Kaspersky Releases Software Tool To Unlock User Files Abducted By Ransomware

Thanks to antivirus software maker Kaspersky, you may not need to pony up to retrieve your files if your computer is infected with the hated CoinVault ransomware. The company announced that it has found a way to decrypt the files and is offering to help infected users for free.


The big break came from a Dutch cybercrime police unit that was able to scavenge decryption keys from a server used by CoinVault. Kaspersky used the data to create a tool for decrypting locked files. The tool isn’t always successful, but if you’ve lost critical files to the malware, it’s worth a try. After all, the alternative is paying CoinVault for releasing your files.  

CoinVault, which is can be triggered by clicking links on certain websites or in emails, encrypts the files on a computer and then displays a message offering to unencrypt them for a fee. Ransomware has a general reputation for not decrypting files, even after the user pays the ransom, so CoinVault shows a list of the encrypted files and decrypts one file for free to prove that it’s capable of fulfilling its end of the transaction.