Remove Maiv ransomware

Maiv ransomware is the newest addition to a notorious ransomware family known as Djvu/STOP. It’s a dangerous malware infection that will encrypt your files and demand money in exchange for their decryption. The cybercrime gang operating Maiv ransomware has released hundreds of ransomware infections, all of which can be differentiated by the extensions added to encrypted files. If you cannot open your files and they have .maiv added to them, your computer is infected with Maiv ransomware. Unfortunately, you will not be able to open files with this extension unless you first use a decryptor on them. However, acquiring the decryptor will not be so easy. The malware operators will try to sell it to you for $980, though paying the ransom is generally not recommended.

 

 

The Djvu/STOP cybercrime gang is responsible for releasing hundreds of ransomware infections. Some of the more recent ones include Qqqe, Yoqs, Qqqw, Maak, and many others. Maiv ransomware is one of the more recent ones. Like all ransomware, it targets personal files, mostly photos, images, videos, documents, etc. All of these encrypted files will have .maiv added to them. This allows you to recognize which files have been encrypted, and which ransomware, in particular, you are dealing with. For example, an encrypted text.txt file would become text.txt.maiv. As you’ve likely already noticed, you will not be able to open files with this extension unless you first use a decryptor on them. The ransom note will explain how you could get the decryptor.

As soon as the ransomware is done encrypting your files, it will drop a _readme.txt ransom note. The note is pretty standard for this family of ransomware. It gives details on how to get the decryptor. Unfortunately, it requires paying a ransom. The normal price is $980, though the note mentions a 50% discount for those who make contact within the first 72 hours. While paying the ransom may seem like the best option, it’s generally not recommended to give in and pay. The main reason for this recommendation is that there are no guarantees a decryptor will actually be sent to those who pay the ransom. Keep in mind that these are cyber criminals you are dealing with, and what is there to guarantee that they will send a decryptor. It has, unfortunately, happened to many victims in the past. Furthermore, the reason ransomware is such a big issue is that victims pay the ransom.

When it comes to ransomware, the best way to fight it is to regularly back up files. If you have copies of your files somewhere in a backup, ransomware infecting your computer will not be such a big issue because you will be able to recover your files without any trouble. If you do have a backup, you can start recovering files as soon as you remove Maiv ransomware from your computer. Make sure to use a reliable anti-malware program to delete Maiv ransomware. Do not attempt to do it manually because you could cause additional damage or not fully remove the ransomware. If the ransomware is still present when you access your backup, it would encrypt those files as well.

If you do not have copies of your files anywhere, file recovery will be much more difficult. Your only option is likely backing up the encrypted files and waiting for a free decryptor to become available. You can find a free Djvu/STOP decryptor released by Emsisoft but because Maiv ransomware uses online keys to encrypt files, the decryptor will not work on this ransomware. That is because all victims have unique keys, and unless those keys are released, a free decryptor is unlikely to be released. But it’s not impossible that a free decryptor will be released eventually if the cybercriminals themselves or law enforcement release those keys. If a free Maiv ransomware decryptor ever becomes available, you will be able to find it on NoMoreRansom.

How does ransomware infect computers?

Generally, users infect their computers with malware because they have bad browsing habits. If you open unsolicited email attachments, click on ads when browsing questionable websites, use torrents to pirate content, etc., you are much more likely to pick up a malware infection.

Torrents are a very common way users pick up malware. It’s no secret that torrent sites are often poorly regulated, and this allows malicious actors to easily upload malware. It often goes unnoticed until numerous users infect their computers. It’s especially common to find malware in torrents for popular movies, TV series, video games, software, etc. It’s possible to recognize malicious torrents but casual users are often unaware of what to look for. In addition to it being dangerous, using torrents to pirate copyrighted content is also not recommended because it’s essentially stealing content.

Malspam, or malicious spam, is another common way users infect their computers with malware. All kinds of malware can be distributed this way, including ransomware. For malicious actors, it’s a pretty low-effort malware distribution method. They purchase victims’ email addresses from various hacker forums, write a low-effort email pretending to be emailing on behalf of a legitimate company, and attach a malicious file. You can usually recognize these kinds of emails quite easily because they are full of grammar/spelling mistakes and are sent from random email addresses. They also address users with generic terms like User, Customer, Member, etc. Keep in mind that when a company whose services you use sends you an email, they will always address you by name.

In some cases, malicious email campaigns can be more sophisticated. To avoid picking up some kind of malware infection, it’s a good idea to always scan unsolicited email attachments with anti-virus software or VirusTotal.

Maiv ransomware removal

You will need to use anti-malware software to delete Maiv ransomware from your computer. Do not try to do it manually because you could end up causing additional damage as ransomware is a very complex malware infection. Instead, have anti-virus software do everything for you. Once the ransomware is completely gone from your computer, you can access your backup to start recovering files.