MIIS ransomware was made to take victim’s files hostage by encrypting them. Cybercriminals target the most valuable files people store on their personal or work computers – be it images, videos, audio files or documents. Therefore, they use complex encryption algorithms to temporarily ‘secure’ files so these could no longer be accessed. During the attack, the virus encrypts the very first 150 KB of each file, enough to make file inaccessible quickly. This, however, enables victims to repair certain file formats using Media_Repair tool as explained here. The virus is designed to drop _readme.txt note in every file folder, and this note contains a message from the criminals who suggest purchasing MIIS decryption tool from them. According to the note, the price of this tool is $490 if the victim manages to reach out to the virus’ developers and transfer money within 3 days from the initial infection timestamp. Otherwise, the decryption price rises to $980. In addition, the attackers instruct to transfer the money in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin as they do not accept regular currency. This ensures that the transaction remains untraceable and the criminals’ identity remains undisclosed. Cybersecurity experts from Geek’s Advice team as well as FBI advise against ransom payments. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t pay up:

No matter what cybercriminals promise you, do not believe them. They cannot be trusted and they are not obliged to do their side of the deal as they cannot be traced down in any way. In other words, you may end up wasting your money for nothing and still have your files encrypted.Ransomware-type viruses earn millions of US dollars to malevolent actors each year. This is one of the reasons why so many people join this criminal industry. The more money they collect, the bigger the reach and impact of the criminal activities become. Paying a ransom might be considered an illegal act in your country.Viruses that belong to STOP/DJVU ransomware family such as MIIS virus run AZORULT Trojan on the infected computer. This is a well-known information stealer which can be remotely controlled by the attacker to perform illegal actions on victim’s PC.

Ransomware infection: what happened to your computer?

MIIS ransomware runs several processes after entering victim’s computer. One of these is called winupdate.exe and it is responsible for displaying a fake Windows update prompt during the attack. This is done in order to trick the victim into thinking that a sudden system slowdown is caused by an ongoing Windows operating system update. At the same time, the ransomware starts scanning all system folders and encrypting personal files found in them. Once encrypted, the ransomware also appends a new file extension and leaves a ransom note in the current directory. Next, the ransomware removes Volume Shadow Copies from the computer, ensuring that the victim won’t succeed to restore files using System Restore points. The virus uses the following CMD command to do the damage on VSS: vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet To cause even more stress for the victim, the ransomware modifies Windows HOSTS file to map a list of computer-help related domains to victim’s localhost IP. In simple terms, this alteration tells your computer system to use your localhost IP instead of whichever IP your DNS server resolves to when you try to access specific website through a web browser. As a result, the victim will run into DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error when trying to open one of such websites. In addition, the ransomware saves bowsakkdestx.txt that contains victim’s public encryption key and personal ID and also saves PersonalID.txt file that contains only the victim’s ID. However, ruining victim’s files and modifying system files doesn’t seem like enough for STOP/DJVU malware operators, so they also drop AZORULT Trojan on the system. This specific piece of malware functions as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that can be used to remotely perform various illegal actions on victim’s computer, such as:

Downloading malware to the computer and running it;Stealing Steam, Telegram login credentials;Viewing or deleting files on victim’s computer;Stealing cryptocurrency wallets;Stealing browser cookies, saved passwords, browsing history and more.

Considering the amount of damage done to your computer system, we strongly advise you to remove MIIS ransomware virus from the system as soon as possible. We highly recommend using a robust antivirus for this matter, such as INTEGO Antivirus that has excellent malware detection rate and fair price. In addition, do not forget to scan your PC with RESTORO to repair ransomware damage on Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

How ransomware-type threats are distributed

Ransomware-type viruses commonly await in a form of malicious email attachments, illegal torrent downloads or fake cracking tools. In fact, this STOP/DJVU variant, MIIS file virus can be found in many illegal online downloads. Most of the victims infected with this malware report downloading the virus along with software crack, most commonly for popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Cubase or Adobe Illustrator. Additionally, various KMSPico versions are also known to be used as a distribution vector for this ransomware strain. Needless to say, it is clear that ransomware operators are targeting computer users who are trying to bypass software license fees. Moreover, such computer users are willing to ignore their antivirus’ warnings when downloading such files via various peer-to-peer agents. We strongly recommend you to support legitimate software developers and get programs from confirmed sources only. Otherwise, you risk installing not only ransomware, but various silent malware such as cryptocurrency miners, Trojans or rookits that usually show no signs of existence when you activate them. In such scenario, threats of such kind can operate on your system for months until noticed. Yet another popular way to distribute crypto-viruses is to compose deceptive emails and distribute them via various spam campaigns. The attackers attach malicious scripts to popular document formats such as PDF, XLS, DOCX or others and name them as invoice/payment_information/important_notice and similar. Typically, they pretend to be representatives of well-known companies and urge the victim to review attached contents and reply as soon as possible. It is important not to rush to do as said and inspect the letter attentively as there might be some red flags revealing true nature of the sender. However, with each day criminals get so creative and more sophisticated as they use identical company logos and even spoof sender’s email to make it look legitimate. For this reason, our general recommendation is to only open emails that you waited for or expected to receive. If you decide to open the attachment, make sure you save it on your computer first and scan with antivirus to confirm that it is secure to open. We must also warn STOP/DJVU ransomware victims that cybercriminals from other ransomware gangs have been uploading fake MIIS decryption tools on shady websites in order to double-infect victims with other virus’ kinds. One of ransomware families that’s known for using such technique is called ZORAB.

Remove MIIS ransomware virus and decrypt .miis files

Since your computer has been infected with one of the most dangerous virus’ types nowadays, we cannot stress this enough how important it is to secure your computer without any delay. Therefore, we suggest that you scan your computer with an up-to-date antivirus such as INTEGO Antivirus to eliminate malware remains. Then, we also recommend scanning with RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows OS files. Do not forget to follow detailed steps down below to ensure smooth computer cleanse process. Once you complete MIIS virus removal procedure, we suggest taking the following actions:

Register this cybercrime incident to your local authority. You can find some references below the article.Use data backups to restore your files in case you have created them prior to the attack.Follow the given instructions to decrypt or repair files affected by STOP/DJVU versions.Change your passwords for sites saved in your browser. This is recommended due to the fact that Azorult Trojan is capable of stealing them. Do not forget to change Steam, Telegram and Skype passwords as well.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove MIIS ransomware virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove MIIS ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt MIIS files

Fix and open large MIIS files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. MIIS ransomware virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt MIIS files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The MIIS decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your MIIS extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of MIIS ransomware virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.