NOOSE (.NOOSE) Ransomware Virus Removal & File Decryption

The Noose virus belongs to the ransomware type of infection. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its extension to every file, leaving the OPEN_ME.txt files in every folder which contains the encrypted files.

Noose Virus

Noose will append its own .NOOSE extension to the title of every encrypted file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.NOOSE”. Likewise, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.NOOSE”, and so on.

In every directory with the encrypted files, a OPEN_ME.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decoding tool after contacting [email protected] via email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

The OPEN_ME.txt file accompanying the Noose malware provides the following dispiriting information:

----------National Office of Security Enforcement [N.O.O.S.E] Report----------

*Introduction:
National Office of Security Enforcement [N.O.O.S.E]
You were infected by a ransomware made by N.O.O.S.E
No need to Google us, we only exist when we want to.

*What happened?
You are infected with the NOOSE ransomware. This version does have an antidot.
Your unique ID is: NOOSEVariant2ID3754865400

*I want my data back:
To get your data back, you need our decryption software. Which only N.O.O.S.E have.
Our software is worth 1540 USD.

*About the decryption software:
To decrypt your files and data you\'ll need a private key. Without it, you can\'t have anything back.
Our software uses your safely stored private key to decrypt your precious data.
No other softwares can decrypt your data without the private key.

*Payment currency:
We only accept Monero XMR as a payment method.

*Payment information:
Price: 9.7 XMR
Monero address: 476cVjnoiK2Ghv17CqMQFeuB3NTzJ2X28tfRmWaPyPQgvoHV5cYTKSd7CuF4LZJ76ZcDDt1WZZvpdZDuzbgPBPVs3yBBJ32

*After the payment:
-Send us a mail to [email protected] in the correct following format:
           -Subject: [Your country name] Device/user name (Example: [USA] John Doe)
           -My unique ID: [Your unique ID].
           -Transaction ID: [Transaction ID] and an attached screenshot of the payment.

*Verification and confirmation:
Once we verify and confirm your payment, we recognize your device and send you the decryption software.

*Important notes:
-We might give you a discount if you contact us within 24 hours.
-Due to our busy emails, we may take up to 24 hours to respond.
-All of our clients got their data back after the payment.
-Failure to write in the correct form will get your mail ignored.
-Any attempt to fake a transaction ID or screenshot will lead to a permanent loss of data.

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

How did my machine catch Noose ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited ways for malefactors to have the Noose virus planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you open your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a ransomware item enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine pretending to be something else. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some service. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that encodes your data. Since the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software developers’ official websites.
• 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 Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Noose virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.

How to avert ransomware attack?

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

You can armour yourself from its attack within three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious letter with caution. A hoax email will always have a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked software, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from reliable ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities¹ 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 be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.