Avast released a free decryptor for TargetCompany ransomware

Cybersecurity firm Avast has released a decryption tool to allow victims of TargetCompany ransomware to recover their files for free.

Czech cybersecurity software firm Avast has released a decryption tool that could allow victims of the TargetCompany ransomware to recover their files for free under certain circumstances.

The experts warn that the decryptor consumes most of the processor’s computing power in order to retrieve the password, the cracking process may take up to tens of hours.

The decryptor allows users to periodically save the progress to interrupt and restart the decryption process and resume the previously started cracking process.

“During password cracking, all your available processor cores will spend most of their computing power to find the decryption password. The cracking process may take a large amount of time, up to tens of hours,” reads the announcement published by Avast. “The decryptor periodically saves the progress and if you interrupt it and restart the decryptor later, it offers you an option to resume the previously started cracking process.”

The password cracking process is only needed once per PC, there is no need to repeat it for each file.

TargetCompany ransomware decryptor utility can download from Avast server, a simple interface instructs the users in the decryption process.

“On the final wizard page, you can opt-in whether you want to backup encrypted files. These backups may help if anything goes wrong during the decryption process. This option is turned on by default, which we recommend.” continues Avast.

TargetCompany has been active since June 2021, once encrypted a file it adds .mallox, .exploit, .architek, or .brg extension to the filenames of encrypted files.

Like other ransomware, TargetCompany removes shadow copies on all drives and kills some processes that may hold open valuable files, such as databases.

Once the encryption process is completed it drops a ransom note file named “HOW TO RECOVER !!.TXT” in all folders containing encrypted files.

Over the past months Avast has released other free decryptors for other ransomware, including Babuk, AtomSilo, and LockFile ransomware.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, TargetCompany ransomware)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.