Remove NetworkMaze (Recovery Instructions Included)

All About NetworkMaze & File Recovery Instructions

NetworkMaze is found as a new ransomware and is discovered by GrujaRS. According to researchers, this malware belongs to group of MedusLocker Ransomware family. Alike other ransomware identities, the NetworkMaze also use to encrypt all files on targeted computer and appends the files with new extension alike its name. The victims can notice their files appended with that extension which seems as .networkmaze, and this condition simply means ransomware attack. Every time the victims try to access those files, they will fail to access those and a ransom note named READINSTRUCTION.html will appear on screen. This ransom note is technically placed on desktop as well as other directories in which files are encrypted. For an instance, you can take a look through content of the ransom note here:

Your files are encrypted!

What happened?

Your files are encrypted, and currently unavailable.

You can check it: all files on you computer has new expansion.

By the way, everything is possible to recover (restore), but you need to buy a unique decryptor.

Otherwise, you never cant return your data.

For purchasing a decryptor contact us by email:

[email protected]

If you will get no answer within 24 hours contact us by our alternate emails:

[email protected]

What guarantees?

Its just a business. If we do not do our work and liabilities - nobody will not cooperate with us.

To verify the possibility of the recovery of your files we can decrypted 1 file for free.

Attach 1 file to the letter (no more than 10Mb). Indicate your personal ID on the letter:

-

Attention!

• Attempts of change files by yourself will result in a loose of data.

• Our e-mail can be blocked over time. Write now, loss of contact with us will result in a loose of data.

• Use any third party software for restoring your data or antivirus solutions will result in a loose of data.

• Decryptors of other users are unique and will not fit your files and use of those will result in a loose of data.

• If you will not cooperate with our service - for us, its does not matter. But you will lose your time and data, cause just we have the private key.

As per what the ransom note describes, the victims have only option to restore their files back is to seek help of cyber criminals who actually developed the malware. The criminals actually claim that such files can be restored by using a unique decryption key/.tool whcih requires to be purchased. Further, the note explains that victims will have to send hackers with email and other details like assigned ID, through provided email address which are [email protected] or [email protected]. Further, the ransom note also claims that victims should not try tampering with encrypted files as these attempts may cause permanent data loss. Means, the note simply means that victims have to pay to hackers in order to restore their files, and nothing else.

Well, the fact check clearly states that encrypted files can’t be restored or recovered without a valid decryption key, but choosing to seek help from cyber crime master minds is still not an ideal solution. If the victims remit payment to criminals, they will just get fooled and remains with no further options to recover their loss. According to experts or researchers, the victims should try to clean their sysetm against malicious files associated with NetworkMaze somehow, and once the malware is completely terminated, they can try restoring their files with possible file recovery measures as explained under this post.

Threat Summary

Name: NetworkMaze

Type: Ransomware, cryptovirus

Description: The term NetworkMaze is another new discovery by researchers and is categorized as ransomware identity which use to encrypt files on computer and enforce victims to remit ransom payment in order to seek file restoration easily.

Distribution: Spam/junk email attachments, freeware or shareware downloads, visits to malicious websites, and many more.

Removal (File Restore): Check through the guidelines or methods included here either to remove NetworkMaze and restore your files back.

Details about intrusion of NetworkMaze and how it should be treated?

Researchers have to say that malware like NetworkMaze can be spread by its creators mostly through spam email campaigns. Under this technique, they use to send a payload dropper attached file throug email and enforce users to download such data locally on computer. Since the email body have convincing content, a user may easily get trapped so once the file is downloaded/executed, it enables the ransomware to run in background. Apart from spam email campaigns, the ransomware may also be spread over web through software bundling, contaminated website contents, file sharing networks, and other possible social engineering measures. Therefore, the users must be cauttious all the time to prevent malware intrusion on their machine.

However, in case if you are one among victims and all your important files are now locked or encrypted by NetworkMaze, then you might be suffering the worst conditions. But, we suggest you not to seek help from criminals or pay them with their demands. If you do, your money and data, both will be lost as the criminals are never going to revert back with what they claim to help you. The better option you should do is to remove NetworkMaze completely with instructions or guidelines here mentioned. Once the removal process is successfully processed, you can seek file restoration using your own lately created backup file. Also, you can try some other possible file recovery measures as explained later in this post.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove NetworkMaze through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete NetworkMaze using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove NetworkMaze through “Safe Mode with Networking”

For Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Boot the PC in “Safe Mode”. Click on “Start” option and continuously press on F8 during the start process until the “Windows Advanced Option” menu appears on the screen. Choose “Safe Mode with Networking” from the list.

Now, a windows homescreen appears on the desktop and work-station is now working on “Safe mode with networking”.

For Windows 8 Users: Go to the “Start Screen”. In the search results select settings, type “Advanced”. In the “General PC Settings” option, choose “Advanced startup” option. Again, click on the “Restart Now” option. The work-station boots to “Advanced Startup Option Menu”. Press on “Troubleshoot” and then “Advanced options” button.  In the “Advanced Option Screen”, press on “Startup Settings”. Again, click on “Restart” button. The work-station will now restart in to the “Startup Setting” screen. Next is to press F5 to boot in Safe Mode in Networking.

For Windows 10 Users: Press on Windows logo and on the “Power” icon. In the newly opened menu, choose “Restart” while continuously holding “Shift” button on the keyboard. In the new open “Choose an option” window, click on “Troubleshoot” and then on the “Advanced Options”. Select “Startup Settings” and press on “Restart”. In the next window, click on “F5” button on the key-board.

Step 2: Delete NetworkMaze using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with NetworkMaze. Open the browser and download a legitimate anti-malware tool. Do a full System scanning. Remove all the malicious detected entries.

In case if you cannot start the PC in “Safe Mode with Networking”, Try using “System Restore”

• During the “Startup”, continuously press on F8 key until the “Advanced Option” menu appears. From the list, choose “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” and then press “Enter”

• In the new opened command prompt, enter “cd restore” and then press “Enter”.

• Type: rstrui.exe and Press “ENTER”

• Click “Next” on the new windows

• Choose any of the “Restore Points” and click on “Next”. (This step will restore the work-station to its earlier time and date prior to NetworkMaze infiltration in the PC.

• In the newly opened windows, press on “Yes”.

Once your PC gets restored to its previous date and time, download the recommended anti-malware tool and perform a deep scanning in order to remove NetworkMaze files if they left in the work-station.

In order to restore the each (separate) file by this ransomware, use “Windows Previous Version” feature. This method is effective when “System Restore Function” is enabled in the work-station.

Important Note: Some variants of NetworkMaze delete the “Shadow Volume Copies” as well hence this feature may not work all the time and is applicable for selective computers only.

How to Restore Individual Encrypted File:

In order to restore a single file, right click on it and go to “Properties”. Select “Previous Version” tab. Select a “Restore Point” and click on “Restore” option.

In order to access the files encrypted by NetworkMaze, you can also try using “Shadow Explorer”. In order to get more information on this application, press here.

Important: Data Encryption Ransomware are highly dangerous and it is always better that you take precautions to avoid its attack on your work-station. It is advised to use a powerful anti-malware tool in order to get protection in real-time. With this help of “SpyHunter”, “group policy objects” are implanted in the registries in order to block harmful infections like NetworkMaze.

Also, In Windows 10, you get a very unique feature called “Fall Creators Update” that offer “Controlled Folder Access” feature in order to block any kind of encryption to the files. With the help of this feature, any files stored in the locations such as “Documents”, “Pictures”, “Music”, “Videos”, “Favorites” and “Desktop” folders are safe by default.

It is very important that you install this “Windows 10 Fall Creators Update” in your PC to protect your important files and data from ransomware encryption. The more information on how to get this update and add an additional protection form rnasomware attack has been discussed here.

How to Recover the Files Encrypted by NetworkMaze?

Till now, you would have understood that what had happed to your personal files that got encrypted and how you can remove the scripts and payloads associated with NetworkMaze in order to protect your personal files that has not been damaged or encrypted until now. In order to retrieve the locked files, the depth information related to “System Restore” and “Shadow Volume Copies” has already been discussed earlier. However, in case if you are still unable to access the encrypted files then you can try using a data recovery tool.

Use of Data Recovery Tool

This step is for all those victims who have already tries all the above mentioned process but didn’t find any solution. Also it is important that you are able to access the PC and can install any software. The data recovery tool works on the basis of System scanning and recovery algorithm. It searches the System partitions in order to locate the original files which were deleted, corrupted or damaged by the malware. Remember that you must not re-install the Windows OS otherwise the “previous” copies will get deleted permanently. You have to clean the work-station at first and remove NetworkMaze infection. Leave the locked files as it is and follow the steps mentioned below.

Step1: Download the software in the work-station by clicking on the “Download” button below.

Step2: Execute the installer by clicking on downloaded files.

Step3: A license agreement page appears on the screen. Click on “Accept” to agree with its terms and use. Follow the on-screen instruction as mentioned and click on “Finish” button.

Step4: Once the installation gets completed, the program gets executed automatically. In the newly opened interface, select the file types that you want to recover and click on “Next”.

Step5: You can select the “Drives” on which you want the software to run and execute the recovery process. Next is to click on the “Scan” button.

Step6: Based on drive you select for scanning, the restore process begins. The whole process may take time depending on the volume of the selected drive and number of files. Once the process gets completed, a data explorer appears on the screen with preview of that data that is to be recovered. Select the files that you want to restore.

Step7. Next is to locate the location where you want to saver the recovered files.