BlackByte Ransomware Decryptor Released To Recover Files

Share post:

A decryptor for the BlackByte Ransomware was released, which allows the victims of the past to restore their files for free.

As stated by a Trustwave report, researchers said BlackByte downloaded a file called ‘forest.png’ from a remote site under their control, and although the file is supposed to appear as an image file, it contains the AES encryption key used to encrypt a device.

Since BlackByte uses symmetrical AES encryption, the same key can be used to encrypt and decrypt files.

In the Trustwave discovery, BlackByte not only encrypts the AES encryption key in question downloaded and adds it to the ransom note, but the gang also used the same forest.png file for multiple victims and since the same ‘raw’ encryption key was reused, Trustwave could, in turn, use the key to build a decryption key that restores a victim’s files for free.

BlackByte victims interested in using the Trustwave decryptor are advised to download the source code from Github and compile it themselves, as Trustwave already included a default ‘forest.png’ file from which the decryption key is extracted.

It is also recommended to back up files before attempting to decrypt them, as it is possible that BlackByte rotates the encryption keys downloaded in that file.

For more information, read the original story in BleepingComputer.

Featured Tech Jobs

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Related articles

Cyber Security Today, March 27, 2024 – A botnet exploits old routers, a new malware loader discovered, and more warnings about downloading code from...

This episode reports on a new network of 40,000 infected small and home office routers and other devices that are part of a criminal botnet

Cyber Security Today, March 25, 2024 – A suspected China threat actor going after unpatched F5 and ScreenConnet installations

This episode reports on a new campaign stealing email passwords ,the latest data breaches

A hacker’s view of the civic infrastructure: Hashtag Trending, the Weekend Edition for March 23rd, 2024

What does the civic infrastructure look like through the eyes of a hacker? The legendary general Sun Tzu in the Art of War said that in order to defeat your enemy, you must first understand your enemy. How do you do this? He said, “to know your enemy, you must become your enemy.” If we

Cyber Security Today, Week in Review for week ending Friday, March 22, 2024

This episode features discussion on lessons learned from the ransomware attack on the British Library, advice for managing expectations of IT/security teams, why firms are leaving Google Firebase unprotecte

Become a member

New, Relevant Tech Stories. Our article selection is done by industry professionals. Our writers summarize them to give you the key takeaways