ESET Crypt888 Decryptor

New ransomware agents seem to reach the surface on a regular basis, threating business users and consumers by hijacking personal documents and asking for money in return.

Each agent has its own style of taking over systems and showing a message with instructions on where to pay the ransomware. This means that not all ransomware agents are automatically detected by antimalware applications, although most respectable companies keep track of what's going on and quickly identify the agent's pattern to find a way to block it.

Crypt888 (Win32/Filecoder.Crypt888, also known as Mircop) was initially observed back in 2016 (June). It locks files and adds "lock" to the filenames, then takes over the desktop wallpaper, replacing it with the previously mentioned message with instructions. Considering this in-your-face approach, it's impossible not to spot it when turning on your computer.

If you've been hit by Crypt888, you can try using a decryption tool to unlock your files instead of paying the ransom. ESET's solution to this is ESET Crypt888 Decryptor, a simple-to-use command-line utility designed to automatically scan the computer for locked files and decrypt them.

Installing ESET Crypt888 Decryptor isn't necessary. After launching the program, you just have to get passed EULA and let the little app do the rest. It launches scans without asking for permission and creates text documents with log details.

If you run the tool from the console window, you can ask it to only list the files intended for cleanup, so you can get a better view of what's going on and give your permission to proceed with the cleaning operation. You can shift the tool's attention toward a particular file or folder.

Keep in mind that ESET Crypt888 Decryptor is not made to keep the Crypt888 ransomware at bay, so make sure to equip your computer with a powerful antimalware application, such as ESET NOD32 or ESET Smart Security.