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Ransomware that had been troubling users, Petya ransomware has been cracked allowing users the ability to access their computers without having to pay anything.
The Petya ransomware victims can now access their devices without paying any ransom.
An anonymous programmer produced a tool that exploits the way that the ransomware encrypts files which allows the Windows to start up. The programmer put notes on the tech website and code sharing site, Github, and he said he had been encouraged to produce the key generator to help his father in law, who had been locked out of his computer by the Petya ransomware.
The malware started circulating heavily in March, and it demands a ransomware of 0.9 bitcoins (£265). It hides itself in documents from emails which are supposedly from people from work.
A security researcher of Bleeping Computer News website, Lawrence Abrams, said the key generator could unlock a Petya encrypted device in seven seconds. However, the key generator requires victims to extract critical data from one of the infected memory files which according to Me Abrams might not be easy for some.
Mr. Abrams said, “Unfortunately, for many victims extracting this data is not an easy task. This would probably involve removing the drive and then connecting it up to another virus-free computer running Windows.”
Another tool can then extract the data, which can be used on the website which was set up to help people unlock their computers.
Independent security analyst, Graham Cluley, said this was not the first that ransomware fixes had been found saying there were other instances when perpetrators had bungled their encryption systems.
Cryptolocker, Linux.encoder were all rendered harmless when their scrambling schemes had been reverse engineered. Mr. Cluley said, “The best thing is to have safety secured backups rather than relying upon ransomware criminals goofing up.”
