M0on Ransomware

Although we have tested M0on Ransomware in our internal lab, this threat is still a big mystery because, as it was found, it is still “under construction.” This threat was caught very early on, and it is unlikely that it has affected many operating systems, if any. Needless to say, it is good that anti-malware tools have already been updated to detect and quarantine this malicious infection in time. Unfortunately, no one can predict the future, and it is very possible that this infection will evolve and become stronger. Hopefully, you still have time to protect your operating system to prevent malware from attacking your personal files. Your files are the main target of the malicious ransomware because you are likely to value them. If your files are valuable, cyber criminals might take them hostage until you pay a huge ransom fee. At the moment, no ransom requests are made, but we are sure that a ransom note will be introduced to you when the ransomware is fully developed. So, how should you act if your files get decrypted? How should you remove M0on Ransomware? Continue reading to find out.

There is not much information about the distribution of M0on Ransomware. Have you encountered this threat already? If you have, we encourage you to share your story in the comments section below. Overall, it is most likely that this devious threat will spread via corrupted spam email attachments, as this is the method used by most ransomware threats, including ShellLocker Ransomware and Crypton Ransomware. Once the threat is executed, it is likely to copy itself to the %TEMP% folder. In our case, the malicious file was named “m0on.exe”. Of course, if the ransomware evolves, it could infect your PC in a different manner, and the malicious component could use a different name (perhaps a misleading one). At the time of research, M0on Ransomware added a RunOnce (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce) registry called “adr.” Although a RunOnce registry key is deleted as soon as it is run, the ransomware is capable of recreating it after you restart your computer, which starts the process anew. Now, we do not know if this threat will work in the same way once it is fully developed, but if anything changes, we will update this report.

At the time of research, M0on Ransomware was targeted at files located in the %USERPROFILE% folder, as well as all subfolders within. This threat is capable of corrupting all kinds of files (e.g., .doc, .pdf, .txt, and .wmv), which is why it is most likely that all of your personal files will be corrupted. The names of these files will be changed to display strings of 30 random characters, including %, o, m, n, and 0. Also, the “.m0on” extension will be attached to these files. The encryption key that this ransomware uses is likely to be very complicated, and it is unknown if the decryption key exists. If it does not exist, you are in quite a predicament. If the decryption key exists, cyber criminals might be willing to give it up if you pay the ransom. Needless to say, there are no guarantees here either. Overall, it looks like your files might be lost for good, unless, of course, you have backup copies. Hopefully, you do, and you can recover your files – at least, some of them – right after you delete M0on Ransomware.

It is very important for you to know where the malicious launcher file is. If you do not remove it from your computer, the malicious infection will remain active, and new files could get encrypted as well. As mentioned previously, M0on Ransomware might copy itself to the %TEMP% folder with the name “m0on.exe”. The manual removal guide below explains how to find and delete this file, but you should look for the malicious launcher first. If you have executed the threat by opening a corrupted spam email attachment, you might be able to track this file down yourself. If you fail, do not hesitate to utilize a malware scanner that will find all malicious components in no time. If you download the free scanner available on this page, we advise upgrading it to protect your operating system against malware in the future. Remember that if you do not take care of your virtual security, it will be jeopardized sooner or later.

M0on Ransomware Removal

1. Locate the malicious launcher .exe file.
2. Right-click and Delete this file.
3. Tap Win+E keys on the keyboard to launch Explorer.
4. Enter %TEMP% into the bar at the top.
5. Right-click and Delete the file called m0on.exe (the name could change).
6. Scan your PC to make sure that no malicious components remain active.