{"id":53769,"date":"2016-08-04T05:24:06","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T05:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=53769"},"modified":"2016-08-04T05:24:06","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T05:24:06","slug":"remove-venuslocker-ransomware-venusf-files-encrypted-malware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-venuslocker-ransomware-venusf-files-encrypted-malware\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove VenusLocker ransomware (.Venusf Files Encrypted Malware)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VenusLocker<\/strong> is a file-encrypting ransomware, which will encrypt the personal documents found on victim\u2019s computer using RSA-2048 key (AES CBC 256-bit encryption algorithm), appending the <em>.Venusf<\/em> extension to encrypted files. The VenusLocker ransomware then displays a message which offers to decrypt the data if a payment of about 0.15 BTC, or approximately $100 is made.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53772\" title=\"VenusLocker Ransomware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Ransomware-1.jpg\" alt=\"VenusLocker malware\" width=\"743\" height=\"363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Ransomware-1.jpg 743w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Ransomware-1-300x147.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad3303350075\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53771\" title=\"VenusLocker .venusf\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Virus.jpg\" alt=\"VenusLocker malware\" width=\"762\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Virus.jpg 762w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/VenusLocker-Virus-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7efa6; color: #6a6641; margin: 5px; padding: 15px;\">\n<p>We cannot help your recover your files, and we\u00a0recommend that you use <strong>ShadowExplorer<\/strong> or <strong>(free) file recovery software<\/strong> to restore your documents. This guide was written to help you remove the infection itself, and if a 100% proven method to recover the encrypted files is found, we will update this guide.<\/p>\n<p>At this moment, there is no decryption tool available for the VenusLocker\u00a0ransomware. However, you can try to search these webpages for updates: https:\/\/decrypter.emsisoft.com\/ or https:\/\/id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com\/<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"#how\">1. How did the VenusLocker ransomware get on my computer?<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"#whatis\">2. What is VenusLocker Ransomware?<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"#infected\">3. Is my computer infected with VenusLocker ransomware?<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"#recovery\">4. Is it possible to decrypt files encrypted by VenusLocker ransomware?<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"#removal\">5. How to remove the VenusLocker ransomware (Virus Removal Guide)<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"#prevent\">6. How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by VenusLocker ransomware<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad3905705916\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"how\" class=\"mt_title\">1. How did the VenusLocker ransomware get on my computer?<\/h2>\n<p>The VenusLocker ransomware is distributed via spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can&#8217;t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to &#8211; and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the VenusLocker ransomware.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3091232796\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-49178\" title=\"VenusLocker ransomware email scam\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ransomware-scam.jpg\" alt=\"VenusLocker email ransomware\" width=\"640\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ransomware-scam.jpg 640w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ransomware-scam-300x137.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad2354935951\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309747-ad_309691-placement_360587\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9589536513\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"whatis\" class=\"mt_title\">2. What is VenusLocker ransomware?<\/h2>\n<p>The VenusLocker ransomware targets all versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. This infection is notable due to how it encrypts the user&#8217;s files \u2013 namely, it uses AES-265 and RSA encryption method &#8211; in order to ensure that the affected user has no choice but to purchase the private key.<\/p>\n<p>When the VenusLocker ransomware is first installed on your computer it will create a random named executable in the %AppData% or %LocalAppData% folder. This executable will be launched and begin to scan all the drive letters on your computer for data files to encrypt.<br \/>\nVenusLocker ransomware searches for files with certain file extensions to encrypt. The files it encrypts include important productivity documents and files such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .pdf, among others. When these files are detected, this infection will change the extension to <em>.Venusf<\/em>, so they are no longer able to be opened.<br \/>\nVenusLocker changes the name of each encrypted file to the following format: Filename .Venusf.<\/p>\n<p>Files targeted are those commonly found on most PCs today; a list of file extensions for targeted files include:<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3192504441\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>.sql, .mp4, .7z, .rar, .m4a, .wma, .avi, .wmv, .csv, .d3dbsp, .zip, .sie, .sum, .ibank, .t13, .t12, .qdf, .gdb, .tax, .pkpass, .bc6, .bc7, .bkp, .qic, .bkf, .sidn, .sidd, .mddata, .itl, .itdb, .icxs, .hvpl, .hplg, .hkdb, .mdbackup, .syncdb, .gho, .cas, .svg, .map, .wmo, .itm, .sb, .fos, .mov, .vdf, .ztmp, .sis, .sid, .ncf, .menu, .layout, .dmp, .blob, .esm, .vcf, .vtf, .dazip, .fpk, .mlx, .kf, .iwd, .vpk, .tor, .psk, .rim, .w3x, .fsh, .ntl, .arch00, .lvl, .snx, .cfr, .ff, .vpp_pc, .lrf, .m2, .mcmeta, .vfs0, .mpqge, .kdb, .db0, .dba, .rofl, .hkx, .bar, .upk, .das, .iwi, .litemod, .asset, .forge, .ltx, .bsa, .apk, .re4, .sav, .lbf, .slm, .bik, .epk, .rgss3a, .pak, .big, wallet, .wotreplay, .xxx, .desc, .py, .m3u, .flv, .js, .css, .rb, .png, .jpeg, .txt, .p7c, .p7b, .p12, .pfx, .pem, .crt, .cer, .der, .x3f, .srw, .pef, .ptx, .r3d, .rw2, .rwl, .raw, .raf, .orf, .nrw, .mrwref, .mef, .erf, .kdc, .dcr, .cr2, .crw, .bay, .sr2, .srf, .arw, .3fr, .dng, .jpe, .jpg, .cdr, .indd, .ai, .eps, .pdf, .pdd, .psd, .dbf, .mdf, .wb2, .rtf, .wpd, .dxg, .xf, .dwg, .pst, .accdb, .mdb, .pptm, .pptx, .ppt, .xlk, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xls, .wps, .docm, .docx, .doc, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Once your files are encrypted with the <em>.Venusf<\/em> extension, the VenusLocker ransomware will create the <strong>ReadMe.TXT<\/strong>\u00a0files ransom note in each folder that a file has been encrypted and on the Windows desktop.<br \/>\nThese files are located in every folder that a file was encrypted as well as in the user&#8217;s Startup folder so that they are automatically displayed when a user logs in. These files will contain the information on how to access the payment site and get your files back.<\/p>\n<p>When the infection has finished scanning your computer it will also delete all of the Shadow Volume Copies that are on the affected computer. It does this so that you cannot use the shadow volume copies to restore your encrypted files.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad381086364\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309748-ad_309691-placement_360588\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3906789406\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"infected\" class=\"mt_title\">3. Is my computer infected with VenusLocker Ransomware?<\/h2>\n<p>When VenusLocker ransowmare infects your computer it will scan all the drive letters for targeted file types, encrypt them, and then append the .Venusf extension to them. Once these files are encrypted, they will no longer able to be opened by your normal programs. When VenusLocker ransowmare has finished encrypting the victim&#8217;s files, it will change the desktop wallpaper to an image that acts like a ransom note. It will also display a HTML ransom note in your default browser. These ransom notes include instructions on how to connect to the Decrypt Service where you can learn more about what happened to your files and how you can make a payment.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2332041432\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381401-ad_309691-placement_360573\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5315249587\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>The messages displayed by this ransomware infection can be localized depending on the user\u2019s location, with text written in the appropriate language.<br \/>\nThis the message that the VenusLocker\u00a0ransomware may display:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- Venus Locker &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, you are hacked.<\/p>\n<p>1. What happened to my files?<\/p>\n<p>Your personal files, including your photos, documents, videos and other important files on this computer, have been encrypted<br \/>\nwith RSA-4096, a strong encryption algorithm. RSA algorithm generates a public key and a private key for your computer. The<br \/>\npublic key was used to encrypt your files a moment ago. The private key is necessary for you to decrypt and recover your files.<br \/>\nNow, your private key is stored on our secret Internet server. And there is no doubt that no one can recover your files without<br \/>\nyour private key.<\/p>\n<p>For further information about RSA algorithm, please refer to https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RSA_(cryptosystem)<\/p>\n<p>2. How to decrypt my files?<\/p>\n<p>To decrypt and recover your files, you have to pay 100 US Dollars for the private key and decryption service. Please note that<br \/>\nyou have ONLY 72 HOURS to complete your payment. If your peyment do not be completed within time limit, your private key will be<br \/>\ndeleted automatically by our server. All your files will be permanently encrypted and nobody can recover them. Therefore, it is<br \/>\nadvised that you&#8217;d better not waste your time, because there is no other way to recover your files except making a payment.<\/p>\n<p>3. How to pay for my private key?<\/p>\n<p>There are three steps to make a payment and recover your files:<\/p>\n<p>1). For the security of transactions, all the payments must be completed via Bitcoin network. Thus, you need to exchange 100 US dollars<br \/>\n(or equivalent local currencies) to Bitcoins, and then send these Bitcoins (about 0.15 BTC) to the following address.<\/p>\n[edited]\n<p>2). Send your personal ID to our official email: VenusLocker@mail2tor.com<\/p>\n<p>Your personal ID is [edited]\n<p>3). You will receive a decryptor and your private key to recover all your files within one working day.<\/p>\n<p>4. What is Bitcoin?<\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin is an innovative payment network and a new kind of money. It is based on an open-source cryptographic protocol that is<br \/>\nindependent of any central authority. Bitcoins can be transferred through a computer or a smartphone withour an intermediate<br \/>\nfinancial institution.<\/p>\n<p>5. How to make a payment with Bitcoin?<\/p>\n<p>You can make a payment with Bitcoin based on Bitcoin Wallet or Based on Perfect Money. You can choose the way that is more convenient for you.<\/p>\n<p>About Based on Bitcoin Wallet<\/p>\n<p>1) Create a Bitcoin Wallet. We recommend Blockchain.info (https:\/\/blockchain.info\/)<\/p>\n<p>2) Buy necessary amount of Bitcoins. Our recommendations are as follows.<br \/>\nLocalBitcoins.com &#8212; the fastest and easiest way to buy and sell Bitcoins.<br \/>\nCoinCafe.com &#8212; the simplest and fastest way to buy, sell and use Bitcoins.<br \/>\nBTCDirect.eu &#8212; the best for Europe.<br \/>\nCEX.IO &#8212; Visa \/ MasterCard<br \/>\nCoinMama.com &#8212; Visa \/ MasterCard<br \/>\nHowToBuyBitcoins.info &#8212; discover quickly how to buy and sell Bitcoins in your local currency.<\/p>\n<p>3) As mentioned above, send about 0.15 BTC (equivalent to 100 USD) to our Bitcoin receiving address.<\/p>\n<p>4) As mentioned above, and then, send us your personal ID via email, you will receive your private key soon.<\/p>\n<p>About Based on Perfect Money<\/p>\n<p>1) Create a Perfect Money account. (https:\/\/perfectmoney.is)<\/p>\n<p>2) Visit to PMBitcoin.com. (https:\/\/pmbitcoin.com\/btc)<br \/>\ninput our Bitcoin receiving address in the &#8220;Bitcoin Wallet&#8221; textbox.<br \/>\ninput 100 in the &#8220;Amount&#8221; textbox, the amount of Bitcoin will be calculated automatically.<br \/>\nclick &#8220;PAY&#8221; button, then you can complete you payment with your Perfect Money account and local debit card.<\/p>\n<p>6. If you have any problem, please feel free to contact us via official email.<\/p>\n<p>Best Regards<br \/>\nVenusLocker Team<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad281302536\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_318930-ad_309691-placement_360589\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3818335085\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"recovery\" class=\"mt_title\">4. Is it possible to decrypt files encrypted by VenusLocker ransomware?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>No<\/strong>, at this time it&#8217;s not possible to recover the files encrypted by the VenusLocker ransomware.<\/p>\n<p>VenusLocker ransomware is notable due to how it encrypts the user&#8217;s files \u2013 namely, it uses AES-265 and RSA encryption method &#8211; in order to ensure that the affected user has no choice but to purchase the private key. The RSA public key can only be decrypted with its corresponding private key. Since the AES key is hidden using RSA encryption and the RSA private key is not available, decrypting the files is not feasible as of this writing.<\/p>\n<p>Brute forcing the decryption key is not realistic due to the length of time required to break an AES encryption key. Unfortunately, once the VenusLocker encryption of the data is complete, decryption is not feasible without paying the ransom.<br \/>\nBecause the needed private key to unlock the encrypted file is only available through the cyber criminals, victims may be tempted to purchase it and pay the exorbitant fee. However, doing so may encourage these bad guys to continue and even expand their operations. We strongly suggest that you do not send any money to these cyber criminals, and instead address to the law enforcement agency in your country to report this attack.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1546302480\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381404-ad_309691-placement_381406\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8735619847\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"mt_blue\">Restore the files encrypted by VenusLocker ransomware with recovery software<\/h3>\n<p>In some cases, it may be possible to recover previous versions of the encrypted files using System Restore or other recovery software used to obtain \u201cshadow copies\u201d of files.<\/p>\n<h4>Option 1: Restore your files encrypted by VenusLocker ransomware with ShadowExplorer<\/h4>\n<p>VenusLocker 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.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>ShadowExplorer<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shadowexplorer.com\/downloads.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong>SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;ShadowExplorer&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once you have downloaded and installed ShadowExplorer, you can follow the below video guide on how to restore your files while using this program.<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oaXtQ6rbvxA\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Alternatively, you can use the <a href=\"http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows7\/products\/features\/system-restore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">System Restore<\/a> to try to recover the encrypted documents.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad4225813441\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360582-ad_309691-placement_360581\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9971336976\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Option 2: Restore your files encrypted by VenusLocker ransomware with File Recovery Software<\/h4>\n<p>When VenusLocker encrypts a file it first makes a copy of it, encrypts the copy, and then deletes the original. Due to this you can use file recovery software such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.piriform.com\/recuva\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Recuva<\/a><br \/>\nYou can follow the below guide on how to use Recuva:<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LeEICG0zWqY\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.easeus.com\/datarecoverywizard\/free-data-recovery-software.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.r-studio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">R-Studio<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad4052900110\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381388-ad_309691-placement_381390\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3191649120\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"removal\" class=\"mt_title\">5. How to remove the VenusLocker ransomware (Virus Removal Guide)<\/h2>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7efa6; color: #6a6641; margin: 5px; padding: 15px;\">\n<p>It&#8217;s important to understand that by starting the removal process you risk losing your files, as we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover them. Furthermore, your files may be permanently compromised when trying to remove this infection or trying to recover the encrypted documents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the VenusLocker infection from\u00a0your computer, however we cannot guarantee that your personal files will be recovered. We cannot be held responsible for losing the\u00a0documents\u00a0during this removal process.<br \/>\nMalwarebytes and HitmanPro can detect and remove this infection, but <strong>these programs\u00a0cannot recover your encrypted<\/strong> files due to the nature of asymmetric encryption, which requires a private key to decrypt files encrypted with the public key.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 1: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to remove VenusLocker Ransomware<\/h3>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful on-demand scanner which will remove the VenusLocker Ransomware from your machine. It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1706023785\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360567-ad_309691-placement_360771\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6224621518\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong>\u00a0from the below link.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-malwarebytes-for-windows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a> <\/strong><em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named &#8220;<em>mbam-setup&#8221;<\/em> to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38277\" title=\"Double-click on the mbam-setup to install Malwarebytes\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Setup.jpg\" alt=\"Start Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup\" width=\"107\" height=\"107\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18096\" title=\"User Account Control icon\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/UAC-prompt.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of User Account Control\" width=\"13\" height=\"16\" \/> You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click \u201c<em>Yes<\/em>\u201d to continue with the installation.<\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, you will see the <em>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard<\/em> which will guide you through the installation process.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38272\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Installer.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Installer\" width=\"550\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Installer.jpg 550w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Installer-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><br \/>\nTo install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, <em>keep following the prompts<\/em> by clicking the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38271\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Final Setup Screen\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Final-Screen.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final screen\" width=\"544\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Final-Screen.jpg 544w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Final-Screen-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the &#8220;<strong>Scan Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38275\" title=\"Click on the Scan Now button to scan with Malwarebytes\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Scan Now\" width=\"661\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scan.jpg 661w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scan-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for malware. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38276\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-For-Malware.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Scanning for Malware\" width=\"662\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-For-Malware.jpg 662w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-For-Malware-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the &#8220;<strong>Remove Selected<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38273\" title=\"Click on Remove Selected to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Removing-Malware.jpg\" alt=\"Remove VenusLocker with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" width=\"648\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Removing-Malware.jpg 648w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Removing-Malware-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\" \/><br \/>\nPlease note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.<\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38274\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware asking to restart PC\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Restart-PC.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware asking to restart PC\" width=\"639\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Restart-PC.jpg 639w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Malwarebytes-Restart-PC-300x197.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><br \/>\nAfter your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another &#8220;Threat Scan&#8221; scan to verify that there are no remaining threats<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 2: Double-check for the VenusLocker ransomware with HitmanPro<\/h3>\n<p>HitmanPro finds and removes malware, adware, bots, and other threats that even the best antivirus suite can oftentimes miss. It&#8217;s designed to run alongside your antivirus suite, firewall, and other security tools.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-hitmanpro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;HitmanPro&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on the file named &#8220;<strong>HitmanPro.exe<\/strong>&#8221; (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or &#8220;<strong>HitmanPro_x64.exe<\/strong>&#8221; (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38264\" title=\"HitmanPro startup screen\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Installer.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro Installer\" width=\"635\" height=\"501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Installer.jpg 635w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Installer-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><br \/>\nClick on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38267\" title=\"itmanPro installation options (Click Next)\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Start-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"itmanPro while installing on PC\" width=\"641\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Start-Scan.jpg 641w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Start-Scan-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for VenusLocker malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38265\" title=\"HitmanPro scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scanning\" width=\"636\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan.jpg 636w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button, to remove VenusLocker virus.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38266\" title=\"HitmanPro scan results (Click Next)\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan-Results.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro detected malware\" width=\"642\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan-Results.jpg 642w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Scan-Results-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click on the &#8220;<strong>Activate free license<\/strong>&#8221; button to begin the <strong>free 30 days trial<\/strong>, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38263\" title=\"Click on the Activate free license button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-Free-License.jpg\" alt=\"Remove malware with HitmanPro\" width=\"631\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-Free-License.jpg 631w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-Free-License-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In some cases you may need to <a href=\"http:\/\/windows.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/change-desktop-background-wallpaper#1TC=windows-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">change your wallpaper<\/a>, and delete the harmless ReadMe.TXT and ReadMe.HTML files.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad3409925221\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381392-ad_309691-placement_381395\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2944237110\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"prevent\" class=\"mt_title\">How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by VenusLocker ransomware<\/h2>\n<p>To protect your computer from the VenusLocker ransomware, you should always have an antivirus installed on your computer and always have a backup for your personal documents. As an extra protection method, you can use programs called <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-hitmanpro\/alert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HitmanPro.Alert<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foolishit.com\/cryptoprevent-malware-prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CryptoPrevent<\/a>, which will prevent any file encrypting malware from running.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3861359219\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360571-ad_309691-placement_360772\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5867729999\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XrSP-CMjuFk?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Your computer should now be free of the VenusLocker ransomware infection.<\/p>\n<p>If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove virus from your machine, please do one of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Run a system scan with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-zemana-antimalware\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zemana AntiMalware<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Start a new thread in our <strong><a title=\"Free Malware Removal Support\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance.10\/\" target=\"_blank\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VenusLocker is a file-encrypting ransomware, which will encrypt the personal documents found on victim\u2019s computer using RSA-2048 key (AES CBC 256-bit encryption algorithm), appending the .Venusf extension to encrypted files. The VenusLocker ransomware then displays &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove VenusLocker ransomware (.Venusf Files Encrypted Malware)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-venuslocker-ransomware-venusf-files-encrypted-malware\/#more-53769\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove VenusLocker ransomware (.Venusf Files Encrypted Malware)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53770,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2727],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ransomware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}