How to remove Mmuz ransomware

Mmuz ransomware is malware that encrypts files. It comes from the Djvu/STOP malware family. Cybercriminals operating this ransomware family have released hundreds of ransomware versions that are essentially identical to one another, infecting thousands of users. This ransomware will encrypt your personal files and then demand that you pay a ransom in order to get a decryptor that would help recover the encrypted files. For users who have a backup, file recovery should not be an issue. However, users who do not have a backup are not likely to get their files back. There is the option of paying the ransom, but that is not recommended because it comes with many risks that will be explained further on in this report.

 

Mmuz ransomware is essentially identical to all other ransomware from Djvu/STOP malware family. You can differentiate which version you are dealing with by the extension added to encrypted files. This one adds .mmuz, hence why it’s known as Mmuz ransomware. An encrypted text.txt file would become text.txt.mmuz. You will not be able to open any files with this extension, unless you first put the files through a decryptor. The ransomware will target all of your personal files including photos, videos, images, documents, etc.

When the ransomware is done encrypting your files, it will drop a ransom note in all folders that contain encrypted files. The note contains information on how victims can acquire the decryptor. According to the note, it is necessary to pay a ransom. Currently, the price for the decryptor is $980. However, users who make contact with the criminals can get a 50% discount if they do so within the first 72 hours. Whether the discount part is true or not is questionable, however, paying the ransom, in general, comes with many risks and therefore it’s not recommended. It’s mostly a bad idea because you are dealing with cybercriminals and you should keep that in mind. There are no reasons why the people who encrypted your files in the first place would feel any kind of obligation to help you, even after you pay them. It is not uncommon for the ransomware operators to just take the money and not send victims their decryptors. It has happened many times in the past. However, while the choice of whether to pay the ransom or not is yours, we feel it is necessary to inform you about the risks. Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that the reason ransomware is so common nowadays is because victims keep paying the ransom. If all users backed up their files, there would be no need to pay the ransom, therefore, ransomware would not be so prevalent.

If you have copies of your files in a backup, you can start file recovery as soon as you remove Mmuz ransomware from your computer. We strongly suggest that you use an anti-malware program to do so because otherwise, you can cause additional damage. If you try to manually remove Mmuz ransomware, you might not fully do so which could later allow the ransomware to recover. If you were to access your backup while the ransomware was still present on your computer, your backed-up files would become encrypted as well. And if that were to happen, your files may be lost permanently. Therefore, make sure to use a reliable anti-malware program in order to avoid causing additional damage.

If you don’t have a backup, your options are unfortunately quite limited. The only option is waiting for a free decryptor to become available. However, it is not certain whether it will be released because this ransomware uses online keys to encrypt files. This makes it difficult for malware operators to develop a decryptor because the keys are unique to each victim. Without those keys a free Mmuz ransomware decryptor is unlikely. However, it is not impossible that cybercriminal themselves will release the keys eventually because it has happened in the past. Therefore, we recommend you back up your encrypted files and check NoMoreRansom for a free decryptor.

How is ransomware distributed

One of the most common ways cyber criminals distribute ransomware is using email attachments. The way this works is malicious actors first buy thousands of email addresses from various hacker forums. Those email addresses end up on those forums after they’ve been leaked by services or because they’ve been part of a data breach. Those emails are usually poorly written and contain attachments that the email indicates should be opened immediately. Fortunately for users, these email are usually quite obvious because they’re full of grammar/spelling mistakes and just generally feel off. Senders often pretend to be from legitimate companies whose services users use. However, considering that legitimate emails from legitimate companies will rarely contain any obvious grammar and spelling mistakes, those mistakes in malicious emails immediately give them away. Furthermore, another sign that an email may be malicious is senders pretending that the user is a customer of theirs but then use generic terms like User, Member, Customer, etc., to address them. Official correspondence from legitimate companies will always address the customers by their names. Otherwise, it would look unprofessional. So when an email from someone who should know your name addresses you in generic terms, that should cause your suspicion. There are also much more sophisticated malicious email attempts. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to scan all unsolicited email attachment with anti-malware software or a service like VirusTotal before opening them.

Ransomware can also be distributed through torrents. You likely are already aware of this but torrent websites are notoriously badly regulated which allows malicious actors to easily upload malware disguised as torrents for popular content like movies, TV shows, video games, software etc. It is strongly recommended to not pirate especially using torrents because not only is it stealing content it’s also dangerous for the computer and data.

Mmuz ransomware removal

We do not recommend attempting to remove Mmuz ransomware manually because you could cause additional damage. Ransomware is a very complex malware infection that requires a sophisticated solution, and use of a reliable anti-malware program is recommended. Once the ransomware is fully gone from your computer, you can access your backup to start file recovery.