Eliminating Croc Ransomware (Crypto-Malware/Ransomware)

What is Croc ransomware? And how does it carry out its attack?
Croc ransomware is a new crypto-virus discovered on April 22, 2019. It is created using the Scarab ransomware builder which operates as a “RaaS” or Ransomware as a Service platform. It follows the already established behavior and tactics of its previous versions in carrying out its attack. In other words, nothing much has changed in this new Scarab variant as this still uses the same modular malware engine which can be tweaked according to the exact campaign. As such, it begins to carry out its attack with an information gathering component that has the ability to hijack sensitive data from the affected system. The collected information is then utilized by the stealth protection module which can protect the ransomware from detection and removal. During this phase, this particular module scans for the presence of antivirus programs, virtual machine hosts as well as sandbox environments. After that, it will modify the Windows Registry to make sure that it can run on every system boot.
In addition, Croc ransomware is also capable of establishing a network connection with the servers controlled by its creators. And if configured well, this module could also be used to spy on the victims activities on their affected computers. After the changes are applied, it will begin the encryption process by applying a sophisticated encryption algorithm and then append the .croc extension to each one of the encrypted file. Following the encryption, a file named “HELP_BY_CROC.txt” is generated which contains the following ransom note:
“Hello,
all your files have been encrypted.
>>> Your personal ID:
[random characters]
If you want to recovery your files, send us e-mail with your personal ID and 3 test files (non archived, total size of files must be less than 10Mb).
>>> Contacts:
[email protected]
[email protected]
If your mail server doesn’t send e-mail to our contacts, we recommended you to create
an e-mail on Protonmail.com (https://protonmail.com).
>>> ATTENTION!
* Do not rename encrypted files.
* Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent
data loss.
* Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price
(they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.”
If you are one of the unfortunate users infected with this crypto-malware, paying the ransom is not the best and wisest way to deal with it as cyber crooks can’t be trusted including the ones who created Croc ransomware. You must prioritize its removal first and then try out other alternatives to recover the affected files. Until then, you can use whatever backup copies you have of the encrypted files.
How is the payload file of Croc ransomware distributed online?
Croc ransomware proliferates using the very same method used by other variants which is via spam emails. This distribution method remains popular for ransomware developers as it seems to be one of the most efficient ways to spread ransomware threats. Thus, you need to be extra cautious when opening and downloading attachments from your email as it might be the malicious payload of Croc ransomware.
Eliminating Croc ransomware from your system wouldn’t be that easy so you need to follow the given removal guide below carefully as well as the advanced steps that follows.
Step 1: Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time to open a menu and then expand the Shutdown options which is right next to the power button.
Step 2: After that, tap and hold the Shift key and then click on Restart.
Step 3: And in the Troubleshoot menu that opens, click on the Advanced options and then go to the Startup settings.
Step 4: Click on Restart and tap F4 to select Safe Mode or tap F5 to select Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 5: After your PC has successfully rebooted, tap Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
Step 6: Go to the Processes tab and look for any suspicious-looking processes that could be related to Croc ransomware and then end their processes.

Step 7: Exit the Task Manager and open the Programs and Features section under Control Panel by pressing the Windows key + R, then type in “appwiz.cpl” and then click OK or tap Enter.
Step 8: From there, look for any suspicious-looking programs that could be related to Croc ransomware and then uninstall it.

Step 9: Close Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Step 10: Now navigate to the following locations and look for the malicious components created by Croc ransomware like HELP_BY_CROC.txt and [random].exe and then make sure to delete them all.
%APPDATA%
%TEMP%
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Step 11: Close the File Explorer.
Before you proceed to the next steps below, make sure that you are tech savvy enough to the point where you know exactly how to use and navigate your computer’s Registry. Keep in mind that any changes you make will highly impact your computer. To save you the trouble and time, you can just use [product-name] this system tool is proven to be safe and excellent enough that hackers won’t be able to hack into it. But if you can manage Windows Registry well, then by all means go on to the next steps.
Step 12: Tap Win + R to open Run and then type in regedit in the field and tap enter to pull up Windows Registry.

Step 13: Navigate to the listed paths below and look for the registry keys and sub-keys created by Croc ransomware.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Step 14: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by Croc ransomware.
Step 15: Close the Registry Editor and empty your Recycle Bin.
Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies
Restoring your encrypted files using Windows’ Previous Versions feature will only be effective if Croc ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop-up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.

To ensure the removal of Croc ransomware from your system including the malicious components it has created on your system, follow the advanced steps below.
Perform a full system scan using [product-code]. To do so, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot it.
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
Type in the URL address, [product-url] in the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
After that, it will download the program. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
Once the installation process is completed, run [product-code] to perform a full system scan.