The Cantopen virus belongs to the ransomware type of malicious agent. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its own extension to every file, leaving the HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt files in each directory containing encrypted files.
What is known about the Cantopenvirus?
☝️ A strictly correct designation for the Cantopen is “a ransomware-type infection”.
Cantopen adds its extra .cantopen extension to every file’s name. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.cantopen”. Just like the Excel file with the name “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.cantopen”, and so on.
In every directory that contains the encrypted files, a HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt text document will be created. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is pretty much the scheme of the malefaction.
Cantopen abstract:
| Name | Cantopen Virus |
| Extension | .cantopen |
| Ransomware note | HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt |
| Detection | TrojanRansom.AutoIt, Virus.Virlock.03, Trojan.ShipUp |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .cantopen extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Cantopen virus |
In the picture below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Cantopen looks like. Each filename has the “.cantopen” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .cantopen files.
How did Cantopen ransomware end up on my PC?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for criminals to have ransomware planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer networks.
If you open your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a ransomware item attached to them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan file scheme1. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine pretending to be something different. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that corrupts your data. As the installation package can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How to remove the Cantopen virus?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Cantopen virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Often tamperers would decrypt several of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Cantopen virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon arrive.
Of course, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors simply disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The best safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
Cantopen is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Maak, Bbbw, Maiv, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Cantopen are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.
Some lucky victims were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decryption key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware attack?
Cantopen ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can armour your PC from its injection in three easy steps:
- Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the dubious email carefully. A fake email will surely contain mistakes.
- Never use cracked or unknown software. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful armor for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your system.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your PC for Cantopen infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.cantopen” files?Is it possible to open“.cantopen” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.cantopen” files are decrypted.
🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. The rest of the methods require patience.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Cantopen malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?
Absolutely not! The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your computer off the actual threats. The ransomware that has attacked your PC is probably still functional and running scans periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Cantopen virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Cantopen virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to have a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or brought into your computer. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Some of the blocked data can be located elsewhere.
- If you sent or received your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, cellphone, memory stick, etc.
HINT: You can employ file recovery programs4 to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following official fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove CANTOPEN Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: CANTOPEN Virus
Description: CANTOPEN Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .cantopen extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
