CHOCVM Ransomware 🔐 (.CHOCOLATE File) — Removal Guide

The Chocvm virus belongs to the ransomware type of infection, that belongs to Makop malware family. Harmful software of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, leaving the +README-WARNING+.txt text files in every folder with the encrypted files.

What is known about the Chocvm virus?

The renaming will be done according to the following scheme: .chocolate. In the course of encryption, a file entitled, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.[2AF20FA3].[[email protected]].chocolate”.

In every folder containing the encoded files, a +README-WARNING+.txt text file will be created. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the Chocvm developers. You can get this decryptor after contacting [email protected] through email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Chocvm Overview:

The +README-WARNING+.txt document coming in package with the Chocvm ransomware states the following:

::: Greetings ChocVM :::

Little FAQ:

.1.
Q: Whats Happen?
A: Your files have been encrypted. The file structure was not damaged, we did everything possible so that this could not happen.

.2.
Q: How to recover files?
A: If you wish to decrypt your files you will need to pay us.

.3.
Q: What about guarantees?
A: Its just a business. We absolutely do not care about you and your deals, except getting benefits. If we do not do our work and liabilities - nobody will cooperate with us. Its not in our interests.
To check the ability of returning files, you can send to us any 2 files with SIMPLE extensions(jpg,xls,doc, etc... not databases!) and low sizes(max 1 mb), we will decrypt them and send back to you. That is our guarantee.

.4.
Q: How to contact with you?
A: You can write us to our mailboxes: [email protected] or [email protected]

.5.
Q: How will the decryption process proceed after payment?
A: After payment we will send to you our scanner-decoder program and detailed instructions for use. With this program you will be able to decrypt all your encrypted files.

.6.
Q: If I don t want to pay bad people like you?
A: If you will not cooperate with our service - for us, its does not matter. But you will lose your time and data, cause only we have the private key. In practice - time is much more valuable than money.

:::BEWARE:::
DON\'T try to change encrypted files by yourself!
If you will try to use any third party software for restoring your data or antivirus solutions - please make a backup for all encrypted files!
Any changes in encrypted files may entail damage of the private key and, as result, the loss all data.

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Chocvm looks like. Each filename has the “.chocolate” extension appended to it.

How did Chocvm ransomware end up on my PC?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for evil-doers to have ransomware settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you access your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malicious file attached to them. Therefore, it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus model. A Trojan is an object that gets into your computer pretending to be something different. For example, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful program that compromises your data. As the update file can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Chocvm virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

How сan I avert ransomware attack?

Chocvm ransomware has no superpower, so as any similar malware.

You can armour your computer from its infiltration in three easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailboxes with unknown 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?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A fake letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such software.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Is it possible to open “.chocolate” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.chocolate” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Chocvm ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encoded files might still be at your disposal

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• 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 utilities¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.

1. Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.