Free Decryptor Released for LockerGoga Ransomware

pcmag.com:

The family of ransomware known as LockerGoga has finally been neutralized with the release of a free decrypter capable of unlocking a victim's files.

The decryptor(Opens in a new window) was developed as a joint effort between Bitdefender, Europol, the NoMoreRansom Project, the Zürich Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Zürich Cantonal Police. Bitdefender released a detailed PDF guide(Opens in a new window) on how to use it to unlock a machine, but there is also a silent execution method for automating the deployment of the decryptor across an entire network of PCs.

LockerGoga first came to prominence back in 2019 when Norsk Hydro, one of the world's biggest producers of aluminum, was targeted by a ransomware attack(Opens in a new window). LockerGoga first infected Norsk Hydro computers in the US, before spreading to other locations around the world and resulted in plants being shut down. The company's entire worldwide network eventually went down as a result.

This family of ransomware has proved very effective, infecting networks of computers in 71 countries and impacting over 1,800 individuals. It's typically spread(Opens in a new window) using a renamed version of popular Windows Sysinternal tool PsExec and results in files with a .locked extension. The total damage caused is thought to have cost around $104 million. But with the operator of LockerGoga detained awaiting trial, and a decryptor tool becoming available, the days of this ransomware being a threat should be over.

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