Do you know what Karl Ransomware is?
Karl Ransomware might have encrypted all of your documents, photos, and other personal files without you knowing about it. Unfortunately, this infection is clandestine, and it does not reveal itself until the damage is done. The threat has to reveal itself because the whole purpose of the infection is to corrupt your files so that you could be forced to pay money to have them restored. Due to this, once files are encrypted, a file named “_readme.txt” is created. This file is dropped to the %HOMEDRIVE% directory, but copies could be dispersed across the entire operating system. Opening this file is not dangerous, but trusting the infection presented via it is. Of course, even though the file is not dangerous, you should delete every single component created by the malicious threat. So, are you ready to remove Karl Ransomware?
Before you delete Karl Ransomware from your operating system, you might be interested in learning how this threat works. After all, the more you know about malware, the better are your chances of keeping it away from your operating system in the future, right? The first thing we should mention is that Karl Ransomware was created using the STOP Ransomware code, which makes it a clone of Kuub Ransomware, Seto Ransomware, Kvag Ransomware, and many other dangerous file-encryptors. The attacker behind this malware is likely to employ spam email attachments, unreliable installers, and, of course, remote access flaws to drop the infection onto your system. Once executed – which, of course, is done silently – the threat encrypts files instantly, and the “.karl” extension is added to their names. Unfortunately, even if you delete this extension, the file will remain unreadable because of the encryption.
The ransom note (“_readme.txt”) is meant to convince you that you need to obtain a decryption tool and a decryption key to have your files restored. In return for it, the attackers demand a payment of $490. In a perfect world, you would contact the attackers (you are instructed to email gorentos@bitmessage.ch or gerentoshelp@firemail.cc), learn how to pay the ransom, pay the ransom, and then get your files back. Of course, we do not live in a perfect world. If you contact the cybercriminals behind Karl Ransomware, they could try to scam you (most likely, that would happen in the future) or make you pay a bigger ransom. If you pay the ransom, you are unlikely to obtain a decryptor, because that does not benefit the attackers, and all they care about is their own benefit. This is a simple reason why we do not recommend contacting the attackers or paying the ransom. Hopefully, you do not need to resort to that anyway because you can restore files from backup, or you might be able to employ a free decryptor created by malware analysts. Note that this tool only decrypts files encrypted with an offline key, and so it does not guarantee success.
Karl Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Whether or not you get your files back, you need to delete Karl Ransomware from your operating system, and we suggest that you do it as fast as you can. Those who can identify the launcher file should have no trouble eliminating the malicious infection manually. The remaining components are listed in the guide below. Unfortunately, we cannot point you to the launcher because its location and name are likely to be original. However, we can guarantee the successful removal of Karl Ransomware if you choose to employ reliable anti-malware software. It would automatically erase active infections, and it would also overhaul your system’s security to ensure that new infections cannot slither in.
Remove Karl Ransomware
- Find the {unknown name} launcher of the infection, right-click it, and select Delete.
- Tap Win+E keys at the same time to launch Windows Explorer.
- Type %HOMEDRIVE% into the bar at the top and then tap Enter.
- Right-click the ransom note file named _readme.txt and then select Delete.
- Right-click the folder named SystemID and select Delete.
- Type %LOCALAPPDATA% into the bar at the top and then tap Enter.
- Right-click a folder with a random name (the format should be 0115174b-bd55-4caf-a89a-d8ff8132151f) and select Delete to eliminate ransomware components.
- Exit Windows Explorer and then Empty Recycle Bin.
- Perform a full system scan using a trusted malware scanner to check for malware leftovers.
In non-techie terms:
You should not notice when Karl Ransomware slithers in, but if this malicious threat has found its way in, it is most likely that you have left your operating system exposed to malware without even knowing about it. Once inside, this malware encrypts files to have leverage when demanding money from you. Although the attackers want you to believe that you can purchase a decryptor, nothing is guaranteed, and, in fact, you are unlikely to obtain any useful tools by wasting your money on cybercriminals. Hopefully, you have backups that can replace the corrupted files, and maybe you can find a legitimate and free decryptor that can restore your files. Of course, that will happen only if the files were encrypted with an offline key, and so it is a gamble. Whatever happens, you must delete Karl Ransomware, and while manual removal is an option, our team strongly recommends implementing legitimate anti-malware software.