M3G4C0RTX Virus 🔐 (.M3G4C0RTX Files) — How to Remove?

The M3g4c0rtx virus belongs with the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, creating the !-!_README_!-!.rtf files in every directory which contains the encrypted files.

What is known about the M3g4c0rtxvirus?

☝️ A strictly accurate description for the M3g4c0rtx is “a ransomware infection”.

M3g4c0rtx will add its extra .m3g4c0rtx extension to the name of each encrypted file. For instance, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.m3g4c0rtx”. Just like the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.m3g4c0rtx”, and so forth.

In every folder containing the encoded files, a !-!_README_!-!.rtf text document will be found. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] via email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.

M3g4c0rtx summary:

The !-!_README_!-!.rtf file accompanying the M3g4c0rtx ransomware provides the following discouraging information:

Your company\'s network has been breached and infected with MegaCortex Malware.

All of your user credentials have been changed and your files have been encrypted.
We ensure that the only way to retrieve your data swiftly and securely is with our software.
Restoration of your data requires a private key which only we possess.

To confirm that our decryption software works email to us 2 files from random computers.
You will receive further instructions after you send us the test files.

After receiving payment we will provide you with the decryptor including its full source code and credentials to your computers.
We have also downloaded your data to a secure location. In the unfortunate event of us not coming to an agreement we will have no choice but to make this data public.
Once the transaction is finalized all of copies of data we have downloaded will be erased.
We will provide any assistance if needed.


Contact emails:
[email protected]
or
[email protected]

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the M3g4c0rtx looks like. Each filename has the “.m3g4c0rtx” extension appended to it.

How did my computer get infected with M3g4c0rtx ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular ways for tamperers to have the M3g4c0rtx virus working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you access your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malicious item enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.

As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of the M3g4c0rtx virus?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the M3g4c0rtx virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your machine to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware² can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Often racketeers would decrypt few of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. As M3g4c0rtx virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Of course, if the malefactors do the job of encoding victim’s essential files, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The best solution 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 storage. Of course, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides M3g4c0rtx, that work similarly. For instance, Mzop, Erqw, Hhmm, and some others. The two major differences between them and the M3g4c0rtx are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in every directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the arrested files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware injection?

M3g4c0rtx ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can protect your computer from ransomware attack in several easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious email carefully. A hoax letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft³

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.m3g4c0rtx” files?Are the “.m3g4c0rtx” files accessible?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.m3g4c0rtx” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.m3g4c0rtx” files ASAP. How can I do that?

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 should I do if the M3g4c0rtx ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the blocked files can be located elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, phone, flash memory, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery utilities⁵ to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the virus with an antivirus program.

Also, you can contact the following governmental 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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