletes every option except mail. Some of the caution is real in a narrow sense: random unlockers and bulk renames are a bad idea. The note does not say that because it cares about your photos. It says do not try to decrypt the files yourself because a scared person who still believes a local tool might work is a person who has not written yet. The warning is a push toward both inboxes.

Leave the locked files untouched. That matches the useful half of the warning without doing the rest of their job. You can refuse the random tools and still refuse the inboxes. Those are not opposite choices. A trusted public decryptor, if one ever appears for this strain, does not arrive as a scare paragraph inside an MHT flyer. It arrives on an official project page that already existed before your incident.

5. Both inboxes are the door they want you to walk through

The recovery step in the sample is mail. Write to ALL of these 2 emails: taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com. Two addresses look simple, like a real office with a spare desk. They are still doors they own. A calm handle does not make the first one honest. It only gives them an account to abandon if it burns. Two handles do not make a safer desk. Two handles make the mailbox harder to miss, and they give copycats two strings to recite.

Do not write those inboxes. Do not create a throwaway “just to see.” Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the extension. They already chose the note name. If someone later says they will “talk to Taro for you” through those same addresses, that is a broker pitch. Brokers need you in the same funnel. You do not owe them a seat. Report the incident through official desks. Let counsel decide if contact is ever required for a specific legal reason. That decision is not yours to make from the Documents folder at midnight.

6. A blank ID plus a subject line is a form, not a ticket

The note tells you to put your ID in the subject. The sample leaves {id} empty. Empty fields look like a broken template. They are useful to the shop anyway. A blank makes you hunt. Hunting is how you land on a copycat who offers to fill the blank. Hunting is how you paste a string from a stranger into a subject line and hit send. The published sample left that field empty. Leave it empty. Do not complete a victim ID the flyer did not give you. This page will not invent that string, and you should not either.

A later email that suddenly contains an ID, a wallet, a Session handle, or an onion is not a missing piece you were owed. It is a new ask. Treat it as a new ask. Do not type it anywhere except an incident record.

7. 3 small files is how they confirm a live victim

Offering to unlock 3 small files for free is how they make the shop feel testable. Together with the leak threat, that line turns a locked folder into a relationship. You do not need that relationship. You need the folder left intact and a plan that does not start in their mail.

Do not attach files they call unimportant. Do not pick the smallest photo as a demo. Do not send three junk PDFs because the note said valuable information should stay out of the test. A demo that “unlocks 3 files” is not proof they can unlock the vacation shot. Anyone can open junk they already control. Anyone can send you back a picture you sent them. Opening that inbox is not useful work. It is the checkout.

8. Leak, Darknet, reputation, and sell-if-silent are checkout pressure

Plenty of lockers hide the leak until you write. This one prints it up front. Publish in the Darknet. Inform customers and partners. Ruin your reputation. Sell the most important information to interested parties. That is not kindness. A printed leak removes the last excuse for delay. You do not have to “ask what happens if I wait.” You already know the story they want you to fear. The remaining step, in their script, is the mail.

Do not convert that story in your head into a reason to pay tonight. The threat belongs to them. The files are already locked. Another afternoon of panic will not change the bytes in the pile. Do not “test” a smaller payment to see if they answer. A test payment is still a payment. It still tells them this victim pays. This page will not invent the amount they want. You should not invent one either. The CISA StopRansomware Guide is blunt about this kind of squeeze. Paying does not ensure the files come back, does not ensure the systems are clean, and does not ensure anyone on the other side keeps a promise.

9. 24 hours and a second Gmail account keep you in the queue

The note says if they do not respond within 24 hours, write from another email address. Use Gmail, yahoo, Hotmail, or any other popular service. That number is a fuse, not a court date. There is no printed $ amount on the sample used for this page, and this page will not invent one. A clock without a price is still a checkout trick. You are supposed to feel that waiting is already a mistake. You are supposed to burn a second account so the mystery figure does not jump.

Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock you must meet. Do not set a phone alarm. Do not stay up to “beat” a deadline printed by the people who locked the files. Do not open a fresh Gmail because an MHT file told you the first message might be spam. The fuse belongs to them. It does not belong to your incident plan. Silence is not rude here. Silence is how you stay out of their queue. A relative, an insurer, or an incident lead can still talk on a phone. The people who locked the files do not get a seat in that call.

10. Third parties will sell a Taro conversation

After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt Taro or “all .taro files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht so they sound close to the case. They will mention AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA. They will mention 3 small files. They will mention taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com as if they already called the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.

A demo that “unlocks 3 files” is not proof they can unlock the photo. Anyone can open junk files they control. Anyone can send you a chat ID that makes a window appear. A chat window is not Photos opening vacation.jpg again. If a later message skips the original inboxes and asks for coin over ordinary mail, that is still the same market, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Do not answer. Do not help them fill a wallet, a Session ID, or an onion the public copy left blank on purpose.

A real public decryptor, when one exists, shows up on an official project page that already existed before your incident. It does not need a 24 hour reply. It does not need both attacker inboxes. If the pitch is “we can decrypt, pay us first,” you are still in the market the ransomware created. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the Taro key” as a second sales pitch.

Watch the name mix in those pitches. Helpers who only say Tarovoucher, or Taroffers, are often recycling the old storefront guides. Helpers who cannot tell a locked .taro folder from a voucher cart are not close to this disk. Quote the note name back to them and stop. If they change the subject, they were never matching your folder. Reciting both inboxes is not a 1% proof they hold a key. It is proof they can read.

11. Payment and mailing those inboxes close nothing

Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the money and disappear. They can send a string that only makes a decryptor show an error. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. A mail thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox.

Mailing taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com is the free version of the same dead end. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Starting a thread does not rebuild a JPEG. It only keeps you in their story while the rest of the disk still needs a real plan. Paying a $ amount they never printed in the original note is still a payment to the people who locked family.mp4.taro. It still funds the next copy of the same locker. It still does not produce a warranty.

If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead. If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. Change passwords from a clean device. Watch bank and email alerts. Opening those inboxes again is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the ID line is blank and the 24 hour line is still counting in your head.

What To Do

Do not email taro666@jitjat.org. Do not email taro@reddithub.com. Do not write both “because the note said ALL 2.” Do not send 3 test files. Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock you must meet. Do not invent an ID, a wallet, a Session ID, an onion, or a victim $ figure to finish !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht. Do not pay. If you already sent a message before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to “hold the original price” for anyone who quotes the flyer. This is MedusaLocker-family Taro, not a voucher shop.

• STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove for Ransomware and Unwanted Programs
• STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Trojans and other Malware
• STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware
• STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner
• STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.

In this first step, we will download and run Rkill to terminate suspicious programs that may be running on your computer.

RKill is a program that was developed at BleepingComputer.com that attempts to terminate known malware processes so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections. When RKill runs it will kill malware processes and then removes incorrect executable associations and fixes policies that stop us from using certain tools.

1. Download Rkill.

   You can download RKill to your computer from the below link. When at the download page, click on the Download Now button labeled iExplore.exe. We are downloading a renamed version of Rkill (iExplore.exe) because some malware will not allow processes to run unless they have a certain filename.

   

   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download Rkill)

2. Run RKill.

   After downloading, double-click the iExplore.exe icon to kill malicious processes. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   The program may take some time to search for and end various malware programs.

   

   When it is finished, the black window will close automatically and a log file will open. Do not restart your computer. Proceed to the next step in this guide.

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove Ransomware and Unwanted Programs

In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your PC in just a few minutes.

1. Download Malwarebytes

   Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.

   

   DOWNLOAD MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS (FREE)
   
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install Malwarebytes

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

   The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:

   • Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.

     

   • Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.

     

   • When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.

     

   • On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.

     

4. Enable “Scan for Rootkits”

   Before scanning, turn on rootkit detection so Malwarebytes can find even the most hidden threats. Click the Settings gear icon on the left side of the screen.

   

   In the settings menu, find “Scan for rootkits” and click the toggle so it turns blue.

   

   Done? Click “Dashboard” in the left pane to return to the main screen.

5. Start the Scan

   Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.

   

6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take several minutes. Feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.

   

7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found — malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.

   

   Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.

   

8. Restart Your Computer

   Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, your PC is clean and you can continue with the next steps in this guide.

   

STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Rootkits and other Malware

In this third step, while the computer is in normal back, we will download and run a scan with HitmanPro to remove Trojans, rootkits, and other malicious programs.

HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner — it’s designed to catch what your main antivirus might have missed. Instead of relying on a single detection engine, it checks the behavior of files in the locations where malware usually hides. Anything suspicious gets sent to the cloud, where it’s analyzed by two of the best antivirus engines available: Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Good news: scanning is completely free, with no limits. You only need a license when it’s time to remove what was found — and even then, you can activate a free one-time 30-day trial to clean your PC at no cost. (A full license is $24.95 per year for 1 PC.)

1. Download HitmanPro

   Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.

   DOWNLOAD HITMANPRO (FREE SCAN)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install HitmanPro

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the file: “hitmanpro.exe” on 32-bit Windows, or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” on 64-bit Windows.

   

   If a User Account Control pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click “Yes” to continue.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts

   On the HitmanPro start screen, click “Next” to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required — it goes straight to work.

   

   

4. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.
   

5. Review the Results and Click “Next”

   When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click “Next” to remove the detected threats.

   

6. Click “Activate Free License”

   To remove the malicious files, click the “Activate free license” button. This starts your free 30-day trial — no payment details needed — and unlocks the full cleanup.
   

   When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click Next, then click Reboot if prompted. If there’s no reboot prompt, just click Close — your PC is clean.

STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware

In this next step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove malicious browser policies and unwanted browser extensions from your computer.

AdwCleaner is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars — the exact threats that mainstream antivirus programs often miss. It also includes tools that repair the damage malware leaves behind, like hijacked browser settings and malicious policies. It’s a quick scan that’s well worth running.

1. Download AdwCleaner

   Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.

   

   DOWNLOAD ADWCLEANER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run AdwCleaner

   Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file named “adwcleaner_x.x.x.exe“. There’s no installation — the program starts right away.
   

   If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click “Yes“. When the license agreement appears, click I agree to continue.

   

3. Enable “Reset Chrome policies”

   This setting removes malicious browser policies — a trick malware uses to lock your browser settings so you can’t change them back. Click “Settings” on the left side of the window, then turn on “Reset Chrome policies“.

   

4. Start the Scan

   Click “Dashboard” on the left side of the window, then click the “Scan” button.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes — it’s one of the fastest scanners around.

   

6. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan finishes, AdwCleaner will list everything it found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the malicious items at once.

   

7. Click “Continue” to Finish the Cleanup

   Save any open work first — AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you’re ready, click the “Continue” button.
   

   AdwCleaner will now delete all detected malware from your computer. If it asks you to restart your PC, allow it — your computer will be clean when you log back in.

STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner

This final step involves installing and running a scan with ESET Online Scanner to check for any additional malicious programs that may be installed on the computer..

ESET Online Scanner is a free second-opinion scanner that performs a deep, full-system check for viruses, trojans, rootkits, and other malware. We use it as the final step because it’s thorough — if anything slipped past the previous scans, ESET will find it. A clean result here means your computer is malware-free.

1. Download ESET Online Scanner

   Click the button below to download ESET Online Scanner.

   

   DOWNLOAD ESET ONLINE SCANNER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run the Installer

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click “esetonlinescanner.exe“.
   

3. Install ESET Online Scanner

   On the start screen, select your language from the drop-down menu and click Get started.

   

   On the Terms of use screen, click Accept.
   

   Choose your preferences for the Customer Experience Improvement Program and the Detection feedback system (either choice is fine), then click Continue.
   

4. Start a Full Scan

   Click Full Scan — this checks your entire computer, not just the common hiding spots.

   

   Select Enable for Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications — this lets ESET catch adware and bundled junk programs, not just viruses. Then click Start scan.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   ESET will now check every file on your computer. Because it’s a full scan, this can take a while — often an hour or more, depending on how much data you have. Leave it running in the background and check on it from time to time.

   

6. Review the Results

   When the scan completes, the Found and resolved detections screen appears. Any threats found were automatically cleaned and quarantined — there’s nothing extra you need to do. Click View detailed results if you want to see exactly what was removed.
   

   If ESET found nothing — congratulations, your computer has passed the final check and is malware-free.

STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware virus because the private key which is needed to unlock the encrypted files is only available through the attackers. However, below we’ve listed three options you can use to try and recover your files.

Option 1: Search a decryption tool for this ransomware

The cybersecurity community is constantly working to create ransomware decryption tools, so you can try to search these sites for updates:

• https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/
• https://decrypter.emsisoft.com/
• https://noransom.kaspersky.com/
• https://www.avast.com/ransomware-decryption-tools

Option 2: Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free to recover the encrypted files

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free can restore files and repair corrupted files with simple clicks. Its powerful scanning algorithms can identify and retrieve huge file type library, including all of the popular video files, audio files, photos, and document formats.
While the free version only allows you to recover 2 GB of data, this can be helpful to see if the recovery is possible and restore back the most important files from your computer.

1. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.

   You can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free by clicking the link below.

   

   EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD FREE DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard)

2. Double-click on the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free setup file.

   When EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

   

   You may be presented with a User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow EaseUS to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free installation.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation begins, click on the “Install Now” as seen in the image below.
   

   When your EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation completes, click the “Start Now” button to start the program.
   

4. Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files.

   Choose the drive or folder where you are the encrypted files that you want to recover and click “Scan“.
   

5. Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.

   EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will now scan your computer files that can be restored. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

6. Find the files you want to recover.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan is finished scanning it will show a screen that displays the files that can be recovered. This tool can recover a lot of data, use the “Filter” button to quickly filter specific file types and find the files that you want to recover.
   

   Click the “Preview” button or double-click on a file for a full preview.
   

7. Select your files and click “Recover”.

   Finally, select the the files you want to recover and click “Recover“.
   
   Choose a safe location to save all the files.
   
   The free version only allow you to recover 2 GB of data, however, this will allow you to recover the most important files and see if EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can correctly recover them.
   

Option 3: Try to restore your files with ShadowExplorer

This ransomware will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.

1. Download ShadowExplorer.

   You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link.

   SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK
   (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”)

2. Install ShadowExplorer.

   Double-click on the ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.
   

3. Select snapshot date.

   Open ShadowExplorer and then from the top bar select the drive where the files that you want to save are located, then select from the snapshot available one previous to this infection.

   

4. Export the files that you want to recover.

   Once you have found a copy of the original file or folder, right-click on it and the select “Export”. A window will prompt you where you want to save the file or folder.
   

Keep every .taro name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.taro back to 1.jpg, or invoice.pdf.taro back to a normal PDF, or vacation.jpg.taro back to a photo, or taxes.xlsx.taro back to a spreadsheet, or family.mp4.taro back to a video. Stripping the extra ending is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better. The original name is already sitting in front of .taro. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost. Leave the ID line alone. Do not “correct” a blank {id} because a writeup used that sample.

Keep !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht with the locked files, and keep at least one .taro sample next to it. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not fill an ID so the flyer looks complete. Do not invent a wallet, a Session ID, or an onion. The blanks, or the extra text on your disk, are part of how you prove this was this strain and not a different locker that only sounds similar. Keep the contact marks as identifiers: taro666@jitjat.org, taro@reddithub.com, the AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA line, the 3-file test offer, the Darknet leak and sell lines, and the write-to-ALL-2 instruction. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.

Do not email taro666@jitjat.org. Do not email taro@reddithub.com. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A pair of calm addresses is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht and offers “the real ID,” that is still the same shop. If a later message skips the original inboxes and asks for coin over a different address, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway.

Do not send the 3-file demo. Do not pay. If someone claims they can already decrypt Taro files for a fee because they can recite AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA and both inboxes, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention Tarovoucher.online or Taroffers.com as proof they “already called the crew,” they mixed a voucher-shop guide with a locker. This is Taro ransomware, a MedusaLocker-family locker, not a voucher cart. Do not answer. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer.

If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .taro type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.

The Bottom Line

Taro ransomware is a MedusaLocker-family locker with a readable filename, an MHT how-to that shouts AES-256+RSA-2048+CHACHA, and a checkout that names two inboxes and leaves the victim ID blank. It keeps the old name and appends .taro. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.taro. The note is !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht. It claims a hacked server, a key stored on their side, a free test on 3 small files, a leak, Darknet publication if there is no dialogue, a ruined reputation, and a sale of the most important information. It tells you to write to ALL of these 2 emails: taro666@jitjat.org and taro@reddithub.com. It tells you to put your ID in the subject. The sample leaves that ID blank. This page will not invent an ID, a wallet, a Session ID, an onion, or a victim $ figure. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. This is not the published Tarovoucher.online voucher investigation. This is not the published Taroffers.com storefront investigation. jitjat.org and reddithub.com are attacker mail, not companies to smear.

Do not email taro666@jitjat.org. Do not email taro@reddithub.com. Do not send 3 test files. Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock. Do not pay. Do not rename the pile in bulk. Keep !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht and a .taro sample. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .taro, plus !!!HOW_TO_DECRYPT!!!.mht and those two inboxes, is ransomware on the first sighting. It is MedusaLocker-family Taro, not a voucher shop. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the blank ID line.