How to remove Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware and decrypt .lucknite files

What is Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware

Lucknite (ETH) or LuckniteRansom is a ransomware virus that was recently inspected by malware researchers. The purpose of this malware type is to encrypt potentially important data and hold it hostage until victims pay money for ransom. During encryption, this ransomware also assigns the .lucknite extension to each targeted file. For instance, originally named 1.pdf will change to 1.pdf.lucknite and lose its shortcut icon after encryption. After this, cybercriminals feature decryption instructions in the README.txt note. Sometimes the content of the ransom may vary slightly depending on which ransomware version affected the system.

In general, it is said that victims have to purchase special decryption software from cybercriminals. The demanded ransom amount is 50$ which has to be transferred in the Ethereum cryptocurrency. Once paid, victims have to notify the attackers about the payment via their e-mail address and get the promised decryption tool for restoring access to data. One of the Lucknite Ransomware variants did not include any contact information, which makes the process of retrieving the decryptor practically impossible (due to a lack of communication channels with cybercriminals). Unfortunately, it is rarely possible to decrypt data without the help of attackers. You can try free third-party decryption/recovery tools from our guide, however, it is less likely that they will be able to help at the moment. For now, the only two methods to return your data are to either collaborate with extortionists (and purchase their decryption tool) or recover the files from available backups. Backups are copies of files stored on external storage (e.g., cloud, USB pendrives, etc.) that were not affected at the time of infection. Recovering data from backups is always a safer option as many cybercriminals tend to fool their victims and not send any decryption keys/tools eventually. However, since the fee (50$) demanded by Lucknite developers is quite low compared to other ransomware infections, it may be an option to consider for some victims who can afford it. Otherwise, before trying to restore data without the involvement of cybercriminals, it is crucial to remove the infection from your computer and prevent its malicious activity. Follow our guide below to do so and get solid protection against such threats in the future.

How Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware infected your computer

Typical infiltration methods are usually e-mail spam letters, trojans, deceptive third-party downloads, fake software updates/installers, backdoors, keyloggers, botnets, system exploits, and other channels as well. As a rule, users get caught when some malicious file is opened or installed. For instance, ransomware can be camouflaged under some legitimate-looking file (.DOCX, .XLSX, .PDF, .EXE, .ZIP, .RAR, or .JS extensions) in an e-mail letter that impersonates legal companies/entities (e.g., delivery companies, tax authorities, banks, and so forth). Such files may be named in a click-bait way to reflect some “importance”, or “urgency” and therefore cuase curiosity in the mind of users. If the attached content ends up opened according to cybercriminals’ guidelines, the contained infection will be likely deployed for installation on the targeted system. A similar infection pattern can be seen in other distribution channels as well, for instance, when users download some pirated or cracked version of the software from a shady web page. While the installation of such software may look completely unsuspicious, the final result may be inadvertent infection of malware. Thus, beware of interacting with dubious download sources, torrent-sharing pages, suspicious ads, potentially malicious attachments/links, and other kinds of risky content. Download software only from official resources to prevent drive-by (stealth) installations of malware. Read our guide below to learn more about establishing protection against threats like ransomware (and other malware) in the future.

1. Download Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware Removal Tool
2. Get decryption tool for .lucknite files
3. Recover encrypted files with Stellar Data Recovery Professional
4. Restore encrypted files with Windows Previous Versions
5. Restore files with Shadow Explorer
6. How to protect from threats like Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware

Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware files:


README.txt
{randomname}.exe


Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware registry keys:

no information

How to decrypt and restore .lucknite files

Use automated decryptors

Download Kaspersky RakhniDecryptor

Use following tool from Kaspersky called Rakhni Decryptor, that can decrypt .lucknite files. Download it here:

There is no purpose to pay the ransom because there is no guarantee you will receive the key, but you will put your bank credentials at risk.

Dr.Web Rescue Pack

Famous antivirus vendor Dr. Web provides free decryption service for the owners of its products: Dr.Web Security Space or Dr.Web Enterprise Security Suite. Other users can ask for help in the decryption of .lucknite files by uploading samples to Dr. Web Ransomware Decryption Service. Analyzing files will be performed free of charge and if files are decryptable, all you need to do is purchase a 2-year license of Dr.Web Security Space worth $120 or less. Otherwise, you don’t have to pay.

If you are infected with Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware and removed from your computer you can try to decrypt your files. Antivirus vendors and individuals create free decryptors for some crypto-lockers. To attempt to decrypt them manually you can do the following:

Use Stellar Data Recovery Professional to restore .lucknite files

1. Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
2. Click Recover Data button.
3. Select type of files you want to restore and click Next button.
4. Choose location where you would like to restore files from and click Scan button.
5. Preview found files, choose ones you will restore and click Recover.

Using Windows Previous Versions option:

1. Right-click on infected file and choose Properties.
2. Select Previous Versions tab.
3. Choose particular version of the file and click Copy.
4. To restore the selected file and replace the existing one, click on the Restore button.
5. In case there is no items in the list choose alternative method.

Using Shadow Explorer:

1. Download Shadow Explorer program.
2. Run it and you will see screen listing of all the drives and the dates that shadow copy was created.
3. Select the drive and date that you want to restore from.
4. Right-click on a folder name and select Export.
5. In case there are no other dates in the list, choose alternative method.

If you are using Dropbox:

1. Login to the DropBox website and go to the folder that contains encrypted files.
2. Right-click on the encrypted file and select Previous Versions.
3. Select the version of the file you wish to restore and click on the Restore button.

How to protect computer from viruses, like Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware , in future

1. Get special anti-ransomware software

Use ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Dashboard

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Alert

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Blocked

Famous antivirus brand ZoneAlarm by Check Point released a comprehensive tool, that will help you with active anti-ransomware protection, as an additional shield to your current protection. The tool provides Zero-Day protection against ransomware and allows you to recover files. ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware is compatible with all other antiviruses, firewalls, and security software except ZoneAlarm Extreme (already shipped with ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware) or Check Point Endpoint products. The killer features of this application are: automatic file recovery, overwrite protection that instantly and automatically recovers any encrypted files, file protection that detects and blocks even unknown encryptors.

2. Back up your files

As an additional way to save your files, we recommend online backup. Local storage, such as hard drives, SSDs, flash drives, or remote network storage can be instantly infected by the virus once plugged in or connected to. Lucknite (ETH) Ransomware uses some techniques to exploit this. One of the best services and programs for easy automatic online backup is iDrive. It has the most profitable terms and a simple interface. You can read more about iDrive cloud backup and storage here.

3. Do not open spam e-mails and protect your mailbox

Malicious attachments to spam or phishing e-mails are the most popular method of ransomware distribution. Using spam filters and creating anti-spam rules is good practice. One of the world leaders in anti-spam protection is MailWasher Pro. It works with various desktop applications and provides a very high level of anti-spam protection.