Herbst Ransomware Removal Guide

Do you know what Herbst Ransomware is?

Herbst Ransomware is a recently developed malicious application that is targeting computer users from Germany. However, the infection might be spread through malicious email attachments, so anyone could catch this malware. As any other ransomware, it encrypts personal files on user’s computer. What is unusual is that it locks your data that is placed in specific folders. Also, it encrypts them one by one, so if you notice it on time, the infection might be stopped. Our researchers gathered the most important information about this rather new malicious program, so keep reading the article and you will learn more about it. Additionally, we will suggest you a couple of removal methods that should help you eliminate the malware.

Users might infect their system with Herbst Ransomware while opening malicious email attachments. The letter could say that it is an important document related to your order, banking account, and so on. Infected email attachments often come with intriguing titles, so that users would be more tempted to open them. If you were not supposed to get an email like this or it looks suspicious in any other way, you should resist opening the included file. The smartest thing you could do is to scan the file with an antimalware software. If the attachment is malicious, the security tool will warn you.

Herbst Ransomware should use the AES-256 encryption algorithm to encrypt your files. Mainly, it locks data that is on the Desktop, My Pictures, and My Music directories. While testing the malware we noticed that at first it encrypts all files located on Desktop and only then moves to other directories. Thus, users have a chance to stop the infection once they notice that all data on Desktop has an additional .herbst extension. If you fail to remove the ransomware, it will lock all your files in the directories mentioned earlier.Herbst Ransomware Removal GuideHerbst Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

Afterward, you should see a pop-up that contains a message in the German language. It explains to you that it is impossible to decrypt encrypted files on your own. Furthermore, the pop-up states that you must pay required amount of money if you want to regain your data. For now, Herbst Ransomware’s creators demand a ransom of 0.1 Bitcoins, which is around 54 US dollars. The sum might seem small to you, but paying the ransom does not guarantee that people who created the malware will give you the decryption key. Also, if the most important files were placed in other directories, they might be unaffected, so there is no point in wasting your money.

No matter what you decide you should remove the malicious program from your computer. If you are still not sure whether you want to pay the ransom, you should write down the given Bitcoin address or other information that explains how to make the payment. To remove Herbst Ransomware from your system, you should locate the malicious file that you downloaded and launched yourself. As you realize, we cannot tell you its exact location or title because only you can know these things. Usually, users download files to the Desktop, Temporary files, or Downloads directories. Thus, if you do not remember where you saved the infected file, you can check these locations first.

The easier way to get rid of Herbst Ransomware is to download a trustworthy security tool. Pick a reliable tool and complete its installation. Once you launch it, you can initialize a system scan and wait till the antimalware software detects this ransomware. Then all you have to do is click the button that appears right after the scanning process is over and the malware will be eliminated.

Eliminate Herbst Ransomware

  1. Open the Explorer (Win+E).
  2. Find a malicious email attachment that you downloaded (check the Desktop, Downloads, and Temporary Files directories).
  3. Select the malicious file, right-click it and press Delete.
  4. Empty your Recycle bin.

In non-techie terms:

Herbst Ransomware is a malicious program that might have been created by developers from Germany. Security specialists say that the ransomware might have been released as a test version because it has some flaws. Thus, it may be that the ones who created this malware could update the infection and distribute it once more. Luckily, you can secure your system from threats such as ransomware or other malicious programs with an antimalware software. Also, you should watch out for suspicious email attachments as they are often used to spread malware.