Security News > 2023 > January > Bitdefender releases free MegaCortex ransomware decryptor
Antivirus company Bitdefender has released a decryptor for the MegaCortex ransomware family, making it possible for victims of the once notorious gang to restore their data for free.
You may download the tool from this page and read the user manual for more details on using Bitdefender's MegaCortex decryptor.
The MegaCortex ransomware was first discovered by Sophos researchers in May 2019, who observed it targeting corporate networks and found along with QBot, Emotet, and Cobalt Strike.
In October 2021, Europol announced the arrest of 12 individuals responsible for 1,800 ransomware attacks in 71 countries, many of which deployed the MegaCortex and LockerGoga strains.
This arrest ultimately led to the release of a free LockerGoga ransomware decryptor by BitDefender in September after the authorities discovered private keys used in attacks.
While BitDefender has not stated how they obtained the private keys for today's MegaCortex decryptor, it was likely created with master keys found by the Zurich authorities.