Cryptomaniac Ransomware Removal Guide

Do you know what Cryptomaniac Ransomware is?

Ransomware is one of the most profitable computer infections that access computers in disguise. The Cryptomaniac ransomware is a threat that has been released into the wild as an email attachment. Moreover, the infection is known to be capable of compromising computers after exploiting poor RDP settings. The Cryptomaniac threat was noticed in the middle of December 2017 and is now under investigation. If your computer is affected by the Cryptomaniac threat, we strongly recommend that you do no delay its removal, but take immediate action right now.

It has been found that the Cryptomaniac ransomware may have some flaws in its code which leads to unsuccessful encryption. An analysis of the ransomware has revealed that in case of a successful encryption, users would loss access to over 100 file types, including formats such as .xlc, .mpg, bmp, .mp4, and many others. A typical instance of encryption includes the addition of a file extension to an encrypted file. The Cryptomaniac ransomware should add the extension .maniac. The code of the infection implies that the original name of encrypted remains intact after the encryption.

Additionally, the Cryptomaniac ransomware should create two files containing information about the victim's further actions. The files are created in different formats, .txt and .html, and both are named "Readme_to_recover_files". The two files provide the victim with the same information, according to which, it is necessary to pay a release fee in Bitcoins worth $500. After receiving the payment, the crooks claim to send a decryption tool to the victim, which should not be taken for granted. To encourage the victim to pay the money requested, the ransomware offers the victim to have up to 10 files of specific formats decrypted free of charge before submitting the payment. It is vital to disregard such tricks played by the ransomware because the free decryption offered does not prove that the decryption of all the data affected will be the following step. Different law enforcement institutions fighting against cyber crime advise against paying up in order to deprive cyber criminals of revenue, which is their primary motivation for building destructive software.

Unlike the majority ransomware infections, the Cryptomaniac ransomware is capable of deleting some files with given extensions. This action is very often presented only as a scare tactic, which is not the case in the present situation. The Cryptomaniac threat is programmed to remove 25 files permanently every 60 minutes so that the victim is urged to take action to pay the ransom.

Another ruinous characteristic of Cryptomaniac is that the infected computer is set as part of a spam network. Chances are that the threat would also change the background image of the desktop to something related to the attackers' demands. Moreover, the infection has been found to be capable of deleting Shadow Volume Copies, which are backup copies taken manually or automatically even when they are in use. On the whole, making your data backups to a separate device on a regular basis is extremely important so that you can recreate your lost data after removing the ransomware infection.

Every computer infection should be removed once spotted on the computer, and the Cryptomaniac ransomware is no exception. The threat can be removed manually using our removal guide given below, but our team recommends using a reputable anti-malware program which removes the ransomware and many other threat, which might be present on your unprotected computer. The Internet is full of infections targeted at unprotected or poorly protected devices. If you do not want to become a statistic related to ransomware infections, remove the Cryptomaniac ransomware as soon as you can.

How to remove Cryptomaniac Ransomware

  1. Check the desktop for questionable recently downloaded files and delete if any are present.
  2. Delete the files Readme_to_recover_files.txt and Readme_to_recover_files.html.

In non-techie terms:

The Cryptomaniac ransomware is a partially functioning computer infection the goal of which is to identify and encrypt specific files and demand for a ransom. At the moment, fortunately, the infection fails to encrypt files, but if you have noticed that your computer is working sluggishly or that questionable files containing a so-called ransom are present on the desktop, you should react immediately to remove the threat and shield the system from computer threats, which vary in their intentions and capabilities.