A kind of bizarre story really, ESET released a tool that can unlock encrypted files that have been infected with the latest versions of TeslaCrypt-ransomware. Apparently that was possible as criminals give away the universal unlock key.

With the hey version 3 and 4 can now be unlocked and decoded, which would be ransomware with extensions .xxx, .ttt, .micro of .mp3. So ESET did not crack TeslaCrypt, but the people behind it simply gave up their activities and gave away the key.

On this occasion, one of ESET’s analysts contacted the group anonymously, using the official support channel offered to the ransomware victims by the TeslaCrypt’s operators, and requested the universal master decryption key.

Surprisingly, they made it public. This allowed ESET to create a free decrypting tool promptly, which is able to unlock files affected by all variants of this ransomware. For instructions on how to use the decryptor, please visit the ESET Knowledgebase website.

We must stress that ransomware remains one of the most dangerous computer threats at this moment, and prevention is essential to keep users safe. Therefore, they should keep operating systems and software updated, use reliable security solutions with multiple layers of protection, and regularly back up all important and valuable data at an offline location (such as external storage). We also advise all users to be very careful when clicking on links or files in their email or browsers. This is particularly true when messages are received from unknown sources or otherwise look suspicious.