Rakhni (.neitrino) ransomware virus – removal and decryption options

What is Rakhni?

Rakhni is high-risk trojan/ransomware distributed using spam emails. Users receive an email letter containing a message (in Russian) encouraging them to open an attached .PDF document, which is presented as an "act of reconciliation". This is deceptive - in fact, the attachment is a malicious executable written in the Delphi programming language.

Once opened, this executable downloads and installs Rakhni malware. Research shows that most infected machines are located in Russia - unsurprising, due to the Russian email text and that non Russian-speaking users are likely to delete these emails without opening attachments.

Screenshot of files encrypted by Rakhni ransomware:

Rakhni ransomware overview

Rakhni is an advanced virus. The malicious attachment performs a number of steps before infecting the system. Firstly, it displays an error message stating that the Adobe Reader plug-in is not found and, therefore, the .PDF file cannot be opened. This tricks users into believing that the attachment is simply broken, however, this is not the case.

After displaying the pop-up, the downloader checks if the operating system is running on a virtual machine. If so, the infection process is terminated immediately. If the test "passes", the downloader "decides" whether to install a cryptocurrency miner or a file encrypter.

To achieve this, the executable searches for "%AppData%\Bitcoin" and checks how many logical processors exist (the number of logical processors can be determined by multiplying the number of cores by the number of threads on each core [e.g., if you are running a dual-core processor with 2 threads per core, you will have 4 logical processors]).

If the folder does not exist and there are more than 2 logical processors, a cryptocurrency miner is installed. If one or more of these conditions is met, file-encryption malware is infiltrated. In addition, the "downloader" checks the list of running processes to determine if there are any anti-virus/anti-spyware suites running.

If not, the downloader executes a number of commands to disable Microsoft Windows Defender. Furthermore, this malicious executable sends various information (IP address, computer name, list of running processes, a screenshot, etc.) to a remote server controlled by Rakhni's developers.

Downloader creates a "%AppData%\KB[8_random_characters]" folder and drops the miner within. A VBS script is then generated and executed upon next OS boot. The script executes two commands that run two different processes to mine Monero (XMR) and Monero Original (XMO) cryptocurrencies.

If the aforementioned folder contains an executable called "svchost.exe", it will also be executed to mine the Dashcoin cryptocurrency. Note that "svchost.exe" is actually a genuine process of the Windows operating system, however, cyber criminals use this name to disguise cryptominers. 

The presence of cryptomining malware can be very frustrating. The mining process may take up to 100% of system resources. Therefore, the system becomes unstable and might crash, possibly leading to permanent data loss. Furthermore, hardware running at its maximum capacity generates great heat.

Therefore, within the certain circumstances (bad cooling systems, high room temperatures, etc.), computer components might overheat. Victims receive nothing in return - all revenue goes to cyber criminals. Therefore, these viruses must be eliminated immediately.

Rakhni's encrypter is completely different. This virus is designed to encrypt most stored data using RSA-1024 cryptography. In doing so, this malware appends filenames with an extension such as ".neitrino" (e.g., "sample.jpg" is renamed to "sample.jpg.neitrino").

Compromised data immediately becomes unusable. Once encryption is complete, Rakhni generates a text file ("MESSAGE.txt") and places a copy in each existing folder. The text file also contains a Russian message stating that data is encrypted and that victims must pay for decryption. To achieve this, victims must contact Rakhni's developers via an email address provided.

As mentioned above, Rakhni uses RSA-1024 - an asymmetric encryption algorithm that generates public (encryption) and private (decryption) keys for each victim. Decryption without the private key is impossible and cyber criminals hide all keys on a remote server and make ransom demands for their release.

The cost is not specified - all details are supposedly provided via email, however, in most cases ransomware developers demand $500-1500 in Bitcoins or another cryptocurrency. Regardless of the cost, do not pay. Research shows that cyber criminals often ignore victims, once payments are submitted. Paying gives no positive result and you will be scammed.

You are strongly advised to ignore all requests to contact these people or pay any ransoms. Unfortunately, there are no tools capable of cracking RSA encryption and restoring data free of charge, however, some variants of Rakhni ransomware are not flawless and, thus, can be decrypted with Kaspersky's RakhniDecryptor. If that does not work, the only possible solution is to restore everything from a backup.

Ransomware examples

Although Rakhni is complex malware, it ca be compared to a number of other ransomware-type viruses, such as RaRansomware, KyMERA, ANIMUS, and many others. Research shows that although these viruses are developed by different cyber criminals, their behavior is identical - all encrypt data and make ransom demands.

There are just two major differences: 1) size of ransom, and; 2) type of encryption algorithm used. Unfortunately, these viruses are likely to use algorithms that generate unique decryption keys. Therefore, unless the virus is not fully developed or has certain bugs/flaws (i.e., the key is stored locally, it is hard-coded or similar), decrypting data manually is impossible.

Ransomware presents a strong case for maintaining regular data backups, however, it is very important to store them on an unplugged storage device or remote server, otherwise backups are encrypted together with regular data.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

As mentioned above, Rakhni is proliferated using spam emails with an attachment - a malicious executable disguised as a .PDF document. Cyber criminals generate emails with convincing messages to trick users into opening malicious attachments.

This method is very common amongst ransomware developers, however, these viruses are also often proliferated using P2P networks (torrents, eMule, etc.), unofficial software download sources (freeware download websites, free file hosting sites, and so on), fake software updaters, and trojans. P2P networks and other third party download sources present malicious executables as legitimate software.

Therefore, users are tricked into downloading and installing viruses. Fake software updaters infect the system by exploiting outdated software bugs/flaws or simply downloading and installing malware rather than updates. Trojans are essentially designed to cause chain infections - they open backdoors for other viruses to infiltrate the system.

In a way, Rakhni operates as a trojan (the downloader infiltrates the system and injects other malware). Ultimately, the main reasons for computer infections are the lack of knowledge and careless behavior of many users.

How to protect yourself from ransomware infections?

The key to computer safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/updating/installing software. Carefully analyze each email attachment. Files that seem irrelevant and have been received from suspicious email addresses should not be opened.

Furthermore, download your programs from official sources only (via direct download links) rather than using third party downloaders/installers. These tools are used to proliferate rogue apps, and thus should never be used. The same rule should be followed when updating software.

Keep installed programs up-to-date, however, this should be achieved through implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only.

Having a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount. If your computer is already infected with Rakhni, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this ransomware.

Screenshot of Rakhni ransomware's text file ("MESSAGE.txt"):

Text presented in this message:

запросить стоимости: Приобрести
В ТЕМЕ писыма укажите ваш ID: письма без указания ID
Убедитепьная просьба не пытаться расшифровать Вы можете их окончатепьно испортить и даже оригинапьный декриптор не поможет.
заявки обрабатываются автоматической системой.

List of data types targeted by Rakhni ransomware:

.1cd; .7z; .abd; .abk; .accdb; .accdc; .adp; .afp; .ai; .as4; .asd; .ashbak; .bac; .backup; .bak; .bck; .bdb; .bfa; .bk1; .bkc; .bkf; .bkp; .bmp; .boe; .bpa; .bpd; .bpk; .bsk; .bup; .cdr; .cer; .cf; .cfn; .cmb; .crt; .csr; .csv; .dbc; .dbf; .dbt; .dbx; .der; .djvu; .doc; .docm; .docx; .dot; .dt; .dwf; .dwg; .dws; .dxe; .dxl; .ebb; .ebd; .ebn; .edb; .efb; .efn; .egg; .eis; .emd; .eml; .emr; .enc; .end; .eog; .epf; .eps; .eql; .erb; .erf; .fb; .fb2; .fbf; .fbw; .fc2; .fcz; .fg; .fh; .fp3; .ful; .gho; .htm; .html; .ipd; .iso; .jbc; .jif; .jiff; .jpe; .jpeg; .jpf; .jpg; .kdb; .kdbx; .key; .kwm; .ldf; .lgp; .md; .mdb; .mdf; .mht; .msf; .msg; .mxl; .nb7; .nba; .nbd; .nbf; .nbi; .nbu; .nco; .oab; .oeb; .old; .ost; .oxps; .p7; .p7b; .p7c; .pab; .pcx; .pdf; .pem; .pfx; .ply; .png; .pov; .ppsx; .ppt; .pptx; .prefab; .psb; .psd; .pst; .pwm; .qic; .rar; .raw; .repx; .rev; .rtf; .rzk; .rzx; .sec; .sef; .sgn; .shy; .sn1; .sn2; .sna; .snk; .spi; .sql; .sqlite; .sqlite3; .sqlitedb; .stg; .stl; .tbb; .tbk; .tbn; .tib; .tif; .tiff; .txt; .uci; .win; .wor; .xbk; .xcf; .xls; .xlsm; .xlsx; .xof; .zip; .zipx; .

Screenshot of spam email distributing Rakhni downloader disguised as a .PDF document:

Screenshot of Kaspersky RakhniDecryptor compatible with some Rakhni variants (download here):

Rakhni ransomware removal:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Removal and file recovery procedure

If your files are encrypted with a new extension and a ransom note has appeared, you've been hit by ransomware. Don't pay. The procedure below works in order: contain the infection, identify the variant, remove the ransomware itself (so anything you restore doesn't get re-encrypted), and try to recover files using free decryption tools, Windows Volume Shadow Copies, or backups. Run a full system scan with Combo Cleaner to remove the infection - then move on to file recovery.

Common ransomware behaviors

VisibleEncrypts your files and renames them

The ransomware reads each file, encrypts the contents with the attacker's public key, and writes the encrypted bytes back to disk. Most variants also rename the file by appending a new extension - .net, .locked, .crypt, .lockbit, .djvu, etc. Without the matching private key, the encrypted files cannot be opened normally. Recovery depends on a free decryption tool, a recoverable Volume Shadow Copy, or a clean backup.

VisibleDrops a ransom note in every encrypted folder

A text or HTML file (usually named HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt, README.txt, _readme.txt, or similar) is placed in every folder that contains encrypted files. The note explains the situation, lists a payment amount in cryptocurrency, gives a deadline, and provides a contact email or .onion site. Save the note - don't delete it. Its exact wording, the email address, and the bitcoin wallet are how you identify the variant in the next phase.

VisibleReplaces the desktop wallpaper

Many ransomware variants change the Windows wallpaper to a black or red image with the ransom message and instructions. The wallpaper is just a visual scare tactic - it doesn't add any actual capability and reverts to normal once the ransomware is removed. Photograph it before removal in case the contact details are useful for variant identification or for reporting to authorities.

HiddenDeletes Volume Shadow Copies

One of the first things modern ransomware does after launching is run vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet to wipe Windows' built-in Volume Shadow Copies - the snapshots that Previous Versions and System Restore rely on. Some ransomware doesn't fully succeed (especially on systems where the user lacks full admin rights), leaving partial shadow copies recoverable. Phase 4 step 11 covers how to check what survived.

HiddenDisables Windows Defender and other security tools

Before encrypting, the ransomware tries to silence anything that could alert you or block it - Windows Defender real-time protection, third-party antivirus services, backup agents (Veeam, Acronis), and sometimes the Windows Event Log service. It often modifies Group Policy or registry keys to keep these off after reboot. Phase 3 step 9 explicitly turns Tamper Protection back on so the next ransomware attempt can't repeat the trick.

HiddenSpreads laterally to other PCs on the network

Network-aware ransomware (LockBit, Conti, BlackCat, Akira families) doesn't stop at the first machine. It scans for SMB shares, mapped drives, and other PCs on the same network, then encrypts whatever it can reach. On Windows domains, a single compromised user with admin rights can lead to all-domain encryption. This is why Phase 1 step 2 disconnects the network as the very first action - it stops the spread immediately.

HiddenSteals data before encrypting (double extortion)

Modern ransomware (LockBit, BlackCat / ALPHV, Akira, Cl0p, Royal) almost always exfiltrates data before encrypting. The attacker then runs a "double extortion" play: pay the ransom for decryption, plus pay again to prevent the stolen data from being leaked on the group's leak site. Paying the first ransom does not get the leaked data back - assume that anything the ransomware could read was uploaded. This is one more reason not to pay: the data is already out.

Tools you'll need

Combo Cleaner Antivirus 7-days free trial

Recommended primary scanner. VB100 certified. Removes the ransomware infection so file recovery doesn't get re-encrypted.

Microsoft Defender Offline Free · built-in

Built into Windows. Scans before Windows fully loads to catch persistence the running scanners miss.

Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT) Free

Microsoft's free on-demand scanner. Always-current signatures - the binary expires every 10 days.

ID Ransomware Free · web

Upload a ransom note and a sample encrypted file - identifies the variant family and tells you whether a free decryptor exists.

No More Ransom Project Free · web

Joint project of Europol, Dutch Police, and security vendors. Free decryption tools indexed by ransomware family.

Shadow Explorer Free

Browse Windows Volume Shadow Copies as a normal file tree - useful when ransomware partially failed to delete them.

Recuva Free

Deleted-file recovery. Long-shot for ransomware - only helps if the variant deleted unencrypted originals before encrypting copies.

Phase 1~ 5 min

Don't pay & contain

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1

Don't pay the ransom

1 min · read⚠ Do not skip

Paying the ransom does not guarantee you'll get your files back. Major ransomware response studies consistently show that a meaningful percentage of paying victims either receive a non-working decryptor, only partial decryption, or no decryptor at all. Beyond that:

• Paying confirms you as a willing target - re-attack rates within 12 months are high
• Several ransomware groups have been sanctioned (US OFAC, UK OFSI). Paying these groups may be illegal under sanctions law in your country
• The ransom funds the next attack - on you or someone else
• Modern ransomware almost always exfiltrates data first, so paying doesn't get the leaked data back. Assume anything the malware could read was uploaded
• Decryptors, even when they work, often leave files corrupted because the encryption itself was buggy or rushed

The path below tries every legal, free recovery option first. Pay only as an absolute last resort, after consulting a lawyer and your country's cyber crime authority.

2

Disconnect from the network and log out of cloud storage

2 minNo tool needed

Pull the Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi on the affected PC. If multiple computers share the network, do the same on every machine you suspect could be affected, including any servers and NAS units.

Then sign out of cloud storage clients (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud) from their app settings. If you can, pause the sync. Some ransomware uses the running sync client to push encrypted versions over your clean cloud copies.

Why this matters

Modern ransomware spreads laterally across SMB shares, mapped drives, RDP, and reachable network neighbors. Disconnecting stops the spread the moment you do it. Logging out of cloud sync clients prevents the ransomware from encrypting the cloud copies of your files via the sync API.

3

Unplug external drives and USB storage

1 minNo tool needed

Safely eject any external drives, USB sticks, SD cards, and network-attached storage shares - then unplug them. If a drive was connected when the ransomware ran, the files on it may already be encrypted, but unplugging stops further damage.

Critically: don't reconnect any drive (including your most recent backup) to this PC until the ransomware is removed in Phase 3. Reconnecting an external backup to an actively-infected PC is the most common way that backup gets encrypted too.

Phase 2~ 5 min

Identify the variant

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4

Save the ransom note and a sample encrypted file

2 min

Copy the ransom note and one small encrypted file (under 1 MB) to a USB stick, or photograph the note with your phone. You'll need both for the variant identification step.

The ransom note is usually one of:

• A .txt file in every encrypted folder (typically HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt, README.txt, or _readme.txt)
• An .html file with the same purpose
• A changed desktop wallpaper - photograph it
• A lock-screen interrupt that runs at startup - rarer

Important

Don't delete the note. Variant identification depends on its exact wording, the contact email, and the bitcoin wallet address. The note is also evidence if you report to authorities.

5

Identify the variant with ID Ransomware

Tool: ID Ransomware3 min

From a clean device (your phone is fine, or another PC that wasn't on the affected network), visit id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com. Upload the ransom note and the sample encrypted file. The site identifies the variant family and tells you whether a free decryptor exists.

Pro tip

ID Ransomware is run by the Malware Hunter Team. Files you upload are kept private - they're used for analysis, not published. If you're concerned about uploading data anyway, you can paste the contact email and bitcoin wallet from the note - those are often enough for identification.

Phase 3~ 30-45 min

Remove the ransomware

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The ransomware itself must be removed before any file recovery. If it's still active, anything you restore in Phase 4 gets re-encrypted within minutes.

6

Boot to Safe Mode with Networking and download the scanners

5 min

Safe Mode loads only the minimal Windows drivers, which prevents most ransomware from auto-running while you set up the scanners.

Windows 11: open Settings → System → Recovery, click Restart now next to Advanced startup. After the restart, click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart, then press 5 or F5.

Windows 10: click the Windows logo, hold Shift, click the Power icon and choose Restart. From the Choose-an-option screen, click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart, then press F5.

Once Safe Mode has loaded, turn Wi-Fi back on and download Combo Cleaner (used in step 8) and Microsoft Safety Scanner (used in step 9). Save both installers to your Desktop, then disconnect Wi-Fi again before scanning.

7

Run Microsoft Defender Offline

Tool: Built into Windows15 min

Reboot to normal Windows. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options. Select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. The PC restarts into a stripped-down environment and scans the disk before Windows fully loads.

Why this comes first

Some ransomware variants drop bootkit components or kernel hooks that hide from any scanner running on the same Windows session that's already infected. A pre-boot offline scan sees the disk before the malware can load itself.

Recommended antivirus

Combo Cleaner

VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, and anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.

Download Combo Cleaner

8

Run a full Combo Cleaner scan

Tool: Combo Cleaner20-40 min

Run the installer you downloaded in step 6 and start a full system scan (not the quick scan). Let it complete, review what it detected, and apply the recommended actions. Combo Cleaner quarantines the ransomware executable and the registry / scheduled-task entries that re-launch it on reboot.

9

Run Microsoft Safety Scanner and re-enable Defender

Tool: MSERT15 min

Run Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe) as a second-opinion full scan. The binary expires every 10 days so the copy you downloaded has the latest signatures.

Once it finishes, open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and confirm Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Tamper Protection are all on. Many ransomware variants disable Defender during the attack - this is where you switch it back on so the next attempt can't repeat the trick.

Why a second scan

Different scanning engines catch different threats. Running an additional Microsoft scan after Combo Cleaner is the most underused verification step in malware removal - and free.

Phase 4~ 30-60 min · results vary

Try to recover files

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Try the steps in order. The first decryptor that works ends the recovery process - no need to do all four.

10

Check the No More Ransom Project for a free decryptor

Tool: nomoreransom.org★ Cleanest path if listed5 min

Visit nomoreransom.org and search the Decryption Tools list for the variant name returned by ID Ransomware. The project is run by Europol, the Dutch Police, and security vendors - everything listed is legitimate and free.

If a decryptor exists, download it onto a clean PC, copy it across, and follow its instructions exactly. Decryptors usually want you to point them at a sample encrypted file plus its known unencrypted version (sometimes any image you previously had a backup of works).

Free decryptors exist for parts of the STOP/Djvu, GandCrab, REvil, Avaddon, Conti and Hive families, among others. Most modern variants don't have public decryptors - if yours isn't listed, that's expected; move to the next step.

11

Try Windows Volume Shadow Copies

Tool: Shadow Explorer / vssadmin15 min

Windows automatically creates Volume Shadow Copies of files when System Restore points are made or scheduled backups run. Most ransomware tries to wipe these (vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet), but the deletion sometimes fails partially - especially if the running user doesn't have full admin rights. When it does fail, snapshots survive that contain pre-encryption versions of your files.

First, check what's there. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

vssadmin list shadows

If you see entries listed, shadow copies survived. To restore from them:

• Built-in: right-click any folder → Properties → Previous Versions tab. Pick a snapshot dated before the infection and restore.
• Better tool for browsing: install Shadow Explorer (free). It shows all snapshots as a normal file tree and lets you copy out only the files you want.

Why check this even when there's a decryptor

Shadow Copies recover the original files exactly, with no risk of decryption errors. If they survived, this is faster and cleaner than running a decryptor on the encrypted set.

12

Restore from cloud or external backup

Tool: your backup software30 min

If you have a backup that pre-dates the infection, this is the cleanest recovery available. Important precautions:

• Don't reconnect a backup drive until Phase 3 is complete. If the ransomware is still active, plugging in the backup encrypts it too.
• For cloud backups (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud), use the Version History feature to roll individual files back to pre-encryption versions.
• OneDrive specifically has a "Restore your OneDrive" feature: if it detected mass file changes, you can roll back the entire account up to 30 days. Sign in at OneDrive on the web, click the Settings gear, and choose Restore your OneDrive. Microsoft 365 subscribers also get ransomware detection alerts; non-subscribers get one free recovery.
• Verify the restored files open correctly before you delete the encrypted set. Test a few documents, photos, and any database / project files.

13

Try Recuva as a last-resort recovery

Tool: Recuva30 min

Recuva is a long shot, not a primary recovery tool. Most modern ransomware encrypts files in place - it reads the original, encrypts the data, and writes the encrypted bytes back to the same disk location. In that case, the original isn't deleted, just rewritten - and Recuva has nothing to find.

But for older or simpler variants that deleted originals before creating encrypted copies (rather than encrypting in place), Recuva can sometimes pull the originals from unallocated disk space. Worth trying as a last resort, especially before you use the disk much further.

If you try it:

• Stop using the disk as much as possible - every disk write reduces recovery odds
• Run Recuva from a USB stick, not from the affected disk
• Use Deep Scan mode (slower but the only mode worth running for this scenario)

Don't skip the steps above expecting Recuva to bail you out. It works in maybe 5-20% of cases, depending on the variant and how soon you try.

Phase 5~ 20 min + ongoing

Report & prevent re-infection

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14

Report the attack to authorities

10-20 min

Even if your files aren't recovered, your report helps authorities track variants, attribute groups, and warn future victims. In some jurisdictions (especially the US and UK) early reporting can sometimes help recall a wired ransom payment via banking partners.

United States: ic3.gov (FBI) + stopransomware.gov (CISA)

United Kingdom: reportfraud.police.uk (Report Fraud, the successor to Action Fraud) + NCSC

Canada: antifraudcentre.ca

Australia: ReportCyber

Spain: Policía Nacional (Oficina Virtual de Denuncias)

France: cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

Germany: BKA

Italy: Polizia Postale

Netherlands: Politie

Poland: CERT Polska

Portugal: CNCS

EU (other): your national CERT

Save the report number - banks, insurers, and credit bureaus will ask for it. If you operate a business, you may also have legal disclosure obligations (GDPR in the EU, state breach laws in the US) that run on a 72-hour clock.

15

Plan 3-2-1 backups going forward

30 min initial

The single best defense against ransomware is a tested backup. Use the 3-2-1 rule:

• 3 copies of your data
• 2 different storage media (e.g., internal drive + external drive)
• 1 offline / air-gapped copy (an external drive that isn't always connected)

Recommended cadence:

• Daily: cloud sync (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive) - convenient, but vulnerable if the ransomware reaches the sync folder. The Version History feature is what saves you
• Weekly: external drive that you connect briefly, then disconnect - the air-gap is what protects against ransomware
• Monthly: a second external drive stored off-site (different physical location) - protects against fire, theft, flood

Important

Test the backup at least once. Open a few files from it, check sizes match, restore one to a different folder. An untested backup isn't a backup - it's a hope.

16

Patch the entry point and monitor for 30 days

5 min/day · 30 days

Most reinfections happen via the same vector that worked the first time. Until you've patched the entry point, watch for:

• Unusual disk activity, unexpected file modifications, or unfamiliar processes in Task Manager
• Unexpected reboots or new accounts you didn't create
• Defender or your antivirus turning itself off again

Common entry vectors and what to do about each:

• Phishing email with a malicious attachment - review email filters and train yourself / staff to recognise the patterns - see pcrisk's Phishing/Scam reference
• Exposed RDP with weak passwords - disable Remote Desktop from Settings → System → Remote Desktop if you don't need it. If you do, put it behind a VPN and require a long password plus MFA
• Unpatched VPN appliances or public-facing apps - check the vendor's advisories page and apply the latest firmware
• Cracked / pirated software - was the most common vector for STOP/Djvu in particular. Don't run software from torrent sites

Run a Combo Cleaner scan weekly for the first month. Update Windows, browsers, and applications aggressively.

Important: Removing a ransomware infection requires a full system scan, not a manual file delete. If you're not confident with the manual procedure, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner and Windows Defender and stop there - that combination removes the vast majority of consumer ransomware variants. Then move to Phase 4 for file recovery, or to Phase 5 if your files are unrecoverable and you need to start fresh from a clean Windows install.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How was my computer hacked and how did hackers encrypt my files?

Victims themselves commonly open ransomware executables since these files are usually presented as ordinary content. This malware is primarily proliferated via drive-by downloads, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, etc.), online scams, malvertising, dubious download sources (e.g., freeware and free file-hosting sites, P2P sharing networks, etc.), illegal program activation tools ("cracks"), and fake updates.

How to open ".neitrino" files?

Ransomware-encrypted files cannot be opened/used unless they are decrypted.

Where should I look for free decryption tools for Rakhni ransomware?

Some variants of Rakhni ransomware are decryptable; Kaspersky has released a decryptor for this malware (more information above). If this avenue of action is ineffective, we recommend checking out the No More Ransom project website (more information above).

I can pay you a lot of money, can you decrypt files for me?

We do not provide decryption services. In fact, aside from cases involving seriously flawed ransomware, recovering encrypted files is impossible without the attackers' interference. Therefore, third-parties offering paid decryption are often scams or middleman services between victims and criminals.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Rakhni ransomware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your device and eliminate detected ransomware infections. Keep in mind that while using an anti-virus program is the first step in ransomware recovery – security software is incapable of decrypting data.