MTX Virus (.MTX Files of Ransomware) — [email protected]

The Mtx virus falls within the Dharma ransomware family. Malware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, leaving the info.txt text files in each folder with the encrypted files.

What is Mtx?

☝️ A scientifically accurate designation for the Mtx would be “a Dharma family ransomware infection”.

The pattern of renaming is the following: mtx. In the course of encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.id-162C344D.[[email protected]].MTX”.

In every directory containing the encrypted files, a info.txt text file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] and [email protected] via email. That is it.

Mtx abstract:

The info.txt document accompanying the Mtx malware provides the following discouraging information:

all your data has been locked us
You want to return?
write email [email protected] or [email protected] 

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

How did my computer get infected with Mtx ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular methods for malefactors to have the Mtx virus acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer networks.

If you access your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a harmful item attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How do I get rid of the Mtx virus?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Mtx virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Often tamperers would unblock few of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. As Mtx virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Of course, if the criminals do the job of encrypting victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of malefactors simply vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The best solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Obviously, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the system restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Mtx, that work similarly. For instance, Xcmb, Dehd, Zaqi, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Mtx are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in every directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate people were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware experts. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How do I avert ransomware attack?

Mtx ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can armour yourself from ransomware attack taking three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A fake email will surely have mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, possibly as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But dubious programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try to find information about this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution 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”.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Can I somehow access “.mtx” files?

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

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

If the “.mtx” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Mtx malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Some of the encrypted data can be found elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your critical files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files too.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a portable device, mobile, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can use file recovery utilities⁵ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you can do it only after you kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus 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.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.