back to article Kaspersky announces 'death' of Coinvault, Bitcryptor ransomware

The Coinvault and Bitcryptor ransomware are officially dead according to Kaspersky: the alleged authors have been arrested, and all 14,000 decryption keys released allowing victims to avoid paying ransoms to unlock their files. The ransomware variants infected thousands of machines locking up valuable files and demanding …

  1. John Tserkezis

    "During our joint investigation we have obtained data that can help you to decrypt the files being held hostage on your PC," Kaspersky says.

    Now all you have to do is subscribe to Kaspersky. Or if you choose to not subscribe, you get nothing.

    1. h4rm0ny

      Well, yes. Kapersky services their customers as they should.

      I don't think Kapersky have a lock on the keys, btw. Now that they are available I imagine others could produce similar tools. Kapersky are simply the fastest off the block with building this into their software and their company did some of the initial work examining CoinVault so helped bring this about.

      But yes, Kapersky Labs wont be emailing a tool to resolve this to random people who aren't their customers, you are right.

    2. graeme leggett Silver badge

      seems to be freely available (at first glance)

      https://noransom.kaspersky.com/

      suggests you use the "free trial" of Kaspersky AV first to remove CoinVault

  2. Captain Badmouth
    Thumb Up

    Licence fee?

    "Now all you have to do is subscribe to Kaspersky. Or if you choose to not subscribe, you get nothing."

    Seems pretty cheap to me considering what they've helped you avoid.

  3. oneeye

    Seems Kaspersky is only good at take downs in Russia if the majority of victims are comrades. If the victims are outside of the motherland,well then,big bear shrugs. Sounds unfair but I did the research,and they write about other malware, that others discovered first. Never seem to find the bad guys attacking outsiders. And before you bitch, provide proof .

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    With any luck...

    the crims will rot in prison. One has to wonder about Kaspersky however... They seem to come up with magic bullets far too often. Maybe the black hats and the white hats are working a little too closely?

    1. h4rm0ny

      Re: With any luck...

      Kapersky Labs were the ones who unearthed the Equation Group and their work. And that is some of the most sophisticated malware ever written (if not THE most sophisticated). If they can find that, why do you look for conspiracies for them to defeat far less sophisticated attacks? Or is it actually your contention that Kapersky and the NSA are "working a little too closely". Because that would be the only way your statement stood up.

      What's with the "throw enough mud" crowd here today. No evidence, barely any logic, but hey, let's all attack Kapersky because you know... Russian.

  5. dorsetknob
    Coat

    The Russians have the crypto keys

    Its a fiendish Russian Plot to screw the NSA fund raising efforts now the NSA will have to release a new crypto virus to maintain their cashflow

    I'll get my coat as the Cold war just got colder

  6. Gordon Pryra

    Its free

    Its free

    They arent going to shoot the good press they get from this in the foot for 13k single user licenses

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