Madek Ransomware - How to remove

Madek is the name of a file-locking virus that demands $980 for selling you access to your own files. This ransomware is a new version of STOP/Djvu and comes after a long chain of versions, including Drume, Kroput, and Berosuce. These viruses spread using cracks, activators, disguised software, and pirated files. The distribution tricks the victims to download and run the Madek themselves and even ignore the warnings of their antivirus program.

Madek-locked files don’t just have the .madek extension keeping them from being read; their contents have also been edited in such a way that they can’t be restored except with a decryption algorithm and a key unique to each victim. Encryption is a way to keep data unreadable and useless even to those who have it in front of them, so it is essentially corrupted.

A _readme.txt file is created for Madek’s victims to find. It informs them of the ransom ($980) and how to contact the attackers ([email protected], [email protected], or @datarestore (on Telegram)). They want to be contacted and paid as son as possible, which is also why they also usually  block some websites form being accessed (you can fix that problem by following this guide).

Can the files be restored?

The ransomware attack is part of an extortion scheme. The victims of Madek is told that the only way to get back their files is to pay money — neatly a thousand dollars — to the people who are responsible for this ransomware in the first place. Madek’s developers are the ones who can recover the decryption keys — the numbers that could easily allow your files to be restored if the extortionists felt like being kind.

If you are curious why security experts advise against paying ransomware ransom, even if you can afford it, here are a few reasons:

• The people behind Madek are criminals who hurt a lot of people and their activities shouldn’t be financed.
• Madek’d developers are guaranteed to take your money but not to restore your files. There are anecdotes of them failing to send a working decryptor, as well as data on the experience of those who paid the ransom.
• Paying doesn’t mean that you’re safe now. A second infection is more likely, as the extortionists believe that you’re a target who is likely to pay.

Don’t pay unless you absolutely have to. The best defense against Madek is to have preexisting offline or cloud backups form which the files can be restored once Madek is removed. But not everyone had these and they need to look at alternative solutions.

Madek uses cryptography to lock the files, which is why it’s so secure and unbreakable. However, the implementation allows some people’s some files to be encrypted using a hardcoded decryption key, which is when STOPDecrypter comes in. This program is developed by Demonslay335, a malware researcher whose work has already helped many victims of various versions of STOP/Djvu get back some of their files, although it varies from none to all. As for the other options, the guide below this article describes a couple more things you should try.

How to remove Madek

Madek needs to be removed so that it doesn’t lock any more files and so that any viruses it brought with are removed. This can be done with the help of safe mode and a strong antivirus program, like Spyhunter. Madek and whatever other malicious programs are infecting your system should be expelled before you use your computer normally.

To be more safe in the future, you should definitely set up backups if you haven’t already. Don’t forget to update your software, too, as security bugs in outdated software become known and exploited by viruses, which means that using outdated software is not safe. Additionally, be very careful about pirating software, if you must do it at all. If you don’t want to pay for a commercial product, there are usually open-source and other free alternatives avaiable.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to recover Madek Ransomware 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 Madek Ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Madek Ransomware

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 Madek Ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Madek Ransomware 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 Madek Ransomware 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 Madek Ransomware 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.