Do you know what Mogranos Ransomware is?
Mogranos Ransomware is a serious threat, and if you have the chance, you should secure your operating system and personal files against it because if it slithers in and corrupts your personal files, you might be unable to do much about it. To protect the system, it is easiest to employ anti-malware software that is designed for that very purpose. Of course, you want to be careful about the emails you open, the files you download, the sites you visit, and the security backdoors you might expose. To add an extra layer of protection for your personal files, create backups. Create them online or on external drives, and if anything bad happens to the original files, you will always have replacements. If you already need to remove Mogranos Ransomware from your operating system, you are in a sticky situation.
According to our research team, Mogranos Ransomware is a variant of STOP Ransomware. It is not the only infection of that kind. Amongst various other variants, we have Darus Ransomware, Kiratos Ransomware, and Guvara Ransomware. For the most part, these infections work the same, which is why their removal is similar also. Once they encrypt files, they add unique extensions to the corrupted personal files, and, in our case, the “.mogranos” extension is appended. Once this extension is added, there is no doubt that the file is unreadable. Along with the corrupted files, Mogranos Ransomware should create a file named “_readme.txt.” The name of this file is always the same, and the message inside is usually the same too; except for a few important details.
The message that Mogranos Ransomware delivers informs about the encryption and suggests obtaining a decryption tool and key. To obtain it, the victim has to pay $490 ($980 after 72 hours). There is little information about the payment, which is done on purpose. This is meant to guarantee that victims contact the attackers via email (gorentos@bitmessage.ch and gorentos2@firemail.cc) or Telegram (@datarestore). Note that contacting attackers is always a bad idea, and if you do it, you need to be prepared for scams and malware installers. Once you get over this hurdle, you still have to face the ransom, and paying it is extremely risky. It is highly unlikely that you would be provided with a decryptor if you wasted your money, and so we do not recommend paying any attention to the demands. Instead, you should focus on deleting Mogranos Ransomware.
Are you experienced with malware removal? Even if you are, every single infection is unique, and Mogranos Ransomware removal could be complicated. The name and location of the launcher file are unknown, and other components could be difficult to identify also. Of course, you do not need to delete the infection manually. You could implement a trustworthy anti-malware tool to have Mogranos Ransomware deleted automatically. We have already discussed why installing anti-malware software is important, and this is a time as good as any to get your system protected. Hopefully, once all infections are removed, you can replace the corrupted files with backups, or you can find a legitimate file decryptor that is capable of restoring your files for free.
Remove Mogranos Ransomware
- Find the {unknown name}.exe launcher of the infection, right-click it, and select Delete.
- Right-click the file named _readme.txt and select Delete (repeat with all copies).
- Launch Run (tap Win+R keys) and then enter regedit into the box to access Registry Editor.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
- Right-click and Delete the {unknown name} value created by ransomware.
- Launch Explorer (tap Win+E keys) and then use the quick access field to access the following directories.
- Move to %LOCALAPPDATA% (%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data).
- Delete all unknown folders and malicious .exe and .ps1 files
- Move to %WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\.
- Delete all unknown tasks set up by the malicious infection.
- Empty Recycle Bin and then quickly install a legitimate malware scanner.
- Perform a full system scan to make sure no leftovers exist.
In non-techie terms:
The stealthy Mogranos Ransomware slithers in silently so that it could encrypt your personal files without your notice. Once files are encrypted, the data within them is changed, and that is why they cannot be read. This is what the attackers behind the infection want because if you are desperate to have your files decrypted, you might be willing to pay the ransom. Before you can do it, you are supposed to contact the attackers, and that is risky already. We do not recommend communicating with cyber criminals or paying the ransom. Instead, you should focus on deleting Mogranos Ransomware. Hopefully, you can find a free decryptor, or you can replace the corrupted files with backups afterward. To remove the infection, either follow the guide above, but do so at your own risk, or install an anti-malware program that will automatically locate and remove all existing threats.