DCOM Virus - How to remove

If you’re curious how your files turned into .dcom type and why they don’t work anymore, not even after renaming them, there are some bad news: Dcom is a virus — part of an online extortion scheme. The point of Dcom is to lock the files and get the victim to pay for them being unlocked. This is undoubtedly criminal, but the extortionists have not been caught, nor has a free decryptor been developed.

Dcom is part of the GlobeImposter family. This ransomware is potentially very harmful, just like its sibling, Ppam. Ransomware is a real threat that costs people and businesses their time, work, and even money.

What Dcom looks like

Dcom goes through your files and encrypts the ones which can be encrypted. The files get the .dcom extension appended to their names, but the real problem is that the files are encrypted, making them unusable.

The ransom note is written in a text file called how_to_back_files.txt:

All your files are Encrypted!
For data recovery needs decryptor.
How to buy decryptor:

—————————————————————————————-
Contact us on this email below.

[email protected]

If No answer in 24hr email this

[email protected]

————————————————————
Free decryption as guarantee.
Before paying you can send us 1 file for free decryption.
————————————————————

DO NOT CHANGE DATA BELOW

It’s strongly recommended to not contact the criminals. On top of the extortion, Dcom’s distributors are likely to be scammers — ask for more money after they receive the first payment. Victims of other GlobeImposter variants have certainly experienced that.

The price for the decryption key is not specified, but generally is no less than 0.1 Bitcoin, and often more than 1 Bitcoin, which can go up to 10000 dollars. The prices are even higher for small businesses and people who the extortionists suspect of having lots of files: they will demand 5Btc if they think they can get it. As for returning the files, they might not even bother: after all, if they have the money, their goal is accomplished.

Don’t rush to pay for decryption, even if it’s not associated with the criminals. Ransomware recovery firms don't always know what they're doing, so don’t pay more money than you’re willing to lose.

How to be safe from ransomware

Targeted ransomware attacks are performed by hacking Remote Desktop Protocol, usually by brute-forcing the credentials. This is a disturbing method for the user because the infection can happen without them even noticing. Generally, malware requires some action of the user, such as downloading and running a file, but not RDP attacks.

Since Dcom’s developers like to brute-force the RDP credentials, it’s important to set up a very complex username and password. But this is unlikely to stop the attack attempts. You should use a VPN to make the connection more secure. And if you don’t need to use Remote Desktop, just disable it.

Secure your browsing against malware, be careful of phishing sites. Also, use a powerful antivirus program — most reputable tools can recognize Dcom (VirusTotal report).

How to remove Dcom

The infected computer cannot be used safely until you’ve made sure that Dcom and any other malware that came with it are removed completely from the device. You can use a strong antivirus program, like Spyhunter, to scan your system and make sure that all the viruses are gone.

After Dcom has been removed, you can finally return your files to your computer from the backup. If you don’t have copies of your lost files, you can look at the guide below to see what you can try to restore them. It’s possible, though not guaranteed, that Dcom failed to delete snapshots and you can use shadow copies to restore the files. You might also have some success with data recovery, if the circumstances are right.

You can keep the Dcom-encrypted files and the ransom note in case a free decryptor is developed. Check nomoreransom.org for a decryptor. Emsisoft made a decryptor for the first GlobeImposter, so it’ possible (though unlikely) that Dcom and other GlobeImposter 2.0 infections will be cracked, or the decryption keys will be released.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to recover DCOM Virus encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before DCOM Virus has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of DCOM Virus

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to DCOM Virus. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore DCOM Virus affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually DCOM Virus tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover DCOM Virus encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.