If you were the victim of a ransomware attack by the SynAck group between July 2017 and early 2021, we have some great news for you. This gang of cyber criminals has just published the master keys that will allow you to unlock your PC or the files hijacked by their malware. The authenticity of the keys has already been verified by The Record’s cybersecurity experts.
When files are encrypted by ransomware operations, they generally generate encryption keys on the victim’s device and encrypt those keys with a master encryption key. The encrypted key is embedded in the encrypted file or ransom note and can only be decrypted using the ransomware band’s master decryption keys (private keys). According to The Record, these keys have been authenticated by Michael Gillespie, the creator of the ID-Ransomware service, who had the opportunity to use them to recover files from old attacks perpetrated by SynAck.
Actually, the person who has released these keys is a former SynAck member who has said that they will no longer use that ransomware for their attacks as they are creating even more dangerous new malware. In fact, SynAck is in the process of changing its name to El_Cometa; The same name that your new ransomware attack will go by.
The cybersecurity company Emsisoft is creating a secure tool that will allow SynAck victims to easily recover their files. When will this tool be released? In the next few days, the company said. So you better wait before trying to use the keys without sufficient knowledge.
Also read:
MuddyWater – A cybercriminal group since 2017
StrongPity infamous group of cybercriminals
